Why I Supported Proposal #4
June 24th, 2008
I’ll keep this short.
10 years ago, when the district voted to purchase the property (which in its self may or may not have been handled 100% appropriately) that has become South Mountain, it was made clear that all our churches should be financially and personally invested into the project.
10 years later, we still have many who fail to support the project. 10 years. What does proposal 4 do? It lives up to the encouragement we gave to all our churches 10 years ago. It gets everyone supporting the project.
We certainly tend to buck when we think of raising our budget, but if we continue to stall on the South Mountain project, it will continue to grow and become a bigger problem for us. For churches, including mine (Rain Hill), who have failed to get much support going for the project, this proposal finally gets us officially involved (albeit, indirectly).
For the past couple years, our church has operated with a budget in the red. Yet God continue to provide. This past year, our total church income was $10,000 less than the previous year. Will we be even deeper in the red because of proposal 4? Probably. But I believe God will still provide.
We can do this. We committed to do this. I support this.
I’d love to hear your comments — and I’d love to hear from some of my South Carolina friends who had similar problems with Table Rock Retreat & Conference Center.
June 24th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Here in South Carolina when the district purposed moving from Greer to Table Rock, Rev. LL Jarrard fought against it tooth and nail. He saw no reason to leave Greer and argued that the development of Table Rock would cost twice what they were purposing (History would prove him RIGHT!) After a lengthy “vigorous” debate the vote was taken. 67% voted “yes” to sell Greer and move to Table Rock. Jarrard was on the losing side.
The first person to the mic was LL Jarrard. He reiterated his opposition to the move; however, he said the district had voted, and that he wanted to be the first person to make a pledge for Table Rock. He then made a SIZABLE contribution to the new venture. With his financial contribution the debate was over.
What a unifying move! What a class act! What a Christian Gentleman! What an example to the world. May God increase his tribe.
June 25th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Can’t say I really agree with this one. 10 years ago the proposal was made about South Mountain and it was said that it would be built and supported on donated funds. A few years ago the agreement was violated when SM borrowed money from the district. This latest turn, to me, is a further violation of the original agreement.
To me this is like raising taxes to give more money to something that, in my opinion, has been pretty poorly handled and managed.
However, even though South Mountain has been a sinking ship from the beginning, I understand the rationale that getting these funds sooner rather than later (or not at all) will save money in the long run and make the camp a reality sooner, which is good.
That being said, I cringe when I think about where that money could be spent and what it could do rather than on a campground facility.
June 25th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Interesting posts
Here is my take
Let’s not be so short sighted. Can we say that any camping program is to expensive?
I am so thankful for the wonderful camping experiences my sons and wife Beth and I have had over the years, and in each case someone or a lot of people had to work, give, and see the vision on the long term without ever really knowing who they were working and giving to have a camp experience. God Bless Those who do the giving and working. With out those camping experiences along with careful God inspired parenting I fear where my little tribe would be.
I ask each of you to make a miracle happen at SMRCC and the many different ways it will be used over the rest of my life and yours for Salvation, Sanctification, and Sending thousands out of their little God Box’s to the bigger idea “The World Is My Parish” Who said that anyway?
See You On The Mountain Top!!!!
June 25th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
I guess I’m happy to be able to say that I wasn’t involved with the decision 10 years ago. At that time, I was 13. So, as a 13 year old, I was thrilled with the idea of a camp to call our own. And now, as a 23 year old who is thrilled with a camp to call our own (yet realizes that there were many wrong choices made) the proposal was an exciting one due to the hope to see the project finished.
So, my resulting attitude is one of hope that churches will feel that the decision to increase budget by 1% is not a burden, but an opportunity to stimulate the camp and not allow it to continue to be a “dead limb” of our district for another 10 years.
I also pray that the SMRCC board will be good stewards of the resources they have been given.
Also, it was noted by one of our pastors that because of this resolution, they would have to find $6000 in their budget to account for the 1%. My thoughts at the time were, “I just wish 1% of my church’s income amounted to $6,000!”
June 25th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
This was my first exposure of information about South Mountain. When I reviewed the scheudle sent to me prior to the confernece I felt it ws no need for me to remain for Wednesday Am and due to other pressing responsibilities I missed the Wed. AM session. My recommendation for the financial development of SMRCC would be to investigate the establishment of a foundation through WIF to allow individulas, churches nad businesses to make investments. I feel this could enhance the future of SMRCC. When I served as DS in Kansas we ahd a foundation that grew from under 100K to over 1.3 Mill in les than five years.
Also - Is there a master plan for the project? My limited perspective is the SMRCC has great potential with wise investment and stewardship principles followed.
June 25th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Rick,
I’d encourage you to talk with the SMRCC board to learn about the master plans. I’d encourage you to talk with Bob Allred or Bake Garman (I’d be happy to provide you with contact information, if you so desire).
June 26th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
One thing South Carolina did NOT have to deal with was a promise that budget would not go up and that loans would not be secured.
It is unfortunate that such promises were made. In recent days I have been told that the South Mountain project would never have passed without such promises. If that is the case, then it is more that unfortunate. It is tragic. That means there are a group of people who voted “yes” who would never have voted “yes” under the present circumstances. That must be understood and appreciated.
June 26th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Good comments by all. Here’s my response to the whole “how can you put a price tag on…” argument.
It’s absolutely true that you can’t put a price tag on the things that happen at camp. Believe me, when I was younger my whole year revolved around camp and I have some incredible memories of what happened in my life and the lives of others. Matt, I still remember praying and talking with you when I was on a ministry team from SWU your first year at NC West camp. 10 years later I still vividly remember it. I’m sure many of us can use the “you can’t put a price tag on that” when it comes to our camp experience.
But the same can be said for many things like church planting, organizations like World Hope (where it costs something like $30 a month to free a child from being a sex slave), and many others.
I guess I see the South Mountain thing as representative of larger problems. One, when it was first proposed I thought the motivation behind it, if you pulled back all the fancy and “holy” talk, was pride. We wanted OUR own place. 10 years ago there was another (and WAAAAY cheaper) option to buy into the East District campground that would allow co-ownership and the money from buying in would finance some great and desperately needed improvements.
Two, I think that deep down South Mountian is a “the church exists for the church” rather than a “the church exists for the world” issue. I know, I know. People will be called to ministry there and people will be saved there. But deep down I think the whole mentality of wanting our own camp is based mostly on inward thinking.
I think it was also short-sighted seeing as how districts aren’t buying and developing campgrounds anymore. They’re selling them because it’s not cost efficient. Just because we don’t have our own camp doesn’t mean we can’t do camp. What have we been doing the last 15 years? We’ve had great camps where lives have been changed. What’s going to significantly change just because we do it at our own place? The price won’t change significantly. At the end I think what we’ll have is a great camp where great things happen, but the cost will be significant and, ultimately, I don’t think it’s being a good steward of what God has given us.
But nothing I’ve just said really matters because we’re in way too far to pull out. So, go ahead with the whole thing, “git er done”, and expand God’s Kingdom with it.