A slow, deliberate journey

I began my work for the Maine Conference in August of 1997. During these past ten+ years, a constant theme to this ministry has been that of the stewardship of our physical resources. I remember during those first few months of my work, before both Mark Schussler and Bryan Breault had come on as staff members, there were two messages delievered to me: the Pilgrim Lodge facility needed work and the conference had not yet healed from the fight it had regarding a proposed sale of Rockcraft Retreat Center. When I arrived, the Pennell Center looked quite different. The Resource Center had significantly less space; the conference minister's office was much larger, and the support staff area was, well, not pretty. Pennell Center looked much worse before its 1999 renovation.

We have now completed a series of fifteen "Town Meetings" around the state to carefully listen to the people of the Maine Conference regarding their thoughts, hopes, dreams, concerns, and joys of our physical assets. As we prepare to take the next steps as a conference after these Town Meetings, I'd like to walk with you again through the steps that brought us to where we are today. This has been a slow, deliberate journey.

November 1998. After one year on the job, Mark Schussler presented the "Criterium Mooney Engineers Facility Study and Capital Improvement and Maintenance Plan" to the Coordinating Council. This document outlined all of the deferred maintenance work and recommended future maintenance projects for all three of our facilities: Rockcraft, Pilgrim Lodge, and Pennell.

August 1999. Pilgrim Lodge received the report of the "Richard Chamberlain and Associates Firm" creating a blue print on how to respond with the recommended actions set forth in the Criterium Mooney Report.

October 1999. Cabin 5 at Pilgrim Lodge burns to the ground, which was a severe wake-up call to the safety issues long placed on a back burner for all of our facilities.

2000-2005. A period of five years to address many safety issues including removing fireplaces from all PL Cabins and renovation of Rockcraft to meet fire safety codes.

2003-2004. A "Vision Team" is constituted by the Coordinating Council to create a vision for the future facility of Pilgrim Lodge. A report of the Team is presented to the CC in June 2004.

July 2004- April 2006. A "Working Group" is established to study the feasibility of some of the ideas of the Vision Team and to create a plan on how to move forward to address deferred maintenance AND program space needs at Pilgrim Lodge. The Working Group's report also addresses needs for capital campaign to support facility improvements at PL. This report will be posted online if it is not already there.

June 2006. Working Group findings reported to Coordinating Council. Coordinating Council constitutes "Financial Envisioning and Development Committee".

Fall 2006. FEDC reports to CC that our conference is "land rich and money poor." Recommends that there be discussion on the use of current assets.

Jan 2007. Coordinating Council suspends work of the PL Working Group recognizing that future plans can not move forward exclusive of considerations for all conference properties. Community Life Commission receives report of FEDC from CC and creates plan for Town Meetings.

April-Sept 2007. Community Life Commission creates format for Town Meetings, recruits and trains meeting facilitators. Conference staff obtains property value appraisals from Amidon Appraisal Company.

September 2007. Dates and places of Town Meetings are announced at the Conference Annual Meeting.

October-December 2007. Fifteen Town Meetings are held around the state.

January 2008. Raw data from Town Meetings is posted on website. Also answers to questions raised at Town Meetings is posted on website.

February 2008. Website Data is organized into topical themes.

April 2008. Analytical Report of Town Meeting data is posted on website.

April 11, 2008. Coordinating Council meets to begin formation of vision, plan and timeline on how to proceed. An "asset mapping" exercise provides first consensus statement: "Any future direction for Maine Conference facilities will be Green." Significant conversation on "year round, multi-purpose retreat center" and "larger, Green, Conference Center". There is also conversation on future programatic priorities.

The CC will be continuing this process in May with the hopes that a report on next steps will be presented at the June Annual Meeting.

This has been a very slow process. However it has also been a very careful one taking into consideration divergent opinions and sensitivities from all corners of the Maine Conference. Your prayers for our future together will be extremely helpful. The CC has asked that you make the information in this email readily available to all members of your congregation and especially to the delegates to Annual Meeting.

Peace on the journey,
David