A Year of Walking Toward Wholeness
Healing doesn't happen in a weekend. That's why the Acacia program is structured around a full year of support — including salary replacement, ongoing counseling, and four intensive retreat weeks at our property in Concord, North Carolina.
Who This Is For
Acacia Ministries serves:
- Ministers and their families who have experienced abuse, betrayal, or forced removal by a congregation
- Spouses and children caught in the fallout
- Military chaplain families navigating stresses that civilian support systems rarely understand
Referrals are welcome from denominational leaders, counselors, and fellow pastors. If you're not sure whether Acacia is the right fit, reach out — we'd rather talk it through with you.
The Four Movements
Shalom — Peace
The first week is about telling the story. Families share what happened and are heard — without agenda, without anyone trying to rush them toward resolution. Like the psalmist, the goal is simply to speak honestly to God about their pain.
Rapha — Healing
The second week asks the harder question: what does healing actually look like for this family? We don't believe healing is a single moment. We do believe the Great Physician heals — and this week is about mapping the path, including the slow, necessary work of forgiveness.
Tikvah — Hope
The third week turns toward the future. What does God dream for this family? This week focuses on rebuilding a sense of calling and imagining what ministry — and life together — could look like on the other side of the wound.
Acacia — Resilience
The final week is about relaunch. The acacia tree is known for its deep roots, its flexibility in wind, and its ability to thrive in harsh conditions. This week helps families internalize what they've learned and step back into ministry with that same resilience.
The Year-Long Support Structure
Between retreat weeks, families receive:
- Salary support for the minister for the full year
- Ongoing counseling through local providers in their area
- Quarterly check-ins and connection to the broader Acacia community
Military Families
Military families — and especially chaplain families — carry a weight that's easy to overlook. Deployment stress, frequent moves, the isolation of military community, the specific pressures on chaplains who serve without rank protection: these are real, and they deserve real care.
The program structure for military families looks different from the minister track. If you're wondering what support could look like for your situation, the best first step is a conversation.
Our Property
Acacia Ministries operates from a five-acre property in Concord, North Carolina. We currently host up to four couples at a time for retreat weeks. Capacity is growing as the ministry develops.