wfn.org | Camping 'Gift' Unfounded

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS 97" by SUSAN PEEK on April 15, 1997 at 14:24
Eastern, about DAILY NEWS RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (589
notes).

Note 588 by UMNS on Feb. 4, 1998 at 17:19 Eastern (2898 characters).

CONTACT: Linda Green					61(10-71B)588
	    Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470	Feb. 4, 1998

Whether camping, retreat ministries
receive $90 million gift still uncertain

	NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) -– Annual conferences awaiting their share of a $90
million gift to help with camping ministries shouldn't hold their breath.
That was the essence of a statement released here Feb. 3 by United Methodist
Board of Discipleship executive the Rev. Ezra Earl Jones. 
In 1991, Maurice Wise, then a camp director in Arkansas City, Kan., announced
that an anonymous United Methodist donor would give each of the 66 annual
(regional) conferences in the United States $1 million on Feb. 1, 2000.
In addition, Wise said the donor would contribute $20 million to construct a
national camp, conference and retreat center in Texas, which would be
affiliated with the United Methodist Board of Discipleship.
The combined $90 million donation was reported to be the largest individual
gift ever offered the United Methodist Church or one of its agencies.
Jones said an investigation of the proposed donation "has failed to identify
the gift or the funds in any tangible fashion." 
Responding to a stipulation given in 1991 by Wise, each annual conference has
submitted a one-page proposal describing how it would use the funds.
	It was reported by Wise that the anonymous donor, before his death in 1991,
had inherited a fortune and decided to "give away what God gave to him."
Wise said the donor had visited every United Methodist camp and retreat center
in the nation (about 300) as he sought to determine the use of his fortune. He
was convinced that camping makes a positive impact on the lives of people,
Wise said.
The donor reportedly left the money and instructions for its use to another
anonymous United Methodist, who died in 1994.
Wise is now a camp director in the Detroit Conference.  In an article in the
summer 1997 issue of Camp Memo, Kevin Witt, a staff member of the Board of
Discipleship, reported that Wise said an executor would be contacting the
general secretary of the Board of Discipleship. Jones said no such contact has
been made.
The agency is getting an increasing number of inquiries from annual
conferences asking about the gift.
 "Expectations have been high, and there have been many questions raised in
recent months," Jones says.
Annual conferences such as Eastern Pennsylvania have been awaiting their $1
million to make capital improvements to four camping sites, endow scholarships
and develop programs.
Following a board investigation, Jones said, "this matter is being returned to
a dormant status until more information comes to light." Until more "concrete"
details are forthcoming, he said, "the General Board of Discipleship cannot
recommend reliance upon this gift for any purpose and particularly for any
financial commitment."
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