Camp Glisson

North Georgia

Facility revitalization leads to spiritual revitalization.

Nestled in the picturesque mountains of north Georgia is a retreat center that, in the words of United Methodist Pastor McCallister Hollins, has been "loved to death." Since 1925, Camp Glisson's rustic cabins and outdoor worship facilities have been synonymous with spiritual renewal for countless campers from over 900 Methodist churches in the regional conference.

"The more our ministry program began to expand, the more deficient our facilities became," explains Reverend Gary Greenwald who serves as camp director. "It wasn't hard to reach agreement on what needed to be done, but without a development department or any major donors, we were starting at zero. The camp's Board of Managers decided to seek the expertise of capital campaign consultants. The board was especially impressed when President Jim Sheppard stated that The Genesis Group would guide them through the process and leave them with a fully functioning development office that would be a long-term benefit to the camp."

With the blessing of Bishop G. Lindsey, The Genesis Group developed a donor database of over 10,000 and in the mid '90s, launched a $5 million capital campaign. Actual construction began in 1998. Cash donations and pledges of $4.6 million to date are being used to cover the expansion and redesign of 20 cabins, infrastructure upgrades and the construction of several new meeting centers. "One of the great byproducts of a capital campaign is heightened awareness of your organization and heightened excitement about what's going on there," adds Greenwald. "Our youth ministry is really growing. We went from having 1,700 at summer camp during 1996 to having 2,400 this year, with a waiting list."

"Our Genesis Group consultant is a great guy who has become a friend in the process," he adds. "When we needed ideas, he had more than we could handle, and delivered them with enthusiasm."

The Camp Glisson campaign operated primarily through its regional network of 900 United Methodist churches, and included named-gift opportunities as well as the opportunity to "adopt" a cabin and its furnishings. "We knew we were in for a blessing when we received a cash donation of $200,000 in the spring of 1998 from area churches and laypersons," says Greenwald. Just months away from the conclusion of the 3-year campaign, Camp Glisson has a viable database and two development employees to carry the torch for future camp development. He adds, "This is a place with a long track record of testimonies of young people called into Christian ministry while they are here. The capital campaign to renovate facilities has been a relatively easy process because people know it's not about wood and cement - our Camp Glisson...the Spirit Continues campaign is all about changed lives."