Our Chapel turns 60 Our Chapel turns 60
CHIP SHERER President
O
ur Chapel has and continues to be an important place in the lives of so many of our guests. The Cha- pel turns 60 in 2021, and I wanted to share some of the history behind this important place of worship. Worship has always been a key compo-
nent of a retreat/camp/conference for our Bonclarken guests. I am always pleased when a guest shares that they very much enjoyed the meals, the recreational activi- ties, and the times of fellowship, but it was time spent in worship that inspired and renewed them during their visit. From our beginnings, Bonclarken’s leadership has recognized the need for a worship facility. In her book “Bonclarken: A Story of Faith, Hope, and Tenacity” Peggy Murdock described some of the early lo- cations for worship. “The Music Room in the Hotel served as the main site for wor- ship in the early years. In 1933, plans were made to remove the front wall and enlarge the porch to enlarge the Music Room. The
$300 needed for the work was not forthcoming, so the Music Room was not altered. When E.D. Ellis became manager, he converted a shed near Swiss Cottage into an auditorium Hall was dedicated on July 7, 1939.” capacity was too small to serve as the main worship site. In 1959, the Bonclarken Board decided that a new 700-seat Chapel was needed and wanted it built directly in the center of the grounds to serve as a focal point. Built at a cost of $65,833, the Chapel was presented to 1961 meeting of General Synod and was dedicated August 11, 1961 during the Adult Bible Conference.
I did not have the good fortune of growing up attending events at Bonclarken, so my
early 1990s. Camp Joy’s evening worship in the Chapel was so inspiring. Their Commu- nion services were a time when I experienced the moving of the Holy Spirit in a great way. The opening of our Youth Activity Building (YAB) in 1998 greatly diminished the use of the Chapel by youth groups. In 2007, Synod moved from meeting in the Chapel to the YAB due to more seating, better parking, and more restrooms! The opening of the Patrick Room of the Lodge in 2008 also reduced Chapel use as groups now will worship there. However, the Chapel remains a focal point of our campus. Music Conference, Family Bible Conference, and Camp Joy continue to worship in the Chapel. Several ARP churches hold their Sunday morning worship service there during their retreats. We are so blessed to have the stately facility. What are your memories of events in the Chapel? Were you and your spouse married
there? Did you attend a worship service that impacted your life? Most importantly, did you accept the call of the Holy Spirit and accept Christ there? I have talked to many people over the years who have answered yes to one or more of these questions. As we celebrate Bonclarken’s 100th Anniversary in 2022, we will remember the vision- aries and servant leaders who stepped out in faith to establish Bonclarken and to build new facilities on our grounds. The Chapel is an example of how their decision years ago continues to play a key role in our mission today.
An Environment for Christian Inspiration and Renewal 10 The Associate Reformed Presbyterian
Bonclarken
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
