Forest Hill Church wants to build a 15,000-square-foot expansion at Morrison YMCA, the YMCA announced to members in a newsletter today.Under an agreement being considered by the YMCA and Forest Hill, the church would fully fund the building, which would be owned and operated by the YMCA. In return, the church will use the facility for Sunday morning worship services, the newsletter said.
Other times, the expansion will be used by YMCA members. Plans call for full basketball courts and multi-purpose areas along with an indoor track.
The Morrison YMCA's board of managers backed the plan in January. Final approval hinges on approval from the YMCA metropolitan board and Forest Hill leadership this month, the statement says.
Construction could begin by June 1 with a targeted completion date of December.
According to the newsletter:
"The proposed addition will be designed in the same space that was part of the original Morrison YMCA master plan proposed in 2008. The YMCA had intended to build this addition over the course of 10 years. The proposed space will provide 3 full basketball courts/multi-purpose areas that will be used as a large worship area by Forest Hill Church on Sundays. This proposed project creates an opportunity for the YMCA to build-out the space earlier than planned and give the YMCA the capacity to capitalize on a growing, vibrant program and membership offering."
The plan would not affect the YMCA's relationship with other church and secular civic groups, the newsletter said.
- Doug Miller
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42 comments:
Well, some folks still have money in the "downturn."
Is it Ballantyne or Morrison?
quick
let's fill every space in ballantyne so there's no more room for that affordable housing thingy
the Morrison YMCA is the offical name of the Ballanytne area YMCA
Yes, Lord knows it's way too far to drive up Johnston/Park Roads to Forest Hill's main "campus." Folks in Ballantyne love their obese SUVs, but not that much.
I need me a church on every corner here in Charlottetowne.
What some here don't realize, that Forest Hill has a church in the area in Ballantyne at the theater. It went to two services and those are now at near capacity as is their main campus on Park Road. This is just good planning to accommodate an existing growing congregation. It helps both parties and saves over 10 million dollars.
it's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A
Further research by the reporter would reveal that Forest Hill Church wants to restrict use of this YMCA to only Christian groups. This is contrary to YMCA mission...interesting.
Well anon 6:11 it is the Young Man's Christian Association.
Perhaps the YMCA needs the income from those members in Ballantyne to cover the cost of the many they have put in challenged neighborhoods, and have to extensively offer free memberships.
I am sure you are aware that those are outreach programs and not profit centers?
So thank you Ballantyne for your willingness to help the system keep helping those who are growing and having problems in this country.
Well, 6:44, can we then count on only young men being served?
Aren't tax-exempt organizations just great?
Especially the "discriminating" ones.
As a registered non-profit, the YMCA is not able to turn down anyone for membership with regard to ability to pay. So in regards to comment at 6:11 am, I am calling BS on that.
So I guess that means that the Y monthly membership for a single person will go from $66 to $70. Biggest scam in Charlotte next to the United Way.
Know anyone who has ever been turned down for membership at the YMCA? Didn't think so. They aren't allowed to turn anyone down (for membership) per nonprofit tax law. Does that mean they have to allow their facility to be used by the gay muslim association of America, no. But if their members wanted to join, they'd have to allow them - so long as they were not breaking the law.
This is soley for video broadcast of David Chadwick, no live preaching. The long term plan is to have large video screens of him every 2 blocks.
sounds like something Jesus would do, use the money on the affluent instead of building affordable housing and services for the less fortunate...way to go Chadwick!
So--- they won't even have a preacher here??? Just a video screen?
NO. No preacher. Chadwick has run off all the great preacher and worship leader talent that makes any advancement and threatens him. Nobody to preach now - plan is working to have his video image all over the world!
No kidding. I would have been great to have Chris Payne be the preacher here. He is amazing.
I guess we now know why Chadwick pulled the church out of the governance of the Presbytery.
I heard their Ballantyne pastor just left as well.
Amazing, the wrong information that is still out. The Y is at the bottom of the list for improvements and the monies are going elsewhere to those in needs area-it would be years till monies were allocate and they are they largest membership Y. This way the Y gets the building at no cost. Forest Hill gets a satellite campus it needs because of growing attendance. It will not cost the members anything. As to those dissing Chadwick, he hasn't run off anybody. He has encourage their growth to create their own endeavors. Much like Derwin Gray's new church off 521. It's an independent church which FH gave a large seed check in order to support their work. FH is working in a recession to cut costs and work efficiently with the monies they are given to help the most people as they are almost at capacity. This project if done apart from the Y, would have run 50 m, now less than 4. Both parties gain as well as the community gets to serve more people. Well done.
YMCA won't turn down anyone for membership - the Church is pushing for groups that meet on church property leased by the YMCA to be only Christian groups. While the YMCA did once stand for Young Men's Christian Association - women can join as well as non-Christians.
"So that" That is their capital campaign. They even put these fund-raising bracelets on all the kids on Sunday morning. They say the remote vidoe hookup sites are full, well when I have been to Ballantyne, it isn't even half full.
SO THAT Chadwick is broadcast all over metrolina, and beyond.
If you're going to attack the leaders of a church, at least be brave enough to use your name.
And the YMCA won't be charging members for the gym - that's the whole point - Forest Hill builds it on land already owned by the YMCA (so it's not "taking away housing from the needy), and the YMCA gets to use the gym that it needs. What's wrong with this idea again?
10:21 attendance is the average. They count every service and as with all things, some events don't pull as many. Like panther games even though they are all sold out, sometimes not everyone shows up. Come on back and check it out, you will also realize that so that is not a fundraising campaign, it means something else. The wrist bands were actually given out a year before and it is part of reminder of what we are all here for. Hope that helps clear your confusion.
I'm Glad Calvary Church dosent resort to this kind of take over....Dr. Munro and some of the elders sure know how to utilize all of that church....
Ooohh, a church spat! I just love a church spat.
Pray, continue.
Video sermons? Really? Maybe he could just do a podcast and then no one would even have to get out of bed and all this building drama could be forgotten.
So, It's a real estate transaction by non profit profitable prophets?
I went to this church a couple of times and it had such a cult feel to it. Frightening! I didn't feel closer to God, I didn't feel God at all in that church. Churches should be collecting tithes to spend on the less fortunate in the community not to grow the church. This sounds like the Y is making a deal with the devil.
1:27 churches should collect tithes for the community and those impoverished. If you did attend you would realize that FH does just that and to address it even more it has cut it staff and running budget to pour more into the community. Instead of church programs they encourage participation in those that affect the community. A cult brainwashes and takes away your right to free thought. This church encourages your free will and encourages it's members to go out into the community to help those in need. There are plenty of wonderful churches that do the same-it is not a competition. Go ahead and ask them their financials and while you are at it you can question them on your cult impressions-or if you wan to know more all the sermons are online and on podcasts. So anyone can check it out for themselves. There is nothing to hide, unlike most who post here nameless.
What a great idea to continue reaching out to the lost even in Ballantyne. The churh is very smart to build the facility that will be used by the community 6 days a week and 1 morning a week to share Christ. Good for them! Thankfully David Chadwick has a vision for Charlotte and beyond with the Forest Hill Church.
I couldn't agree with that comment more...and I wonder what all these other folks who are so critical are doing to reach people for the sake of the Gospel?? Good work Chadwick...keep pressing on!
anyone that thinks it's "cost effective" to spend 7 million dollars on two glorified movie theaters needs to get their heads checked. Seven. Freaking. Million. Dollars.
Mira, you're absolutely right. There's nothing to hide... but you do have to know where to look. Go to the www . foresthill . org (no spaces, obviously) and click "financial accountability." You'll find a pie chart that shows a detailed breakdown of the church's budget.
You'll also see that that Forest Hill uses about 18% of it's budget to give to the less fortunate (local and global) and 19% on their own facilities and technology (with the remainder going to their inside ministries, salaries, etc.)
Which fits right in with what Jesus said, right? Sell all you have... then spend 80% of the profit on yourself... then, give whatever is left to the poor.
1:10 Hmm you need to know how to read those numbers, but to be fair they didn't give detailed descriptions. The compensation you see in the millions was not for the church itself. It was for the programs it supports. The administration for the church uses up less than 250K. I know because those affected from as far away as Africa where hospitals and community centers and churches have been built just in the past two years. Aid to women in Africa to help the create their own businesses so they can support themselves with their crafts. To our own inner city people in many ways including sending the children of those in need to college. The Y project is only costing 3 million as opposed to 50 it would cost for a brand new facility.
Alysse.... I don't know what kool-aid they're giving you... but if you could pass me some, that would be GREAT. First of all... I know for a fact that the administration for David personally uses up more than 250k, not to mention the entire church. Secondly, as far as your comment about it not "for the church itself, it's for the programs it supports" you're just wrong. Anything under global and local benevolence covers money that is given to outside programs. That's the definition of benevolence. If you add global and local mobilization, that's the sum total of money spent on something other than forest hill church, and that adds up to about 18 percent.
If a regular "for profit" company was giving away 18 percent, that would be awesome. But for an organization that's supposed to be about giving... it's a joke. And as for your $50 million dollar figure, where exactly are you getting that? Because I'm pretty sure a church can build and operate a facility for much less than $50 million.
Michelle used the word "attack" in her comment. Attack is not the right word. In many ways it really is "accountability" and being good stewards of God's money.
Some pastors try to create their own kingdom. Ironically, Chadwick's first name is David.....King David. He would like to be on every street corner but that will never happen. Just ask all the past staff that once served there. The latest involved Chris Payne. Any threat to David ends up leaving- Chris, Derwin, Luke- the list is long. If my memory serves me right, FH had a gym that served as a major push for "outreach." Once that went away, it was turned into a theater for mostly members. The focus changed. If the comment is true that only Christian groups can use this Y, the Apostle Paul would roll over.
Leaving the Presbytery- Chadwick knew exactly what he was pulling off. No accountability and saving thousands of dollars in the process was a the main focus. Trust me- the conversations were something to behold. The propaganda machine at FH is also something to behold. Believe very little. Know where your money is going.
One last point- one of the comments talked about a pie chart under the heading of "Financial Accountability." 18% and 19 % here and there. Let me hit you with one....just one quote at a staff meeting years ago that was told to me in the atrium after the fact. For every $10.00 dollars that was put in the offering plate, only one, 1, that is $1.00, can you hear me? Went towards ministry. Guess who said this?
Research what the salaries are and hang on to your hat. Is that open info under the "financial Accountability" pie chart? Doubt it. 7 million dollars. Whew! Go bless the poor with it.
at least it isn't elevation....now there's a cult
My family has attended church at Forest Hill for almost 10 years, we tithe and participate in Life Groups and lots of other areas of the church.
As far as expansion, the attendance at the main campus is at capacity and looking to branch out to other areas just makes sense. Whats wrong with furthering God's kingdom? The church looked into moving its main campus and building a site large enough to house everyone but the church leaders don't feel that would be a good use of God's money. They even entertained buying Calvery at one point (when that building was an option). It was decided it would be a better use of money to have branches (of sorts) to be able to serve more members. If you have branches you minimize the overhead (somewhat) for more salaries, use facilities that can be obtained cheaper than building a mega church and keep the smaller feel.
Please note that these are my interpretations and not the official stance/words of the church.
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