Gone But Not Forgotten

December 6th, 2006 |

The report is in, and at the annual meeting of the Mississippi Baptist Convention back in October the messengers approved the recommendation of the Conference Ministry Study committee to sell the property at Henderson Point on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and relocate our primary retreat center to somewhere else in the state. This recommendation came after Gulfshores Baptist Assembly in Pass Christian, like so much of the coast, was battered by hurricane Katrina. In the end the cost was to great to try and rebuild on the coast. Estimated cost to replace what was lost was around $45 million. My head tells me we made the right decision, but my heart is sad over the lost of GBA. My family and I spent some wonderful times there. For almost twenty years I served as camp pastor for Youth Weeks that were held at the facility each summer. We started going when the kids were young so they grew up loving the place. In fact both Marc and Jami ended up serving on faculty for Youth Weeks during their college days. Several years ago I retired from going and decided it was time to let a younger generation of preachers enjoy the thrill of preaching to so many kids in such a wonderful setting. Now the setting is gone, but I am sure we will find a new place, to build a new retreat center and a new generation of folks will be blessed by that place as I was by GBA. The lesson from all of this abound. For one thing GBA was built to be hurricane resistant, but it was certainly not hurricane proof. I am also reminded that it rains on the just and the in just. Retreat centers, churches and casinos all suffered the same fate from this deadly hurricane. But perhaps the greatest lesson for me is that although Katrina destroyed the facility to the point that it will no longer stand there, it did not destroy what was done there for so many years. Souls were saved, commitments were made (to ministry, to missions, to marriage), disciplines were learned, friendship were formed, and memories made that will last for a life time. GBA may be gone. but it will not be forgotten.

Thanks for the Memories,