Though Pete Peery, my predecessor as Montreat Conference Center’s president, lives right down the street, we don’t see each other often enough, and when we do, we often talk about everything but the job. Recently, however, we have enjoyed reminiscing over one Montreat topic: the significance of the Assembly Inn renovation, which took place during Pete’s tenure and was completed in time for my arrival in 2014.
With the benefit of hindsight, it’s increasingly obvious that the renovation did more than restore a beloved building. It was perhaps the most important step in strengthening Montreat’s foundation and accelerating a financial recovery that had begun some ten years prior. And the most important leader in that effort, according to Pete, was Kat Belk.
First, a little context. Following the elimination of denominational funding in 2004, Montreat leaders had already begun taking steps toward a financial turnaround. President George Barber and Richard Sills, chief financial officer, came aboard to establish stronger fiscal leadership and streamline costs. Bill Straughan, then vice president of development, led a new Development Foundation in an effort to build endowment support and grow The Montreat Fund. Frugality became the key strategy to eliminate debt.
In all these areas, progress was made, and yet, Assembly Inn remained a problem, requiring increasing levels of repair and failing to consistently meet the expectations of modern conference and retreat guests. Room configurations, mechanical systems, accessibility, and gathering spaces limited our capacity to serve growing programs and attract new groups. If these problems could not be addressed, Montreat would continue to limp along, so important the Inn was – and Inn revenue was – to all conference center programs.
A $6.5 million renovation would address these issues directly. Critical upgrades could both preserve the historic character of the Inn while modernizing guest rooms, improving energy efficiency, enhancing accessibility, and refreshing common spaces. To everyone in the room, the project was essential. The only problem: Where would we find the funding?1 (That a $6.5 million campaign seemed so ambitious was evidence of the anxiety that our still-recent financial problems had generated.) In summary, Montreat’s leadership faced both a fundraising challenge and a crisis of confidence, and early fundraising calls did little to ease the pressure of either.
Enter Katherine McKay Belk. Through the generosity of the Katherine and Thomas Belk Foundation, Kat offered a $1 million challenge grant, and the impact of that commitment cannot be overstated. According to Pete, “Kat did not simply provide funding; Kat’s gift provided momentum. Her challenge galvanized our conversations with donors and signaled that this project was both essential and achievable.” Kat further endorsed the campaign by agreeing to serve as its honorary chair (and later made an additional gift of endowment to the cause).
For the Board of Directors, Kat’s leadership was decisive, giving its members the confidence to move forward with conviction. For donors across the Montreat constituency, the challenge created an opportunity to increase the impact of their own giving, inviting both participation and generosity. What might have felt like a daunting campaign became a shared endeavor. Gifts were given and momentum built. What could have stalled instead accelerated. The financial impact of Kat’s gift, and the successful campaign it catalyzed, was immediate and measurable.
But more important than the financial leverage was what Kat’s gift represented. She loved Montreat, having come here for family retreats and Presbyterian conferences her entire life. She knew of Montreat’s impact on her, and on the church, and believed in strengthening that impact for others. By investing in the Inn renovation, Kat invested in a faithful future of unseen and immeasurable outcomes. (Speaking of unseen, I don’t want to imagine how the conference center could have come through a pandemic and a hurricane without this project.)
Leadership of that magnitude deserves enduring gratitude. In recognition of the extraordinary role Kat played in launching and sustaining the Assembly Inn renovation campaign, and in appreciation for her lifelong love of Montreat, the Board of Directors of Montreat Conference Center has voted to rename the Galax Dining Room in Assembly Inn in her honor and memory.
Today, Assembly Inn stands renewed and welcomes thousands each year. The dining room is a particularly fitting tribute, as more than 80,000 meals are served there annually. It continues to serve as a gathering place where faith is deepened and friendships are formed. It is the heart of the Inn and a space of nourishment in every sense of the word, and by naming this central gathering place in honor of Kat, we acknowledge not only her generosity, but her vision. She believed that strengthening Assembly Inn would strengthen our hospitality. She understood the project’s importance if Montreat was to continue to be a place of transformation for people and the church. And she demonstrated, through her leadership, that many others would recognize this, too.
As guests enter the newly named Katherine McKay Belk Dining Room in the years ahead, they may not know the full story of the campaign that renewed Assembly Inn. But they will experience its comfort, welcome, and community. And in that experience, Kat’s legacy will continue, woven into the daily life and enduring mission of Montreat.
Richard DuBose
President, Montreat Conference Center
- I was a member of the Board of Directors in these days and remember these discussions. ↩︎