Having lived there for longer than I care to admit, Sunrise Ranch is a cult, plain and simple. On the surface, it looks like a beautiful place, and in some regards it is. Many of the people working there are kind, genuine people. These poor souls are the unfortunate ones who have been sucked into what appears to be lovingkindness at its finest. First, take a look at their history. Past spiritual leaders accused of rape and false imprisonment. The methods of "attunement" involve touching that borders on abusive. This is a moneycult, bringing people in and providing them subpar room and board (get used to sharing your personal space in very intimate ways, whether or not you like it) with no pay whatsoever. They don't even credit the room and board at fair market value on your taxes, so your losing out on social security contributions, among other things. Once you're in, there's no problem working you 50+ hours a week. They know that at a certain point, your savings will run out. Once that happens, you're trapped. Don't want to work seven days a week? "This is an intentional living community and everybody must contribute, so get back to washing dishes or picking vegetables." Need help paying for medication or insurance? "We'll have to look at the budget [and it will never say what you want it to.]" The leadership is disengaged at best, and abusive at worst. David Karchere, self-proclaimed spiritual visionary, lives just far enough away from the main grounds that he can escape all his lessers. Keeping himself removed, coming out only to speak from a pulpit, gives the appearance of giftedness, but he's just a charlatan. The doctrine taught here is just Christianity-meets-hippies. "Throw in some crystals, some touching, some adjustments, some 'attunements', and some modern music, and let's call it a religion!" In an intentional living community where everyone is supposed to contribute, and yet somehow the leader is too important to wash dishes or pick vegetables alongside his followers (because he is too busy traveling the world, self-aggrandizing) is highly suspect. Michael Costello is David's enforcer. He seems all smiles at first, but he hides inside him a darkness that is unparalleled. If you do what he says, when he says it, you'll be fine. The moment you step out of line or question the reasoning behind something, he will explode and lay into you like the ex-corporate attack dog that he is. Beware. They claim to be open-minded and progressive, but look at their employees. 99% white, heterosexual, middle-class hippies. No diversity whatsoever. All the yoga and massage and natural beauty covers up what this place really is: A cult that is more concerned with making money and keeping their base pure than they are helping the world and building community. And what better evidence than how they care for the land they own? I worked the land by hand, sweat blood and tears, on aged equipment they refused to update. Hundreds of acres of beautiful pasture, with grass-fed beef roaming relatively free. Sounds beautiful, right? When it wasn't making them enough money, the executives made a decision: Let's trample this into the ground by hosting a "music festival" (Arise Music Festival). Experienced land-management professionals told them this would be a death sentence for the land, the equivalent of paving over pasture. Their response? Fire the entire farm team (just like they did three years previous when there were disagreements over land management) and ignore their professional input. Those who choose to visit, whether for a class or a weekend stay, remember: None of your dollars are going to the people who actually help keep the place afloat. Your dollars are going to a corrupt executive team who only care about protecting themselves. All those smiling faces you see are so cheery-looking because they have no choice. They have no savings, they have no future, and so they have to accept the inevitable. read more

For decades Sunrise Ranch was the world headquarters of the "Emissaries of Divine Light" (EDL) spiritual organization (a ministry run by a Bishop named Martin Cecil) that, since Cecil's death in 1988, has downsized to the point of virtual extinction as a spiritual place. There do remain a few die-hard stragglers from the old EDL days that apparently do not realize the party is over, or else require someone to tell them what to do. Sunrise Ranch has devolved into a rental space - a "conference center" - that features their big annual capitalist $$$$ maker, a large drug-addled rock music festival. Sunrise Ranch under Cecil's guidance was once a place of integrity (child molestation arrests, and sexual assaults notwithstanding) in the days when the EDL ministry was alive and vital. Now their "executive team" will do anything for a buck. This rental space is under the control of a truly odious entity with delusions of grandeur named David Karchere, who fancies himself the "spiritual director" but operates like a petty tyrant, dictating what is and what is not "acceptable" modes of thought and "creative tone". It's his way or the highway. Karchere is rude, arrogant and dismissive. Martin Cecil was an enlightened and benevolent being. Karchere is no Cecil. He is simply a charlatan, a joke. The Sunday "service" in their dome chapel used to draw several hundred; now there are barely two dozen. A recent on-line presentation by several of Karchere's workshop attendees recounting their "tremendous experience" seemed more like uptight hostages under duress reciting canned statements. It would have been amusing were it not so pathetic. Then there's the not small matter of the financial exploitation of most of the residents by the "elite". read more

I have stayed at Sunrise Ranch several times for several workshops. My time there has been very special. The food was out of this world - a lot of the food is from their own farm. The Accommodations Building was clean and comfortable - be aware that most rooms have bathrooms that are shared. The staff both on the conferencing side and on the farm side are wonderful and you can see that they are there to serve. Sunrise Ranch is community owned so all the residents and staff have a common purpose. I also enjoyed many walks on the hills surrounding the ranch. It was great to have had interactions with the farm animals - the sheep, cows, lamas, dogs, pigs and chickens. I will be back. read more

Sunrise Ranch provides an exceptionally beautiful, respectful, and loving surround for individuals and groups doing transformational work. I have participated in a number of classes, conferences, and personal retreats in this remarkable setting where the atmosphere, food, and lodging are inviting and personalized to meet diverse needs and interests. I can recommend Sunrise Ranch Spiritual Retreat and Conference Center to anyone looking for a deeply peaceful and authentic experience of themselves and others, within a magnificent natural setting. read more

I have visited Sunrise Ranch approximately x3 per year for many years. The essence of the place never changes, though people have come and gone over the years. The natural world is spectacular in that valley. The hospitality is warm and genuine, with particularly fabulous food over the past several years. The staff are friendly and engaging, and accommodate requests in timely fashion. I have attended events in most of the meeting rooms, and in the Dome, and have found the facilities to be more than adequate for the meetings I was attending. read more

Sunrise ranch is a beautiful ranch set on 350 acres just outside of Loveland, CO. The food here is top notch, organic and homegrown! The people are loving, compassionate and professional. Sunday services are beautiful and I appreciate that they can be streamed online for those who cannot attend in person. The accommodations building is well maintained and comfortable. I have never been somewhere that bends over backwards to make guests happy like they do at Sunrise Ranch. read more

I am a fan of Sunrise Ranch , I am coming there for more than 30 years and its preciuos to me to experience the valley the vertile land the special food and the education I have received over those years Now to come there every year up till now, to be with my friends from all over the world is a blessing Love Irene from the Netherlands read more