May 6 the General Conference of Elders approved "relocating the home office of the United Church of God, an International Association, to the greater Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, Metroplex area." The move, planned for 2010, was proposed by the administration to prepare for growth in the Church by investing in the facilities needed for training future laborers and for expanding the work of the Church at a lower cost than expanding in the Cincinnati area.

Phase One Plans

The plans for the first phase, to be completed in 2010, include an administration building, a warehouse, a training center and housing for 48 single students and for 16 married couples.

The 20,000-square-foot administration building would have 35 offices (basically double the number of corresponding current offices), three open office areas (including one for Mail Processing and one for Information Technology), a conference center and meeting rooms, TV and media studios, a radio studio and production area, an employee break room and an atrium lobby.

The proposed 9,000-square-foot warehouse building would include the mail room as well as warehouse storage space.

The 20,000-square-foot training center would have seven offices, a 150-seat lecture hall, 10 classrooms (five of which could be opened up into a larger meeting room), a library, a music rehearsal room, a kitchen and dining room and a lobby/reception area.

Student housing planned for phase one includes four 2,000-square-foot buildings with living and sleeping quarters for 12 students in each building, along with a kitchen in each building.

On-campus housing is designed to help make the ABC program more effective. As explained in the Vision for the Future DVD presentation by Chairman Bob Dick and President Clyde Kilough (sent to all elders and made available to members in local congregations):

"Time and experience have convinced us that we must create an atmosphere at ABC more conducive for developing character and the whole person, not just providing information."

On-site housing is seen as a critical factor in creating an environment that allows ABC to focus full time on developing the whole person (similar to "the Zone" developed in the very successful summer camp program).

Housing is also planned for married couples and to reduce the current 700 hotel room nights a year required for those coming to the home office for meetings or training. This would consist of four 2,000-square-foot buildings, each with two two-bedroom sections, for a total of 16 bedrooms (serving 16 couples).

Having this housing available would save $45,000 to $50,000 a year in hotel costs by putting most visitors in on-site housing units. The costs of ABC housing would be partially offset by a nominal amount charged to students.

Master Plan

Phases two and three are not current needs, but are projections of facilities that would be reasonably anticipated. They were included in the master plan to give a view of the amount of land that should be purchased, and to show how a campus-type facility would look.

Phase two preliminary plans include a 20,000-square-foot, 1,000-seat auditorium and additional housing. The additional housing might be needed as ABC grows, and the auditorium could someday be needed as a multipurpose facility for GCE meetings, a Feast site, special weekends, combined Holy Days, etc. The estimated cost of such an auditorium is $2.25 million.

Phase three could include a recreational/sports complex. "Since that is way down the list of priorities, we did not request any drawings or cost projections for that," Mr. Kilough said.

The conceptual master plan on a square grid uses approximately 50 acres. The size, layout and suitability of the actual property purchased will determine the specific details of the plan and whether there would be additional undeveloped property for future planning.

What Will the Project Cost?

"I believe that [this proposal] represents a balance between necessary and appropriate vision and long-term strategic planning on the one hand, and prudence, caution and conservatism on the other hand," said Treasurer Tom Kirkpatrick.

As described in the DVD, phase one is projected to cost between $7.2 and $9.4 million. The "most likely costs" from the DVD are printed below:

Land (65 acres) $1.7 million
Administration $1.9 million
Warehouse $0.6 million
Training Center $2.0 million
Housing $0.9 million (48 singles/16 couples)
Site development $1.8 million
Relocation $0.8 million

Total $9.7 million

Less sale of current property ($1.7) million

Net total $8.0 million

To avoid lowballing the estimated cost, these figures include estimates for inflation, worst-case scenarios and buffers. An additional million was added to cover furnishings and an additional buffer, bringing the net cost shown on the DVD to around $9 million.

Paying for the Project

The three-year plan to pay for phase one combines a budget commitment plus a restricted building fund.

In the 2007-2008 fiscal year, $1.5 million is budgeted for this purpose. The plan is to budget $2 million the following year and $2.5 million in the 2009-2010 fiscal year, for a total of $6 million by the time the move is scheduled.

A restricted fund is also planned, which would allow contributors to donate funds beyond regular tithes and offerings to this forward-looking project. Anywhere from $0 to $1 million or more a year might come in for this fund. If $1 million a year came in, the project would be fully paid for before the move took place.

God's Increasing Work

At the dedication ceremony for the current home office building on May 4, 2002, then President Les McCullough made these prescient remarks:

"If you look at our past history you might wonder just how long this building will provide housing for God's increasing work…

"I certainly hope that in time we also outgrow this building and have to end up dedicating another one somewhere, but we'll have to wait and see how God blesses in that regard.

"Christ has very generously blessed us in the last four years. He has very graciously blessed us and provided us with a physical building, a tool to go ahead and provide for the spiritual building, the Church of God."

Please pray that God will bless the new facilities being planned to also be tools for building the spiritual building and for accomplishing the great work God has given His Church to do. UN