Strength for the Journey Retreats for persons living with HIV/AIDS were started over 15 years ago in the California-Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church. In 1997 the Holston Conference hosted the first retreat in the southeast United States. Two retreats are held each year.

Holston Conference Camp & Retreat Ministries sponsors the Strength for the Journey Retreat held in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Additional support is provided by businesses and by churches and individuals from a variety of denominations.

The retreat planning group, which includes persons who are affected and infected by HIV, seeks to embody the Church's role of compassion and love in this epidemic. The retreats are staffed by a dedicated group of volunteers who donate their time, talents, and expenses to the retreat. The staff of the Buffalo Mountain Camp Retreat Center provide a safe, comfortable space for the retreat as well as home-cooked nutritious meals and snacks each day. The retreats are attended by men and women from across the southeast who come from all walks of life.