Report of the
Board of Directors, Pinebrook Bible Conference
The Bible Fellowship Church took title to Pinebrook Bible Conference on September 1, 1968, and has been charged with the responsibility of this dynamic ministry for the past 26 1/2 years.
This ministry has offered much to the growth and development of the Bible Fellowship Church. In the beginning years, it was the campus for our school, Pinebrook Junior College. It has been the center of many of our denominational programs; Annual Conference, Pastor-Elder-Deacon Advance, Ministerial Convention, and in recent years has been a tremendous blessing to hundreds of our youth at the Annual Sno-Glo Retreats. The eight weeks of summer conference are a base for the gathering of our denominational people in united worship and teaching. In recent years it has been a source for the uniting of the agencies of our church for promotion, fund raising, and personal fellowship at our annual Freedom Festival. Truly, Pinebrook is a PINNACLE of spiritual experiences for the Bible Fellowship Church. We thank God that He has enabled the board, administration and staff of Pinebrook to accomplish to a great extent the purpose as stated in their Bylaws:
Pinebrook Bible Conference exists as a ministry of and to the Bible Fellowship Church, while serving the greater Christian community.
Pinebrook’s ministry to the greater Christian community continues to be an instrument of evangelism and discipleship to over 12,000 non-Bible Fellowship people of many different cultures, ethnic, racial, and denominational backgrounds. Many of these people are teens and young couples which come from inner-city and under-privileged backgrounds. Only God truly knows the spiritual victories and conversions which take place on these grounds each week. However, beginning on January 1, 1995, we have asked retreat leaders to fill out a questionnaire in which they report their assessments of the spiritual effects, results and decisions from their retreat. These results have been thrilling and exciting.
It is the desire of the present administration and staff to challenge the Bible Fellowship Church to the tremendous opportunity and responsibility to support this ministry with its prayers and money as a vital part of its responsibility to fulfill the great commission. There is no arm of the Bible Fellowship Church that is as effective in reaching “Judea and Samaria” as Pinebrook.
The Committee on Resolutions reporting to the 111th Annual Conference on October 18, 1994 stated:
WHEREAS, Pinebrook Bible Conference is continuing to accomplish a vital ministry of evangelism and discipleship for the Lord as part of the Bible Fellowship Church and,
WHEREAS, Pinebrook Bible Conference’s leadership is launching a long-range plan to expand and improve the conference’s facilities for more effective ministry and,
WHEREAS, a deep concern regarding the real estate taxes incurred by the Conference on its properties continues to be expressed by Pinebrook’s Director, therefore be it,
RESOLVED, that the members of Annual Conference pray diligently to God for His gracious provision in meeting Pinebrook’s needs and that all our local churches be encouraged to give generously towards Pinebrook Bible Conference and its ministry.
We wish to thank those churches and individuals who have taken this recommendation seriously. We urge all of you to get involved in the PINNACLE PROJECT. All can commit themselves to at least one of the following:
1. Pray daily for this ministry.
2. Volunteer time to help in a work project. (Something to do each weekend).
3. Give money toward the projects. This is what we need:
a. 200 people to give $5 per month
b. 75 people to give $10 per month
c. 30 people to give $15 per month
d. 20 people to give $20 per month
e. 15 people to give $25 per month
f. Some of you can give a one-time large gift.
Pinebrook Bible Conference provides many benefits to the Bible Fellowship Church in discounts. During three weeks of Sno-Glo in January of 1995, Pinebrook hosted a total of 877 guests at a 25% discount which amounted to a total discount of $15,397. This amount is more than the total giving of all Bible Fellowship Churches through their budgets in the 1993 Yearbook, page 220. We offer discounts of nearly 50% to host Annual Conference. The Ministerial Convention, Pastor-Elder-Deacon Advance all receive from 10% to 15% discount. Our summer conference is greatly discounted to all Bible Fellowship members, to missionaries and pastors from 10% to as high as 47%. Our retired pastors and missionaries are given a free week. All of this is done even though our rates are lower than any other Bible Conference offering the facilities and services available at Pinebrook. Therefore, in order for us to accomplish the projected improvements in the next five years, we need your support.
The PINNACLE PROJECT has the following as its objective during the next five years: It will be possible only through raising revenues beyond those of registrations and present level of gifts and offerings.
New furniture, 55 remodeled bathrooms, 200 new mattresses, 4 remodeled chapels, remodeled kitchen, dining room rest rooms, new book and gift store, new roofs, 15,000 square feet of paving, new tennis courts, two new vehicles, summer staff housing, and more permanent staff housing
Most of the above improvements relate directly to the comfort of our guests. This is the ministry of the Bible Fellowship Church. God has entrusted it to us. The Bible Fellowship Church needs to supply us with the $242,000 needed in the next five years to meet these goals. We need you to supply us with volunteer help so that the costs will not exceed what we have projected. Pinebrook needs all of you to pray so that God will use these present and the new facilities to continue a work of evangelism and discipleship on these holy grounds.
Board of Directors, Pinebrook Bible Conference: Bert N. Brosius, Director; Alva C. Cassel, President and Chairman; Harold L. Snyder, Vice President; Daniel P. Allen, Secretary; John F. Moran, Treasurer; Carl Ackerman, Lee E. Boyles, Kermit K. Gehman, LeRoy O. Herb, Robert F. Johnson, Calvin T. Reed, Gerald L. Schlonecker, John M. Stengele, David A. Thomann