Celebrating 1
CHIP SHERER President
rectors had borrowed
Celebrating 100 ars of serviice
years of ser ce A
s we celebrate Bonclarken’s 100th birthday during 2022, I will be writing a series of articles on the start, development, and future plans for our conference cen- ter. I want to kick off the series by sharing the incredible story of Bonclarken’s
founding, God’s provision to make this place possible, and the visionaries who made it all happen.
All of my information for this article comes from Peggy Murdock’s wonderful book, Bonclarken-A Story of Faith, Hope, and Tenacity, published in 1975. An issue that had been festering became a boiling crisis on January 16, 1930. The
Bonclarken Board of Directors had borrowed $29,000 in 1921 to purchase the 25,000sf home called the Heidelberg House and the 63 note was not paid in full by February 1. A boiling crisis indeed. Some perspective is needed to fully understand their plight. Although the Board of Directors consisted of nine men who were
all ARPs, they had acted independently from Synod when they signed the note to borrow the $29,000 in 1921. The year before, Synod had offered $100,000 to purchase Linwood College in Gastonia, NC, with intentions to make the property the ARP Assembly that Synod would relieve them of this $29,000 debt during the 1922 Synod meeting. But Synod declined to do so. Now the Board of Being the visionaries they were, these men rolled up their sleeves and determined they would make Bonclarken work. They saw the value of having a place set-apart, a place where ARPs could come together in worship and fellowship and be inspired and renewed in their faith in Jesus Christ.
- tober 1924. This cash was used for these repairs, but as we still know today, repairs and upkeep are a constant for a facility like Bonclarken. Additional funds were again needed very soon. And none of this cash went toward the debt from the 1921 loan, which continued to bite at their heels.
October 29, 1929, may have been the day the stock market crashed and the Great Depression started, but banks had begun failing months before. The White Bank of Chester (SC), to whom the debt was owed, had been started by Mr. T.H. White. Mr. White served on the Bonclarken Board of Directors, and was caught between a moral obligation to his depositors and the needs of Bonclarken. Tremendous pressure was on both lenders and borrowers. Several of the Board of Directors were suffering heavy, per-
- cial support. One effort to raise funds was an attempt to collect money from stock which had been subscribed but never paid. Not a cent was received from the statements that were mailed. Attempts to sell additional lots on the grounds failed as well. Emergency meetings of the Board of Directors were held knowing the bank could foreclose on the loan and take the property. These fears were realized with the January 16, 1930, - ruary 1 unless payment in full was made. Would Bonclarken be lost?
I’ll leave the answer to next month’s article. See you then.
An Environment for Christian Inspiration and Renewal 10 The Associate Reformed Presbyterian
Bonclarken
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