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Episcopalians engage in ecumenical fellowship through music, art at Wild Goose Festival

September 02, 2025

[Episcopal News Service] A group of Episcopalians from several dioceses spent their Labor Day weekend in fellowship with hundreds of spiritually minded people at the Wild Goose Festival in Harmony, North Carolina. The outdoor event, held annually since 2011 except 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, is rooted in progressive Christianity and social justice. Like the Greenbelt Festival in England it stemmed from, the Wild Goose Festival encompasses art, live music, storytelling, theater, meditation, theological education and more. Musicians who have previously performed at The Wild Goose Festival include Christian rock band Jars of Clay, Amy Grant, the folk rock duo Indigo Girls and more. “Throughout the years, the festival has changed in different ways, but it just keeps unfolding,” the Rev. Tommy Dillon, rector of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told Episcopal News Service. “Some say it was inspired by the Celtic image of the Holy Spirit, which is a wild, untamed goose, reminding us that God calls us to movement, freedom and having surprise encounters. That’s what the Wild Goose Festival is – people come here to have transformational movements.” Dillon has served as a board member of the Wild Goose Festival since 2016. The Rev. Joy Carrol Wallis – one of the first women ordained as a priest in the Church of England who was the inspiration of Geraldine Granger, the main character of the BBC sitcom “The Vicar of Dibley” – is chair of the board of directors.  From Aug. 28-31, festivalgoers participated in informational sessions and activities addressing theological perspectives on various topics ranging from uplifting Indigenous voices in church, neurodivergence and LGBTQ+ ministries to addressing Christian nationalism and the death penalty in the United States. Worship services took place every day, including a Eucharist led by Dillon. Other Episcopalians volunteered to lead daily morning prayer and compline worship. Even though the festival is Christian-focused, all faith backgrounds are welcome to attend. Melissa Rau, a lay leader in the Parrish-based Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida, told ENS, for example, that her camping neighbor is atheist, “and he looks forward to going to the Goose every year.” “He might be one of the most incredibly Christian people I’ve ever met in that he shows up, like Jesus, to everyone and will intentionally build connections with people who are different,” Rau said. “I feel like the Goose is a safe place for all people to show up to one another as their full, generous, engaging selves.” Rau, Dillon and several other Episcopalians set up an Episcopal tent informally called “Camp Thurible,” featuring the Episcopal and Progress Pride flags, to provide festivalgoers information about The Episcopal Church and its stances on social justice, LGBTQ+ inclusion, creation care and peacemaking. The Rev. Leann Culbreath, a priest in the Savannah-based Diocese of Georgia, is in charge of organizing the tent and volunteers every year. “Honestly, the Episcopal tent would not function nearly as smoothly – or with as much joy – without [Culbreath’s] leadership and dedication,” Dillon said. Several Episcopal seminaries and dioceses sponsor the tent every year. Every night, the Episcopalians running the tent gave away cupcakes to welcome everyone. One Episcopal newcomer gave away 200 handmade cards with hand-drawn angels. “We had something for everybody. …It was a great way to spark conversations with like-minded people,” Cheryl Duplechain, a vestry member at St. Margaret’s in Baton Rouge, told ENS. “Witnessing people share their faith through their music, their art expressions – this festival is an escape from the real world that we live in, where people are judged and looked down upon and our politics are horrific. But everyone truly is welcome here.” The festival also included opportunities for meditation and exercise, such as reiki and yoga sessions. Many festivalgoers participated in dance parties, including a silent disco party, where they listened and danced to music through wireless headphones. Dillon said the board intentionally designs the festival’s programming to ensure that at least half of the musicians, art performers and speakers are women and people of color. “We’re really trying to make sure everyone feels represented,” Dillon said. “We want people to come and to be reenergized for ministries and have fresh ideas to take back to their home parishes.” -Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.