An Open Letter to the Presbytery of Chicago:

I attended a presentation by the Lakeshore Camping Consortium (LCC) after hearing the very disturbing news of a possible sale of the camp at Saugatuck.  The group impressed me with the environmental and operational research they had put into this project.  With most of them being prior campers and board members, their efforts do not surprise me.  I could sense a real love for what we have and the enormity of the loss to the Chicago Presbytery churches if we sold it to the highest bidder.  What truly surprises me is the fact we compromised the safety of this mission by taking out a loan against it.  A loan we apparently could never really payoff without the sale of the property.

I do not know the details of the lawsuit as simple members like myself were not informed of it.  Most of us found out about it through the newspaper.  What I do know is that the camp at Saugatuck is one of the most beautiful places on earth and I feel so fortunate to have spent time there with my family.  I am hoping that all people involved in the voting process have spent time there and know the full value of this gift we so wisely purchased years ago and the full weight of the decision they face.

Please consider seriously the offer LCC has made to the Presbytery.  While it may not be as high as a developer there are intangibles that in my mind are priceless such as hearing from my teenagers what it meant to them to sit on the sand at sunset thinking about their faith and feeling God in their lives, my daughter demanding to go to family camp with or without me because she loves it that much, seeing a herd of deer wander out from the grasses at dawn to play on the shore and drink some water.  These are a few of things that come to mind when I think about Saugatuck.  We aren’t wealthy people and we could never afford to take our family to a place like this.  Sure we could take them to some over commercialized cheesy tourist spot but it could not compare to the pristine peaceful beauty of Saugatuck.  Why would we ever consider giving this up?

Consider your decision wisely.  Spend some time up there to see all that is already for sale in this depressed economy.  We would be giving it away to satisfy a short-term cash flow problem.  Maybe you can save a few jobs or continue some marginal mission projects.  While there is nothing wrong with that, you would be forfeiting so much from the future of our youth and congregational families.

God bless you and guide us all in these decisions.

Sincerely,

Melissa LaBrash