Christian Retreat

What Christian Retreat does

Gospel Crusade, Inc. (operating as Christian Retreat) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit religious organization founded in 1953 and headquartered in Bradenton, Florida, on the banks of the Manatee River. Its principal operating site is the Christian Retreat Conference Center, a year-round resort and event venue featuring 135 guest rooms and suites (fully renovated in 2020 and expanded in 2024 with the Riverhouse), 27,000 square feet of flexible meeting space across 12 meeting rooms, full catering services, and recreational amenities including a heated pool, pickleball courts, and canoes. The campus can accommodate groups of 10 to 1,000 guests and hosts a year-round calendar of faith-based conferences and events, including Homecoming, the 10-week Institute of Ministry, Winter Conference Season, Feast of Tabernacles, and the YEX Youth Summer Camp.

The organization's revenue model is diversified across multiple streams: conference center and event venue fees, lodging at $159/night personal retreat rates and group rates, catering, donations and tithes processed through Tithely, recurring ministerial credentialing fees (Able Worker $25, Licensed $50, Ordained $75 annually), and wedding and special event hosting. It operates through several subsidiary ministries: The Family Church (a local congregation with weekly Sunday and Wednesday services), the Institute of Ministry (a 10-week intensive training program), the Gospel Crusade Ministerial Association (a credentialing body), and Gospel Crusade World Missions (active missions in 38+ countries including Israel, India, Honduras, and Haiti). It also operates niche outreach programs including the Association of Christian Truckers and the Living Water RV Park.

The organization serves Christian churches, denominations, ministries, individual believers, and aspiring ministers across the U.S. and internationally. Its go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, leveraging a dedicated event coordinator, a sales team (National Sales Manager, Director of Sales, Group Liaison), trade press features (Small Market Meetings, Connect Meetings), and a multi-channel content marketing presence (YouTube livestreams, Apple Podcasts, sermon archives, email communications, and social media). All technology is third-party and non-proprietary, with no AI/ML capabilities, no public API, and no patents or trademarks disclosed. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Christian Retreat

Legal name

Gospel Crusade, Inc.

Website

https://www.christianretreat.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Christian Retreat is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a year-round Christian conference center, resort, and local church on the Manatee River in Bradenton, Florida, serving faith-based groups, churches, and individual believers with lodging, meeting space, catering, and ministry programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Conference & Retreat Center

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Conference Retreat Hotels (THAGALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL), Missionary Training Colleges & Schools (EDAHAKAF), Christian Broadcasting (TV & Radio) (MPABALAA)

Keywords

• Christian conference center
• Religious retreat venue
• Faith-based hospitality
• Ministerial credentialing
• Church group lodging

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradenton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Conference Center & Event Services: Christian Retreat earns revenue by hosting Christian conferences, retreats, and events at its conference facility. The venue accommodates groups of 10 to 1,000 guests across 27,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and 12 meeting rooms. Revenue is generated through venue rental, event coordination services, and related event hosting fees.
2. Lodging & Accommodation: The 135 guest rooms and suites generate revenue from overnight stays. Group rates start at $159/room for double occupancy. Personal retreat rates are available at $159/night. Rooms were fully renovated in 2020 and expanded in 2024 with the Riverhouse addition.
3. Catering & Dining: On-site dining services are provided for groups and retreat attendees, ranging from upscale dinners to casual BBQ and campfire s'mores parties. The catering team accommodates culinary preferences and special dietary needs.
4. Donations & Tithes: The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and accepts donations through multiple channels including online (Tithely), text-to-give (844-720-0376), mobile app, and traditional cash/check. Donors can make one-time or recurring contributions and designate gifts to specific mission projects.
5. Ministerial Credential Fees: Gospel Crusade Ministerial Association (GCMA) generates revenue through credential renewal fees: Able Workers $25/year, Licensed Ministers $50/year, and Ordained Ministers $75/year. Suggested annual gift donations are also encouraged at each credential level.
6. Wedding & Special Event Hosting: The venue is marketed as a wedding destination on the banks of the Manatee River, generating revenue from wedding ceremonies, receptions, and special events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Christian Retreat is a year-round Christian conference center, resort, and ministry campus on the Manatee River in Bradenton, Florida, hosting church groups, ministries, and individual believers. Core offerings include 135 renovated guest rooms, 27,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, full-service catering, recreational amenities, wedding venue services, on-site church services, ministerial credentialing, a 10-week ministry training program, youth summer camp, and an international mission network spanning 38+ countries.

Product overview

Christian Retreat operates as a multi-ministry organization combining a local church (The Family Church), a conference center/resort, and affiliated ministry programs. The core offering is the Christian Retreat Conference Center—a year-round resort and event venue on Florida's Manatee River with lodging, meeting space, dining, and recreation. This is complemented by The Family Church worship services, the Gospel Crusade Ministerial Association (GCMA) credentialing program, the Institute of Ministry 10-week training, Gospel Crusade World Missions (38+ countries), and event-based programs including YEX Youth Camp, Feast of Tabernacles, Winter Conferences, and Homecoming. Additional ministries target niche audiences: Association of Christian Truckers and Living Water RV Park. An online sermon archive provides on-demand access to teaching content. The organization functions as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit under Gospel Crusade, Inc.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YEX USA: Youth summer camp program held annually in July
• Feast of Tabernacles
• Living Water RV Park
• Association of Christian Truckers

Products and services

• Christian Retreat Conference Center Year-round conference center and resort on the Manatee River in Bradenton, Florida, offering 135 guest rooms, 27,000 square feet of meeting space, dining, and recreational amenities for Christian groups and events of 10 to 1,000 attendees.
• Retreat Lodging Hotel-style accommodations with 135 renovated guest rooms and suites featuring balconies overlooking a tropical lagoon, high-speed WiFi, and HD cable TV. Rooms were fully renovated in 2020 and expanded in 2024 with the Riverhouse addition.
• Catering & Dining Services On-site catering services for groups and retreat attendees ranging from upscale dinners to casual BBQs and campfire s'mores parties, with menu options accommodating culinary preferences and special dietary needs.
• Meeting & Event Space 27,000 square feet of flexible meeting space across 12 meeting rooms in the International Training Center, accommodating groups of 10 to 1,000 guests, with unique outdoor venues available.
• Wedding Venue
• Gospel Crusade Ministerial Association (GCMA) Credentialing
• Institute of Ministry (IOM)
• YEX USA Youth Summer Camp
• Recreation & Amenities

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 55 years of continuous operation as a Christian conference and retreat center
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TithelycoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Tithely (operating as Tithe.ly) provides the digital giving and donation platform for Christian Retreat. It enables online tithes and offerings, text-to-give functionality (text 'GIVE' to 844-720-0376), mobile app giving through The Family Church app, and event registration/payment processing. Tithely also developed the church website. This is a core operational technology partnership enabling the organization's primary donation revenue stream.
• YouTubecoreTechnology or IntegrationChristian Retreat operates a YouTube channel (@thefamily.church) and embeds YouTube video players on its website. YouTube hosts full church service livestreams, sermon archives, worship videos, and daily encouragement content. The organization also uses YouTube's podcast/audio distribution capabilities. This is a primary content distribution and engagement platform for the ministry.
• Gospel Crusade World Missions Network (Israel, India, Honduras, Haiti)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGospel Crusade/Christian Retreat maintains active mission partnerships with national church leaders and ministries in Israel, India, Honduras, and Haiti. These partnerships support church planting, Bible schools, feeding programs, and orphanages. National leaders are trained at the Florida campus and through the Institute of Ministry, then sent to lead ministries in their home countries. The organization is represented in 38+ countries through these partnerships.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ridgecrest Conference Center (LifeWay Ridgecrest): A large denominational Christian conference and retreat center in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, hosting year-round conferences, summer camps, and church group retreats with lodging, meeting space, and dining — directly comparable to Christian Retreat's core conference-center business model.
• Sandy Cove Ministries: A non-denominational Christian conference and retreat center on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland offering lodging, meeting facilities, and programming for church retreats, conferences, and family vacations — a direct comparable in product mix and target market.
• Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center: A long-established (since 1906) Christian conference center in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California, hosting church retreats, family camps, and conferences with on-site lodging and meeting space — closely mirrors Christian Retreat's integrated church-and-conference-center model.
• Montrose Bible Conference: A non-denominational Christian conference center in Montrose, Michigan offering summer conferences, church retreats, and Bible teaching with lodging and dining — comparable in faith-based retreat programming and denominational breadth.
• WinShape Retreat: The WinShape Foundation (Chick-fil-A-affiliated) operates a Christian retreat center in Rome, Georgia hosting couples, marriage, and group retreats with lodging and meeting facilities — comparable in faith-based hospitality and group-retreat product.
• Pine Cove Christian Camps: A network of Christian summer camps and retreat centers across Texas and the Southeast serving churches, youth groups, and families — directly comparable in Christian youth programming (overlaps with YEX Youth Summer Camp) and church-group lodging model.
• Kanakuk Kamps: A well-known Christian summer camp operator in Branson, Missouri serving youth and families with multi-week residential programming — directly comparable to Christian Retreat's YEX Youth Summer Camp sub-product.
• SpringHill Camps: A Christian camp and retreat organization operating multiple sites across the Midwest and Southeast, hosting summer camps and year-round church group retreats — comparable in faith-based lodging, retreat programming, and church customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Gloo (formerly Thrivent/LifeWay digital arm): A larger technology and media platform serving the broader Christian church market, formed around LifeWay Christian Resources' digital assets — operates in adjacent faith-based content, credentialing, and church tooling rather than as a direct conference-center competitor.

Others

• Bible Broadcasting Network: A Charlotte, NC-based Christian broadcasting organization with TV and radio distribution — adjacent in the faith-based media and content ecosystem that Christian Retreat participates in through YouTube, podcast, and livestream operations.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@theFamily.Church
• Facebookfacebook.com/christianretreatconferencecenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/thefamily.church_fl
• Xx.com/christianrtreat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/christian-retreat

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Christian Retreat