Report of the
Pinebrook Bible Conference
Then He said: “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet,
for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
Exodus 3:5 (ESV)
The above words were spoken to Moses by God in front of the burning bush. Although that particular plot of ground was not out of the ordinary, containing no edifice or relic which is typically associated with holiness, it was declared such because of what God was doing and His appearance to Moses.
By no means do we suggest that the grounds of Pinebrook Bible Conference equal the burning bush experience – only God can make such declarations, however, if the criteria for such a designation has anything to do with what God is doing, then indeed, this is holy ground.
Take, for instance:
• A retired missionary, now living in Florida, testified that he received the Lord at Pinebrook in the early forties.
• A minister of a large church in Philadelphia noted on his website that he committed himself to the ministry around a campfire at Pinebrook.
• The speaker at this year’s Sno Glo wrote: “Each of the three weekends of Sno-Glo, I was able to stand before the hundreds of kids . . . Kids were saved, and many for the first time considered God’s calling upon their lives.”
• A BFC pastor recognized that many of the membership forms he reviews identify Pinebrook as the location in which they either received the Lord or rededicated their lives to the Lord.
And the list goes on and on duplicated perhaps hundreds of thousands of times. This is what Pinebrook is all about: facilitating the furtherance of the Gospel and challenging Christians toward Godly living.
In the process of doing this, there are many mechanical and organizational decisions that need to be made. And, indeed, to trim the budget we’ve had to make some difficult choices during the course of 2005 as certain positions were eliminated with the resulting loss of some staff members. We solicit your prayers for wisdom on our behalf.
Maintenance and upkeep continue to be priorities. New equipment needed to be purchased; one, in particular, was the new dishwasher. Vehicles either died or needed to be replaced. The Ephrata church sold us a bus replacing the one donated by Quakertown. We experienced some flooding in early April and lost some trees in a storm during this year’s Sno Glo.
On the positive side, many weekends were filled with various Christian churches, associations, groups and schools; speaking English, Spanish, Hindi, Korean, Chinese, etc. Pinebrook also hosted its own retreats which included one for the seniors (Senior Saints with Lynn Warner and Dave Boyer) and another for the ladies (Ladies Refresh♡Her). A men’s retreat featuring former 76er Bobby Jones has been added for 2006. Friday morning Hymn Sings was a new addition focusing mostly on seniors who love to sing the great hymns of the faith. Four such Sings will be held in 2006.
The indoor pool was finally completed in time for the 2006 Sno Glo. As an attempt to reach out to the community, a very nice write-up was placed in the local paper and the community was invited to free nights of swimming.
The Board of Directors lost a fellow-laborer and dearly beloved friend of Pinebrook when the Lord called Lee E. Boyles to his Heavenly reward. Lee had been on the Board since the BFC took control of Pinebrook in 1968. A tribute was held in his honor during our annual Christmas banquet.
On a personal note, as Director, I’ve enjoyed speaking in many of our churches (23 during 2005) as well as preaching at Pinebrook each Sunday morning before and during the summer conference. On each occasion I represented Pinebrook and my Savior. I’d consider it an honor to come to your church to share the vision of Pinebrook.
Another designation of holiness is the setting apart of something for God. Oftentimes it is associated with individuals who have been called to holiness because God is holy. The grounds of Pinebrook Bible Conference have been set apart to do All for the Glory of God. It truly is holy ground in this sense as well.
Please pray for us as we continue to live up to our designation. Please promote Pinebrook with your people. Our retreats and summer conference are designed to assist you in helping your folks grow in our Lord. Finally, consider supporting Pinebrook with your prayers, financial gifts, as well as volunteers. As the following financial report reveals, we are in need of your help.
Wishing you Joy in Jesus,
Dan Allen
2006 – 2007 Dates of Interest (subject to change)
April 28-30 – Ladies Refresh♡Her
May 12 – Friday Morning Hymn Sing
June 9, 10 – Flower Planting Weekend
June 18 – Summer Staff arrives
June 24 – Week 1: Concert – Don Wyrtzen; Speaker – Ron Blue: Host Pastor – Jonathan W. Arnold
July 1 – Week 2: Concert – Bruce Heffner; Speaker – Stanley Toussaint; Host Pastor – Brian H. Cooper
July 8 – Week 3: Concert – Marie Barlow; Speaker – Charles Wagner; Host Pastor – Bill Schlonecker
July 15 – Week 4: Concert – Bob Deal; Speaker – David A. Thomann; Host Pastor – Byron Widger
July 22 – Week 5: Concert – Instruments of Praise; Speaker – David Dunbar; Host Pastor – Alva Cassel
July 29 – Week 6: Concert – Mark Cable; Speaker – John Goasdone; Host Pastor – Ralph Soper
Aug 5 – Week 7: Concert – Kings Army; Speaker – Jim Brand; Host Pastor – Clifford B. Boone
Aug 12 – Week 8: Concert – Matt Blagg; Speaker – Tom Taylor; Host Pastor – Calvin T. Reed
Sept. 8 – Friday Morning Hymn Sing
Oct. 3 – Senior Saints Retreat: Concert – Bruce Heffner; Speaker – Lynn Warner
Nov. 3 – Friday Morning Hymn Sing
Dec. 1 – Friday Morning Hymn Sing
Dec. 16 – Christmas Banquet: Concert – This Hope
Jan. 5, 12, 19 – BFC Sno Glo
Mar. 2-4 – March Men’s Encounter
Apr. 6 – Friday Morning Hymn Sing
Apr. 27 – Ladies Refresh♡Her
May 18 – Golf Outing
Board of Directors, Pinebrook Bible Conference, Alva C. Cassel, Chairman & President; David T. Allen, Vice Chairman & Vice President; Charles Bomgardner, Secretary; Jay Fasnacht, Treasurer; Carl Ackerman, Jonathon W. Arnold, Sr., Charles E. Cole, Brian H. Cooper, Kermit K. Gehman, LeRoy O. Herb, Gerald Schlonecker, Hans R. Waldvogel, Charles Webb
Daniel P. Allen, Director; Errin G. Mulberry, Associate