Crestfield Friends,

On behalf of the Crestfield Camp and Conference Center, I would like to share news with you of a leadership transition and plans for taking Crestfield forward in the near-term and into the future.

Mike Little, who has led Crestfield over the past several years, has departed effective May 4. We are grateful for his steady leadership and the meaningful impact he has had on our campers, families, and the broader community we serve. His guidance helped the organization navigate challenging periods, including during the pandemic. We extend our thanks to Mike for his dedication and wish him and his family the best.

Change is a time to reflect and look ahead, and the Crestfield Board of Directors is approaching this moment with care and attention while continuing to move forward with clear focus.

We are grateful that our core staff team remains in place and ready to lead the work ahead. To support their work, the Board is stepping up involvement across the range of operational, HR and other tasks in the coming weeks and months.  We will support staff and ensure clear communications and coordination as we move into the summer season.  

Summer Camps and Near-Term Operations

We remain committed to providing a sacred space to experience God’s creation and the formative power of Jesus.  That work will continue through two priorities: (1) making sure our summer camp programs are fully carried out, rooted in our shared values of safety and providing a Christ-centered community where children encounter God’s love, and (2) putting in place interim leadership for the summer as we prayerfully shape a longer-term path for leadership in the years ahead.

Conference Center User Groups

In addition, we remain grateful for the partnership and support of Pittsburgh Presbytery congregations and the many regional community groups that have come to rely on Crestfield as a peaceful and spiritual location for meetings and events. We will be reaching out to these groups in the next several weeks to ensure our service delivery is strong and our relationships are intact.

Defining the Path Forward

Earlier this year, the Board had scheduled a planning retreat for mid-June, and this event will take on heightened importance.  We will prayerfully define short-term leadership, while building our path forward around the following three key areas:

Organizational Management

• Staff development, operational efficiency and communications

Governance/Policy

• Policy and procedure review and compliance, board development and potential re-accreditation

Financial Stewardship and Advancement

• Near-term needs and longer term fiscal health and sustainability

Thriving into the Future

The Covenant between The Pittsburgh Presbytery and Crestfield Camp and Conference Center ‘affirms our shared purpose and support for one another as distinct entities yoked in mutual mission.’ It is an ethos that we see brought to life every day in our work, and we remain grateful for this ongoing commitment.

The Presbytery Staff, along with the Executive Committee, are now working in close coordination with the Crestfield board as they navigate this situation.  We would ask you to keep Crestfield, and its staff and leadership in your prayers in this season of transition.

Yours in Christ,

Amy Grella

Board Chair