BGCO leaders accept donation for more land near Falls Creek

BGCO Executive Director-Treasurer Dr. Anthony L. Jordan receives a $2 million designated gift from Lauren (Green) McAfee of Hobby Lobby Inc., for the purchase of the Newburn Conference Center children's camp near Davis, Oklahoma.

DAVIS, Okla.—Dr. Anthony L. Jordan, executive director-treasurer for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO), and the BGCO Board of Directors today announced the acceptance of a $2 million designated gift from Hobby Lobby, Inc., for the purchase of the Newburn Conference Center, a youth camp located near Davis.
The BGCO, which operates Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center, home of the largest youth camp in the nation, will acquire the Newburn Center, a camp owned by the Assemblies of God.

“This gift from Hobby Lobby and the Green Family is an answer to prayer,” said Jordan. “We have sought the Lord’s leading as to how we can further expand our impact and reach in the Falls Creek area, and we are grateful beyond words for their generosity which makes that possible.”

Of the major gift, Hobby Lobby, Inc.’s CEO Steve Green, a Southern Baptist, said, “Throughout the years, we have been privileged to invest in the work of the BGCO through Falls Creek. The opportunity to help the Falls Creek ministry through this gift brings us great joy. We see this as a win-win for everyone involved.”

The Newburn Center, located on Highway 77, west of I-35 near Turner Falls, was used as a summer camp by the Assemblies of God. “It is a beautiful wooded site with Honey Creek from Turner Falls running through the property,” said Jordan.

At the direction of its Board of Directors, the BGCO plans to relocate its CrossTimbers Children’s Missions Camp, which now operates in McAlester, Okla., to the new location.

“The new property has the potential to more than double the capacity for children. Because the new camp is well-maintained and in very good condition, CrossTimbers is able to shift to the new location for summer 2013,” said Jordan.

“One of the greatest advantages is the proximity to Falls Creek.  Co-locating the camps enables our Conference Center staff to serve both facilities with an economy of scale,” Jordan added.

“We have been in consultation with Hobby Lobby and the Green family for number of months regarding this incredible gift,” said Jordan. “The nature of this gift and its timing couldn’t have been better, and the camp property will mesh perfectly into the long-range development plans for our Conference Centers as a whole.”

“This is more evidence that God always knows what He is doing and has a plan in place,” he said.

With this new gift, Hobby Lobby becomes the leading donor in the history of the BGCO, a non-profit organization. The Green family and Hobby Lobby previously donated to the BGCO’s capital campaign for construction at Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center in excess of $3 million.

For more information on BGCO’s camps and development plans, visit www.bgco.org.