Dear Colleagues in Ministry,

           I am writing to you about our important vote coming to the assembly floor concerning the Presbytery debt.  As you know the PRTF has worked faithfully to come up with options on how to meet the financial needs of our Presbytery.  One option is to sell the Presbyterian Camps to developers and another option is to sell it to Lakeshore Christian Camping (LCC).  I am writing to encourage you to consider the latter option.

           In a recent article in the Presbyterian Outlook, Raymond R. Roberts argues, “Rather than… demographics, or cultural changes, the real reason for PC(USA) decline is far more serious: We are declining because we have lost spiritual vigor.”  He then notes that most people who have left the PC (USA) did not join other churches, they left because they could not find a compelling reason to stay.  Spirituality is key.  Roberts goes on to say that the loss of spiritual vitality is “why we aren’t doing a better job passing the faith on to our children, why we aren’t reaching out to changing neighborhoods and planting churches in new neighborhoods, and why we aren’t adapting better to an evolving culture. We have lost the sense that something crucial is at stake — we have not experienced first hand God’s majesty.”

           Lakeshore Christian Camping believes that something crucial is at stake. We believe that Presbyterian Camps is an important part of passing the faith on to our children, we believe that the camps give people a compelling reason to stay because at camp children and parents, youth and older adults, married and single experience, first hand, God’s majesty.  We believe that in selling the camps for development we will be selling a place that has brought people, churches and the Presbytery spiritual vigor since 1899.  The LCC believes spirituality is key to the health of our churches; and we believe the camps are a key to our spirituality.

           The LCC has developed a plan to both develop the potential of the ministry in Saugatuck and resolve the portion of the debt incurred by the Presbytery of Chicago attributable to the Camp to settle the lawsuit debt.  Furthermore, the planned sale of the Presbytery offices, coupled with the sale of the Camps to Lakeshore Christian Camping, will settle the debts of the Presbytery.

          We have a vision for the spiritual vitality of our denomination, our Presbytery, our churches and God’s people.  Where there is no vision people perish. We believe that keeping our camps is part of the Lord’s vision in helping us to build spiritual vitality.

                                                                      -Peace in Christ,

                                                                      Rev. Dr. Stewart Pattison