The 1990s to 2022
he 1990s to 2022
CHIP SHERER President
A
a few days off just to sleep! But that year began what became a very enjoyable 18-year career at Bonclarken.” - ments, Maryalice Cottage, White Oak Cottage, York Cottage, Agape Cottage, Janeen’s Cottage, the Ropes Course, Headspring Pavilion, the Pool, and the Youth Activity Building. “We enjoyed such tremendous donor support—every time our Board envisioned a new facility to further Bonclarken’s mission, donors would step forward and provide the needed funds. “ As vital as these new facilities were and continue to be for Bonclarken, two other ventures have proven to be in our his-
! B t th t b
tory. Jim shared “our Board, under the leadership of John Moore, had the vision in 1989 to start an Endowment. The Board knew annual interest income from an Endowment would help us in so many ways. We received numerous gifts early on, and by 2003 we had nearly $400,000 in the Endowment fund. Then, in 2004, we very unexpectedly received a $1.5 million gift from the estate of Tom McGill. What a great day it was when that letter came in the mail! I am so pleased how Bonclarken’s Endowment continues to this day to provide needed funds for the operating of the conference center.” “Also, equally important to us was, in 2004, when the City of Hendersonville Water and Sewer Department agreed to take over our sewer lines and connect them to the City sewer lines. Prior to then, Bonclarken had to maintain our own sewer treatment plant. We spent untold hours and untold dollars keeping that system running, as both the conference center and the private homes depended on it. The City of Hendersonville taking over our lines was a blessing of the highest order and transformed our operation. ” With Jim’s retirement at the end of 2006, I was honored to be named Bonclarken’s President. I have stood on the shoulders of so many visionaries and servant leaders during my tenure and I thank them and all of you who support this wonderful place. Our facili- ties, our Endowment, our water and sewer systems being owned by the City—all of these things being in place when I arrived were such a blessing.
Just as Jim said, as our Board has envisioned new facilities and renovations to current facilities,
our generous donors have provided funds to make these happen. The Lodge, Lucy-Lynn Cottage, the New Heights Zip Line, the Hotel exterior renovations, the Back Porch, and renovations to the Front Entrance, Founders South, Founders Hall, and Faith Apartments all have been made possible by generous donor support. What does our future hold? With all the changes Bonclarken has experienced over the years, one aspect has been constant—our mission to provide a “Christian environment for inspiration and renewal” for our guests. Providing this environment takes a team, from our Board providing leadership and vision, to our Board of Advisors providing sound advice, to our staff implementing the day-to-day operation, to our donors providing needed funds, to our friends praying that the Holy Spirit will move in the lives of our guests and, most importantly, to our guests being inspired and renewed in - clarken’s mission our clear focus.
I have so enjoyed writing these articles about Bonclarken’s 100-year history. As Reverend Barry Dagenhart said in our 100th Anniversary video, “Bonclarken has helped keep the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church connected.” My prayer is that this wonderful place will continue to connect ARPs for the next 100 years.
An Environment for Christian Inspiration and Renewal January/February 2023 11
s we celebrate Bonclarken’s 100th Anniversary during 2022, I have been writing a series of articles on the beginning, development, and future plans for our confer- ence center. My most recent article focused on some of the major events from the
1950s through the 1980s. This article will be the last in the series and has a focus on events from the late 1980s to today. The Bonclarken Board made a wise choice in 1988 when they selected Jim Brice to be Executive Director. Jim began in May and shared with me that “we had barely gotten settled when the summer season began. I thought I had an understanding of what a Bonclarken summer was like, but I had no idea. By late August, I was so tired that I took
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
