Church Donates to Mechanicsville Virginia Camp.

Church Donated to Oak Hill Christian Camp.

United Church of Christ Fordson Rd. Richmond, VA. Pictured is the new Coptic Church who bought the property over 5 years ago. Source: Facebook St. Mary and St. Abanoub

 

By Gerrard Fess

 In 2016,  United Church of Christ decided to shut its doors.

 The church had seen its congregation dwindle to just a handful of members in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia the church didn't have the resources to keep the doors open.

Founded in the 1960s, as a plant as Westway Church and later a merger with Parham Hills Christian Church in 2000 the church was renamed United Church of Christ from the merger.. Beloved minister Ken McCrickard at the time oversaw the merger and a Big supporter of Oak Hill Christian Service Camp.. 

After a series of trying to keep the doors open, the writing on the wall was the church ran its course what to do? What is the best way for a church to close?

That's when the remnant of attendees and trustees of United Church of Christ approached the board of Oak Hill Christian Service Camp in Mechanicsville, Virginia  and asked Would they help the church sell its building and make sure something good came out of a difficult situation?

The answer, of course, was "yes."  The camp decided to relocated some of the material and furnishings they could use at the camp itself and had a moving day in the Fall of 2016 with the help of then Mechanicsville Church of /Christ now called Grace Christian.

CLOSING ITS DOORS 

United Church of Christ held its last church service in August  in 2016.

 United Church of Christ is about 35 minutes from Oak Hill Camp..The Church was instrumental in supporting the camp. The idea was to give back and support the local churches and the mindset of “What was best to enhance the Kingdom of God?”

The Camp manager at the time, Travis Jones, and the board found it easy to help this struggling church, though not without its challenges. "It was the right thing to do."

United  deeded its building to the Camp itself.

Travis Jones had the challenges of overseeing the task of what furnishings could be used as the camp currently? The items included: chairs, tables, bibles, toys, tools equipment, moving sheds, and playground equipment. Not an easy task.

The Camp Board and trustees had the challenge of the transfer of the property, the way to sell the property (auction, real estate agent etc).. After investigating and going to a few auctions of churches, and having the property inspected and assessed … a supporting church elder (who was also a real estate agent), Roy Campbell from Bonnie Brae Church of Christ helped list the facility and a local   Coptic Christian church bought the campus for over $1.2 Millions

PRIORITIES

 It took almost 2 years for the process to conclude. There were times the camp was struggling financially itself God had provided big time.

So what would the camp do with it’s funds? Invest for the future.

WORTHY CAUSE'

With a failing pavilion and aging roof – there seemed to be a need to upgrade the camp, and make a master plan of what ultimately the camp needed and plans for the future and savings too, The current need was a new multi-purpose indoor worship gathering place for the camp to host their Worship settings replacing the pavilion which roof was leaking at the time.. An elder from Compass Christian Church, Kevin Layell  helped with the Master plan working for Huff-Morris Architects.

'BEING FAITHFUL STEWARDS'

The time had come to strive for the future. Because of United Church of Christ’s donation – the camp had a bright future. The Camp’s pool was paid off. A new building built.(called the Tower ) Anonymous donors, and local businesses started to give back to the camp as well. Transition did happen. The Camp manager at the time had moved his family to Canada – with an opportunity they couldn’t pass returning to family roots.

 A new board and new Interim manager lead the way. Heather Ferguson, (Camp Interim) Director of Youth Ministries at Compass Christian Church oversaw the campus changes from upgrades to all the buildings, cabins etc. To new equipment to new road and a new boy’s cabin. God was good. After United set the precedent, a blessing through loss also happened when New Hope Church in Chesterfield closed and gave $200 000 to the camp from some of the sale of their facility as well.

 Right now, the camp has many baptisms, and record attendance the last few years of over 500 campers … all because Christians were faithful A lot of praise goes towards those who came behind us. Those that started Oak Hill; Volunteers through the 50s-70s, Glenn Foster’s 30 years as camp manager, Travis Jones’6 years at the camp,  its supporting churches and the people seen the impact of the Kingdom of God in children’s lives.

The Future is Bright. There is still more to be done as Oak Hill and it’s all thanks to you too. Let’s go and make disciples.

Since 1953 here are some of the churches that supported Oak Hill Camp through the Years:(and currently have representatives on their camp board)

Bethany Christian Church, Bonnie Brae Church of Christ, Calvary Christian, Compass Christian, Fairmount Christian, Forest Grove Christian, Gethsemane Church of Christ, Grace Christian and Unionville Christian Church. There are many other congregations and individuals that continue to support the camp as well. (almost too many to list).

Believing in the verse “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”– Proverbs 22:6

May God be praised.