Aldersgate Camp Breaks Ground on New Lodge

On October 27, 2011, at a fund raising dinner for the New Aldersgate Camp Lodge and Dining Room, Lee Padgett, Aldersgate Camp Director, was pleased to announce the receipt of a gift of $100,000.00 from the J. W. Kinzer Foundation of Eastern KY. With this exciting gift, the entrance and lobby of the upcoming New Lodge and Dining Room will be named the Lucy Kinzer Lobby.

The dinner, held at the Marriott Griffin-Gate Resort in Lexington, was a festive and joyful event with singing, sharing, testimonies, updates, and a challenge to all to give to this much needed new facility at Aldersgate. By December, gifts and pledges from that dinner had totaled $75,000.00.

Groundbreaking for the New Lodge and Dining Room was held during Homecoming at Aldersgate on October 1. A crowd of about 100 persons braved the unusual cold to witness the event. Participants were reminded that “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it” (Psalm 127:1).  And “…the responsibility and the privilege rest upon us to cause a building to rise here that shall be a place of refuge and strength, inspiration and learning, rest and renewal to all who come home to Aldersgate” (adapted from the United Methdist Book of Worship).

This new two-story handicapped accessible Lodge will further the Aldersgate vision: “to be the best at offering Christian Hospitality, anywhere.” It will contain a 3000-square-foot dining room for 200 persons, new kitchen, an adjacent 2500-square-foot meeting room for 200, offices, an infirmary, meeting space, laundry facility, library, canteen, lodging rooms, and the Lucy Kinzer Lobby. Construction should begin in 2012. 

The old O. P. Smith Lodge and dining room will serve as an indoor recreation area and self-contained retreat center with a smaller kitchen. The seven lodging rooms on the first floor will remain to continue to serve our guests.

Aldersgate asks for your continued prayers and support for this exciting project and for the guests and campers who will benefit from their Aldersgate experience. Contact Aldersgate at (606) 723-5078 or aldersgatecamp@gmail.com for more information. 

Together with the churches of the Kentucky Annual Conference, Aldersgate is changing lives and growing disciples for Jesus Christ.