church

18. Casowasco – 2040

~ toddgoddard ~ Leave a comment

It is wonderful to recall fond memories of my youth, call to ministry, and deeply felt connections to Casowasco. But, I ask, what of Casowasco’s future? What can Casowasco become by the year 2040, a mere fifteen years from now?

Two conditions that must be honored are related to the property being sold to The United Methodist Church in 1948, namely, the site carry on the “Case” name (i.e. Casowasco), and, that the land be use in ministering to youth and children. These conditions must be honored. Our word matters.

In earlier years, stable leadership and the popularity of summer church camp proved widely successful. Former campers and staff have enriched local churches with exceptional lay members and clergy. In recent years, the popularity of summer church camping waned, leadership frequently changed, and Casowasco oversite lacked mission, vision, and accountability. Today, Casowasco sits empty, the property is heavily capitalized and in need of repair. Consultants have been employed by the church to lead discussions and to create a plan for the future.

One consideration that should not be given the light of day is selling the property. This would harm the integrity of the Upper New York Conference, alienate prior campers and staff, and violate our word to Gertrude Case, her family, and estate. Legacy needs preserved. Cremains need to be honored. Furthermore, the potential for real estate development is high. This would lead to an environmental disaster to the woods, watershed, and lake.

A vision forward is needed.

For a vision to be transformed into mission and evaluative goals, the first priority for the next 15 years is to create a solid foundation upon which Casowasco may be resurrected. To this end,

  1. The stewardship of Casowasco should be transferred to an independent not-for-profit corporation, while the ownership of the property must remain with the annual conference.
  2. A solid financial footing must be established by a capital fund drive by the annual conference to stabilize and eventually to improve the property, facilitate donor development, and to pursue investment and grant opportunities.
  3. An effective not-for-profit board should be exclusively United Methodist, employ capable, stable leadership, establish a long-range plan, and be held accountable for the achievement of measurable and realistic goals.
  4. The long-range plan should stabilize the property, enact sound economic principles for the buildings and grounds, and make plans for future site development.
  5. The long-range plan should grow the financial foundation, support an aggressive development effort, and be flexible to a changing market for camping and retreat ministries. Casowasco can become financially sustainable, especially when the potential for fund raising is unleashed. Prior campers and staff will be generous in their support, provided the necessary policies have been put in place to ensure fidelity and trust.
  6. The long-range plan should include for the gradual implementation of site use.

What might the Casowasco experience be like in the year 2040? I can imagine three opportunities for the future of Casowasco

  1. Children and Youth Ministries
  2. Lay and Clergy Development
  3. A Finger Lakes Education and Cultural Experience

Children ministries should be maintained on a deliberately modest scale, anchored to one lodge or site, should be themed, and should be limited to a limited number of weeks throughout the summer. Perhaps one lodge should survive and become the sole host for children’s seasonal camping.

Youth ministries should anchor district and conference councils of youth ministries, provide short term camping experiences over educational breaks, and, possibly serve as an educational incubator for innovative local church Christian education initiatives. Think: training and running an effective vacation Bible school by hosting a Bible school academy every spring. Think: youth retreats, training efforts for youth mission trips, youth trip camps.

Lay development. Casowasco should be dedicated to training, empowering, and deploying effective lay leaders in our churches. Casowasco could host efforts to license and credential lay ministers and local pastors. Think: Mission academy, to develop the mission potential of local churches; Stewardship school, to develop effective stewardship programs; and Justice Institute, to develop and deploy effective justice ministries throughout the conference, impacting the entire world.

Clergy Development. Casowasco can become a leader in clergy support and professional development, as well as nurturing physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Think: Preaching Academy, where pastors can hone their homiletical skills; New Pastor Start Up school, to orient new pastors to serving in our conference; Clinical Pastoral Education; spiritual guidance and retreats; and Board of Ministry meetings, retreats, and interviews. Consider partnering with The Upper Room, evangelism and discipleship ministries, local seminaries and universities.

A Finger Lakes Education and Cultural Experience. Casowasco can be transformed into an educational center of excellence, teaching visitors about the geology, flora, and fauna of the Finger Lakes, ecology and environmental history, history of native Americans and colonials, the Burned Over District of religious fanaticism, women’s suffrage, industrialism, and the Great Gatsby Era, as reflected by the Case family history. Think Elderhostel, Ted Talks, corporate leadership retreats. Think retreats that support sobriety, serenity, and spirituality. The only limit is our imagination.

These thoughts are not an attempt to derail the process of discernment that is taking place. Listening is essential. United Methodist across New York and beyond have much to teach us. Intentional, gentle policies and procedures must be put in place that honors the legacy of Casowasco, rebuilds trust, and affirms a future that only God knows, even as we faithfully attempt to discern God’s will moving forward.

I’m praying the Casowasco discernment process bears fruit, worthy of the Lord. God dreamt big; in six days the earth was created, and the Lord took an additional day for rest. I’m praying for the day that Casowasco will return to bearing fruit, worthy of the Kingdom. Decades of decline must end. The tomb is empty; Christ is risen, and so, too, should the Church. Parishes need to be resurrected and placed on a growth trajectory. Casowasco can be that springboard of new life, grace, peace, and hope for the future.

8. Addison and Vernon Lee

~ toddgoddard ~ Leave a comment

Things went south for dad’s pastoral ministry in New Jersey and the U-Hall was backing up to the parsonage for parts unknown. I didn’t know why and I didn’t ask. We were moving to Addison, New York where dad would serve the Addison / Woodhull parish while commuting to seminary. New house, new school, new friends, oh my. 

Addison was right on the mainline Erie Lackawanna. Trains that passed nearby in New Jersey passed right behind dad’s church in Addison. It seemed that every Sunday during the Lord’s Prayer, the quiet of a church sanctuary got a dose of the blaring horn and earthquake that rocked the building as a passing freight passed mere feet from the back door. 

That back door. I recall Mom, dad, and me meeting the district superintendent (and future mentor of mine), Vernon Lee, at the church for dad’s interview with the Pastor Parish Relations Committee. The back door hung by one hinge. Vern told us that he’d fix that door if only he brought along a screwdriver. He would have, too.  First impressions matter.

Addison was a hard drinking, hard scrabble town. One Sunday, dad arrived at the church early for worship when he found a suspected arsonist passed out drunk in one of the Sunday school rooms. He had started 17 fires around the building. Thankfully, none of them amounted to anything other than a huge mess. Probably spared his life, too. 

The prospect of burning down a church appeared to me to be positively evil. All was not right with the world, even my simple 9th grade mind could see the evidence. 

The pool today was quiet and refreshing. Laps went quickly as my mind dwelt on those days spent in Addison. It would be more than a week before I can return since a family trip is scheduled to begin tomorrow morning at the Rochester airport. It felt great to glide through the water, my eyes inches from the bottom, feeling like flying.

School was filled with bullies and fist de cuffs. I gravitated towards a group of kids from church who tried to fly beneath the radar of the carnivores. Even still, we witnessed teachers being assaulted and kids being dragged into the bathrooms to serve as punching bags for the alpha males. 

My English teacher, Mr. U, was a member of the parish. He also drank in school. We all knew he had a pint in his lower desk drawer. Down the hall was the shop class, where Mr. N was king. He was short, fat, and the first non-white person I had ever met. He was always angry at us kids. No one dared cross him. 

In shop class, our period was coming to an end. I cleaned my bench and stood next to it waiting for the class bell. A kerfuffle rose behind me, and Mr. N stormed in our direction. He took two kids from behind me and myself out into the hall. In his hands was his self-made, notorious “Board of Education”. He made us line up in the hall with our hands on the wall. He summoned Mr. U to act as a witness, I suppose, and laid into our asses with rage and furry. I cried, it hurt so much. I cried because I knew I had done nothing deserving of corporal punishment. Injustice laid bare was, and is painful. 

When I met Dad after school, he was outraged. Despite my pleading, he marched down to the school to talk with the principle. My life, already difficult, was about to get really complicated. I don’t know what became of the yelling behind closed doors, but I knew that Mr. U and Mr. N gave me a wide birth for the rest of the school year.

Dad had my back. A father’s love provided protection, stood up to injustice, and helped me navigate through the growing complexities of life. 

Evil. Real. And dangerous.

Injustice. Systemic. Insidious. 

A Father’s love was able to overcome both. Lesson learned.