Lompoc, California, April 21, 2026
Chapel concept for the Meeting of the Lord Ranch. Photo: orthodoxcrowdfunding.com
Fr. John Valadez, priest at St. Timothy Antiochian Orthodox Church in Lompoc, CA, is raising funds to acquire 123 acres west of Lompoc and develop it into an Orthodox Christian retreat center—the Meeting of the Lord Ranch.
The effort follows a January 2026 epistle from His Eminence Metropolitan Saba, head of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America, urging parishes to establish “Bethany Houses”—small retreat centers where the faithful can rest and pray.
In the epistle, the Metropolitan painted a stark picture of modern life: “Long working hours, economic strain, exhausting commutes, consumerist lifestyles...have led to exhaustion, frayed nerves, loss of inner balance, mental confusion, and depression.” His solution was a network of retreat houses offering “short or extended spiritual retreats” for small groups of no more than twenty, in “quiet, natural settings” centered on silence, prayer, and Gospel reflection.
Photo: meetingofthelord.com
The Central Coast property sits a few miles from the Pacific Ocean and currently includes five homes, a historic barn, and several outbuildings. A Victorian home at the front would be reserved for clergy and their families in need of rest. Rugged sections of the land offer natural solitude with wildlife and wildflowers.
Development would proceed in stages—beginning with the relocation of an existing candle factory, publishing house, and natural apothecary to the site, followed by construction of yurts and cabins for guests. Later phases include a chapel, a vineyard for Communion wine, and farm-to-table agricultural operations.
Fr. John Valadez describes the vision as “a place of refuge, retreat, and prayer for the faithful of the growing Orthodox Church in America” and a model to eventually be replicated across the continent.
The property is listed at $1.5 million. The project is seeking donors and investors at meetingthelord.org.
Fr. John spoke about the project in-depth in a recent episode of Counterflow with Buck Johnson.
Follow OrthoChristian on Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe and Gab!
