GLCC 75th Anniversary

“But you told me to pray and follow my leading,” replied Luther, “and I did!” “Do you know, Luther,” said J.L., “you’ve just earned your day’s pay. You made $25,000 for the kingdom in the last one and a half hours.” However, the purchase was only the beginning of the story as the reality of trying to make an estate with seemingly unlimited expenses and an insatiable appetite for cash sunk in. Opposition arose early to what became termed “Luther’s folly.” As one detractor put it, “Northern Baptists can never afford

In the 1946 summer Green Lake Broadcaster, Luther and the leaders proclaimed: GREEN LAKE TAKES ON MEANING FOR THOUSANDS – No Longer “Fool’s Paradise” of Northwest “Within its confines are expressed the hopes and aspirations of a rising generation. Along its shores leaders and followers of the Christian movement in our day have dedicated their lives anew in the master’s service…Here, we leave the

such a lovely and expansive training center” and another detractor mockingly said, “have they heard there’s a war on?” As economists, the detractors were correct. It was highly improbable that these grounds could survive as a Christian conference center. By human power alone, this enterprise is folly for Luther Wesley Smith and each President and Board member that succeeds him. In the fall of 1944, the first year of operation, one week the business manager wrote, “we

stress and strain of daily living and ‘come apart,’ as did Jesus, to find refreshment for our souls. In finding God and following in the steps of our Master, we come to a fuller understanding of

have $1,100 on deposit and $3,900 in bills” to Luther. Luther more than once wrote personal checks to advance cash and in 1946 they launched “operation solvency.” These are familiar phenomenon for every President and VP of Finance over the past 75 years. However, the model is not merely reliant on human economics. The grounds are about Luther’s God- given dream. This is described in the inspired purpose statement written in 1943 that guides us today. The statement is ecumenical and wide in its means: “To provide a comprehensive program of Christian education, training and inspiration by means of conferences, institutes, research projects, schools, college extension courses, camps, assemblies and all other appropriate means for the nurture and training of leadership for the cause of evangelical Christianity and of the world mission of the Churches.” George Moll, the originator of baseball cards, coined the motto “for a closer walk with God” taken from a hymn and this has been our motto and a guide ever since.

our fellow men and women. Thus, we experience many of the deeper meanings of Christian fellowship and discover for ourselves the true basis of service for Christ and humanity. From this point, it is possible to peer into the future and envision the ever-widening influence of the Northern Baptist Assembly at Green Lake. In this enterprise there have been opened up new vistas, the full extent of which no one can yet foretell . . . it is not unlikely that his same influence may in years to come have a far-reaching effect upon leading this chaotic world back to God.” Richard Hoiland, the first Program Director and second Executive Director (now called President) says: “I will never forget the thrill of the first National Youth Conference in 1944, the first conference ever held at the Assembly. More than 600 people came from all over the country. We soon ran out of beds, and a number of the boys ended up sleeping on mattresses on the floor, in a makeshift dormitory in Indian Village. It didn’t seem to dampen their enthusiasm at all.”

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