On Monday, September 27, 2004, MorningStar Fellowship Church completed the purchase of the former Heritage USA Grand Hotel and Conference Center, along with fifty-two acres of the surrounding property. MorningStar intends to use this property as the primary base for its Charlotte area congregation, the Comenius School for Creative Leadership (our Christian day school), our School of Ministry, and as a conference center.
The buildings are in considerable disrepair and it will be a long, hard, expensive job to restore them. However, worse than the condition of the buildings is the stigma and reproach that is on them. Our goal is to completely restore the buildings to better than new condition, along with their reputation. We believe this property, which was used to bring humiliation and reproach to the worldwide body of Christ, is called to become a testimony of God’s heart for redemption and restoration.
Since the fall, restoration has been the primary work of God. We believe this property can be a sign of what He is about to do for the whole earth. Peter wrote in Acts 3:19-21: "Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.”
We believe we are coming to the time when Jesus is going to return and restore all things that were lost by the fall, and that this work will begin with His own household. Because this property became one of the most recognized symbols of the failures of the church, it must be restored or a great reproach will remain on the church. However, restoring these buildings is not as important as restoring the integrity and morality of the church, to which we expect this place to be devoted.
We are well aware that this will be a difficult task. Just as Nehemiah had great opposition when they sought to rebuild that which was bringing reproach to God’s people, we are expecting the same. We know that even many Christians will be opposed to this work, but we are confident of our calling to do this. Just as Nehemiah had many different families take a section of the wall of Jerusalem to rebuild, we know that we need help. We are already hearing from some other churches and ministries that would like to join with us in this work (for those who are interested in helping, please see the bottom of this bulletin on how you can contribute in the way you feel called to help).
The site will have a new name, Heritage International Ministries (H.I.M.). We are not naming it after MorningStar because we feel this is about something much bigger than we are. It is also our goal to honor the past and those who gave so much to build this property in the first place, while doing all that we can to learn from previous mistakes so that we do not repeat them. Therefore, we do not intend to forget or cover up the history of this property, but rather redeem it.
Our goal is to restore the buildings to a condition that is even better than when they were new. However, even more than this, we want to see it become a place where ministries are raised up and missionaries sent out so it will give glory to the name of the Lord in every place where this property once brought shame. One day we do expect the same to be said about this property as was said about the restored temple in Jerusalem: “The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,” says the Lord of hosts, “and in this place I shall give peace,” declares the Lord of hosts (Haggai 2:9).
Though we acknowledge the significance of this property as a symbol, we know that the Lord is even more concerned with restoring people than buildings. We therefore hope to raise up a ministry on this property that truly fulfills Galatians 6:1: “Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted.” This is a restoration ministry where those who are caught in “any trespass” will be able to come and not be condemned, but helped.
At the same time, we want to be a ministry that does not compromise the biblical standards of integrity and morality in which we are called to walk. We do not intend to overlook the sin that requires a genuine process of restoration, just like we do not intend to overlook the history of this property. We want that history to be a continual reminder to us of the tragedy and devastation that sin causes, while at the same time pointing to the hope of redemption and restoration for those who in any way fall into the grip of sin. Is that not what the Savior did for all of us? How can we do any less for even the least of His little ones?
If you would like to donate time, money, or other resources to this work, please contact
us at:
or by calling us at 1-800-542-0278.