With deep regret the Red Bird Mission Board voted at a meeting on May 13, 2010 that due to lack of funding the Red Bird School would be closed temporarily at the end of the current school year and would not reopen in the Fall of 2010 for any grades. The Board has great hopes and intentions of reopening the school as soon as a financial base can be established and a flow of funds is there to support the everyday expenses. The other ministries of the Mission—The Clinic, The Housing, Work Camps, Craft Store, Community Store and other activities on the campus—will continue as usual. There is an ongoing effort to establish this financial base and persons with interest in helping or having questions should contact the Red Bird Mission office: rdm@rbmission.org or (606)598-3155.
This year at Annual Conference we will celebrate the developing partnership between the Red Bird Missionary Conference and the Kentucky Annual Conference. The closing of the school allows us to walk with our brothers and sisters in Red Bird as they seek to establish and fund a financial plan to reopen the school in the coming years.
Our mission offering at Annual Conference is for the Red Bird Missionary Conference. The Kentucky Conference cabinet has set a goal of raising $100,000 for our mission offering this year. Bishop Lindsey Davis, who presides over both the Red Bird and Kentucky Conferences, writes, “While this is an ambitious and unprecedented amount for our conference, I am confident in your generous spirit.” Monies will be divided among four areas of ministry: education (Red Bird School), youth ministries (Henderson Settlement), pastoral support (churches & outreach centers) and physical plant improvements (Bennett Center). For more information, including bulletin inserts, or to view videos go to: www.kyumc.org/redbird.