Behold the Man Pilgrimage

Men’s Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

The “Behold the Man” pilgrimage leads men on a journey to reclaim biblical manhood by walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

Men will:

• Feel Jesus’ words and the history and theology of the Holy Land will come alive as we walk in Hid footsteps.
• Discover and own their faith in a new and refreshing way.
• Slowdown… Listen… Smell… Taste… and Touch this Holy Land so they can more fully encounter God through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Reclaim their Biblical Manhood: A will to obey, a work to do, and a heart to love.

The next “Behold the Man” Pilgrimage is being organized now. To learn more contact Jay Crouse.

A reflection from a Pilgrimage Alumnus

Behold the Man; Holy Land Pilgrimage Makes “A Better Man”

By The Rev. Tim Surratt, Rector, Christ the King-Grace Church, Waccamaw, Pawley’s Island

This past October, a group of 11 men from our diocese and about as many again from other places took a pilgrimage to the Holy Land — to learn, to walk in the steps of Jesus, to bond, pray, seek and find… to be changed by the Lord . Basically – to be better men of God.

The trip, called “Behold the Man,” is part of our Diocese’s men’s ministry led by the ubiquitous Jay Crouse. Many men have taken previous BTM trips to the holy land, each of one earning acceptance in to the Brotherhood of the Cross, the group of men who’ve completed the pilgrimage, for doing so.

The schedule loosely followed the life of Jesus in micro, and included what you’d expect and have heard about from Holy Land tours – visits to En Gedi, the Dead Sea, Masada, Qumram, the Jordan River, and the top spots in the city of Jerusalem. But that’s where the similarities to a ‘tour” end. This was a pilgrimage – a carefully crafted trip across land and an inner journey through our own hearts and souls.

We began in the Negev desert, taking long hikes and camel rides, pondering the brokenness of our lives and staying in the tents of a Bedouin campground (think of it as an Arab KOA). On the first night, most of the men migrated out of necessity from their assigned tent to the one I was staying in, due to the exceptional snoring of one participant who shall remain nameless.

From there – we went to Jericho, Nazareth, the Mount of Beatitudes… with our journey culminating in the old city of Jerusalem. It was a compact version of Jesus’ life and travels.

Read more.

2019 Behold the Man Men’s Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

By Jay Crouse, Coordinator for Men’s Ministry, The Anglican Diocese of South Carolina. This article was originally shared December 2019.

Twenty-five men from the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina and beyond recently returned from our 12-day men’s pilgrimage and spiritual retreat to the Holy Land. Our 2019 leadership team included Dr. Peter Walker, Pilgrimage Leader; the Rev. Dr. John Barr, Chaplain; Scott Poelker, Point Man; and Jay Crouse, Coordinator. Again this year, we were able to include two priests from Kenya.

Each year we begin our pilgrimage in the wilderness for two nights of glamorous camping. But, more importantly, the wilderness allows the men to disconnect so they can reconnect with God. And it works, because we are truly in the middle of a wilderness desert. With this centering experience we are then ready to step into the footsteps of Jesus and begin our chronological journey of Jesus’ life in Israel: from Bethlehem, to Nazareth, the Jordan River, the Galilee region and then up to Jerusalem.

Highlights over 12 days include truly walking and hiking 50 miles in the footsteps of Jesus: great adventures of descending Mt. Arbel in the Galilee region, Qumran-the site of the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls, remembering our baptisms in the Jordan River, the Mt. of Beatitudes and then reliving Holy Week in Jerusalem.

What makes Behold the Man unique from other pilgrimages is that we have incorporated in our curriculum a 12-day men’s spiritual retreat. Our spiritual men’s retreat includes teaming the men up as two-by-two buddies, providing six small group times to go deeper and help the men process all they are experiencing: the father’s blessing, affirmation and foot washing to name a few.

We are planning our 2020 Behold the Man men’s pilgrimage with our dates set: October 10 to October 23. For more information contact Jay Crouse at (941) 320-0271 or jaycrouse@aol.com.

(Image above by Martin Olando Wesonga)

Related Articles

Behold the Man: “Best Trip I’ve Ever Been On”

Uplifting Journey Brings Soul Closer to God I’ve been a believer in Jesus Christ since my first breath at Roper Hospital, or at least as soon as my mom and dad could get me to repeat, “Now I lay me down to sleep..,” so going to the Holy Land with Behold The Man wasn’t going to open my eyes to the reality of Christ! No, way. My dad went over in 1967 before Israeli tourism was “jacuzzi” ready, so to ...
Read More

Pilgrimage Makes “A Better Man”

By The Rev. Tim Surratt, Rector, Christ the King-Grace Church, Waccamaw, Pawley’s Island This past October, a group of 11 men from our diocese and about as many from other places took a pilgrimage to the Holy Land — to learn, to walk in the steps of Jesus, to bond, to pray, to seek and to find, to be changed by the Lord — basically, to be better men of God. The trip called “Behold the Man” (BTM) is part ...
Read More

2019 Behold the Man Men’s Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

This article was originally shared December 2019. Twenty-five men from the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina and beyond recently returned from our 12-day men’s pilgrimage and spiritual retreat to the Holy Land. Our 2019 leadership team included Dr. Peter Walker, Pilgrimage Leader; the Rev. Dr. John Barr, Chaplain; Scott Poelker, Point Man; and Jay Crouse, Coordinator. Again this year, we were able to include two priests from Kenya. Each year we begin our pilgrimage in the wilderness for two nights ...
Read More