Greetings! It’s been an eventful week in Montreat. This update will focus primarily on events unfolding here at Montreat Conference Center, with some additional community news posted below.
First, this is the first storm update written from our offices here at Freeland Hall. Power, water, and internet access returned to the building this week. Every step forward boosts our productivity and – perhaps more importantly – our spirits as we continue our drive to return to normal programming. Speaking of…
In previous public communications over the past few weeks, I have referred to “reopening” as our primary goal but have realized this week that the word “reopening” is misleading. You can’t reopen if you never closed. We have hosted guests continuously since the storm and are still lodging several groups related to the recovery. Further, we are providing operational space for the Town of Montreat in Convocation Hall and hosting town meetings as necessary. Our kitchen is providing daily meals to staff. Our maintenance and arrangements teams are tackling the many needs of our campus. We are managing supplies for disaster recovery as they are donated and distributing them to partner organizations to support the ongoing need in our area. Our development team is operating a fundraising campaign and recording an unprecedented number of gifts.
So, reopening is not the goal. Rather, to borrow a line from television, the goal is to “return to normal programming.” I used to watch a lot of television as a kid, and the words “We now return to normal programming” were always music to my ears. It will be especially beautiful music when Montreat Conference Center has done the same. That’s because a return to normal programming – conferences, church retreats, recreation, guest groups – is what we are called to do missionally and necessary to getting back on track financially.
What will be required to return to normal programming? Significant work on our campus. The list of buildings affected by the wind-driven water of the storm include portions of Assembly Inn, several other lodges and meeting spaces, and essential facilities like our maintenance building. Our flood mitigation and remediation team, ServePro, has been working in the buildings for two weeks and should soon be finishing. That will lead to the next phase of repair and rebuilding; once dried, several areas need new flooring, sheetrock, and insulation, for example. We will engage contractors for that work, and it is too early to predict how long that will take. Construction crews and materials are currently in high demand. While we are HIGHLY incentivized to get the work done as quickly as possible, a return before mid-November is unlikely. We will host our annual College Conference in January.
Regarding the costs of capital repair, we have insurance for the facilities that have been affected, though the full extent of coverage is not yet known. (Regarding outside spaces – trails, parks, the lake area – there is little-to-no coverage.) In addition, we are exploring our eligibility for disaster recovery grants from FEMA and/or other governmental sources. We will apply as we are able.
In the meantime, I want to express again, on behalf of all who love Montreat, deep gratitude for the response to our fundraising appeal. Thus far, we have received around $500,000 in charitable donations to support Montreat’s recovery! Here are some additional notes of interest:
- We have received nearly 1,500 gifts, which exceeds the number of gifts we typically receive in an entire fiscal year (usually around 1,100). Remarkably, more than 1,000 of these gifts have been made by individuals with no prior history of giving directly to Montreat.
- These figures do not include gifts of food, water, and other supplies that individuals and churches have donated to the conference center for our use and for distribution to the Montreat community and beyond.
- To provide some sobering context, due to the cancelation or postponement of programs and retreats, our budgeted net operating loss for October, November, and December has been increased by $610,000. Simply put, challenges remain.
Still, we have been deeply moved by this show of support and are celebrating it for what it is: an expression of love and concern for Montreat and the relationships we share. Thanks be to God!
And that’s perhaps the right note to conclude this communication. In addition to the gifts of financial support, we continue to be lifted by all the ways you have expressed interest, concern, and enthusiasm for Montreat and all the surrounding communities over the past few weeks. Thank you, thank you, thank you – and more to come!
Richard DuBose, president
Montreat Conference Center
Other news and notes
- Due to Hurricane Helene and the extensive damage to Montreat, the Presbyterian Heritage Center’s 2024 Distinguished Lecture on the Reformation, originally scheduled for Friday, October 25 in Montreat, has been cancelled.
- The conference center has been lowering the level of Lake Susan over the past week to assess the impact of the storm and the amount of material in the lake bed.
- The Town of Montreat announced this week that water for some homes in Montreat is now potable. Please see the Town of Montreat’s website for more information.