Straight Talk…! From Chuck Cooper, Christian Writer/Blogger rvchuck@msn.com August 5, 2015

Monday, August 10, 2015

 Straight Talk…!

  From Chuck Cooper, Christian Writer/Blogger                                      

    rvchuck@msn.com                                                                                              August 5, 2015

LifeWay’s Glorieta Baptist Conference Center

Forces Unfair Theft of Residents’ Homes

(Part Two)

Glorieta Homeowners Tell Their Stories

Author’s Note:  It is NOT my intent in writing this investigative blog to damage or demean the reputations of either LifeWay Christian Resources or the Southern Baptist Convention. I am simply revealing what I have learned from my ongoing investigation that I now consider as “ungodly” treatment and financial extortion of former homeowners at Glorieta Conference Center in Glorieta, NM.

             My ONLY intent is to inform Southern Baptists so they will voluntarily apply enough pressure on LifeWay and SBC executives and trustees to correct the emotional and financial damage their decisions have forced on loyal, trusting homeowners and churches.  I pray those decision makers will, after the fact, take the high moral and scriptural ground and fairly compensate all current and former leaseholders for the houses and buildings they built, purchased or improved.

             I have no dog in this hunt other than telling the stories of how these fellow Christians have and are being treated…by their church!  

                                                                                                                        -- Chuck Cooper

          Shortly after the public announcement in early June 2013 that the Glorieta Conference Center had been sold for $1.00 to Glorieta 2.0, a Texas-based camping organization, an email to some 65 Glorieta homeowner/leaseholders advised that all land leases would expire on Sept. 30, 2013. 

            Anthony Scott, the on-site representative of Glorieta 2.0, offered the following options for the acquisition of the cabins, lodges and residences which had been built or purchased from other leaseholders or directly from LifeWay and were improved and maintained by the homeowner/leaseholders.

             1. Donate your property outright.

             2. Lease the land for 12 years and then donate your home.

             3. Accept $40,000 for your home.

            Infuriated at what they considered to be totally unfair and “ungodly” offers, some 100 local Glorieta campus leaseholders met for nearly four hours on Tuesday, 

July 9, 2013 with several LifeWay and Glorieta 2.0 officials to express their concerns about the offers and asked why the sales agreement did not protect their financial investments as Lifeway executives repeatedly promised.          

            Three days later, and after LifeWay added an additional 140 acres adjacent and across I-25 to be included in the sale to Glorieta 2.0, they offered the following “Revised, Amended and Restated” options in an unsigned letter on Glorieta 2.0 letterhead. 

             1.  A one-time buyout for $30 per square foot, with a minimum $40,000 and maximum $100,000 payment, regardless of the appraised value. If accepted, must vacate premises by Dec. 1, 2013. 

 

             2.  A new 12-year lease at $1,800 per year plus utilities with cost of living adjustments. At the end of the lease, the building will go to Glorieta 2.0 as a donation. If the leaseholder opts out of lease before it  expires in 2025, they would forfeit a pro-rated amount of Option 1 offer.

             3.  Donate the building to Glorieta 2.0 if you want a tax deduction but advise Glorieta 2.0 by Sept. 1, 2013. (This allowed leaseholders only 20 days to make this life-changing and financially devastating decision.)

            Imagine you were one of the Glorieta homeowners!  Experience your responses!  Feel your frustration!  Your disappointment! Your anger! Your pain! Your disillusion! Your unbelief! Your fears! Your despairs!  Your unrelenting sadness at what your Southern Baptist denomination leadership did to you!

            As you read their stories below, please understand that all of them had built, purchased and improved structures they owned on land leased long-term to them by Glorieta Conference Center. 

            Please note that some of these former homeowners are willing to speak out with details in spite of a threat from LifeWay for retribution if they do so. LifeWay also prohibited its own Trustees from speaking out about the issue by requiring each of them to sign secrecy agreements. (Wonder what they are afraid of?)

            Those willing to tell their stories believe they have a spiritual command to hold LifeWay accountable for what they believe is “un-Christian” behavior.

            All testimonies here have come from personal discussions with former homeowners or extracted from public court documents. 

Nothing here is hearsay!

NANCY BROYLES

TOTAL LOSS = $70,000 below appraised value!

          Purchase price: $117,500 (2002)

            Major improvements: $15,000

                 New flooring in the living, dining, kitchen, and bathrooms; new countertops

                 in  the kitchen and bathrooms; new bath/kitchen fixtures; improved                                    plumbing fixtures and new hot water heater; driveway improvements.   
                      

            Total Investment: $132,500

            Fair market value:  $110,000 appraisal.

                        Offered $125,000 a year earlier.

            Compensation: $40,000 

                        Furnished 1,047 sq ft home.

            “As a teenager in the 60s, I went to Glorieta with the youth group from Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth.  We attended Music Week and Youth Week, and I have fond memories of the times I was there.  After I married in the 70s, my husband and I took our three young children to Glorieta every summer.  Again, I have wonderful memories of special family times there.

            “My husband died in 2001, and as a young widow, I was looking for a place to find comfort.  I finally realized I would find it at Glorieta….. the place of sweet memories I had shared with my family.  So, that summer I went to Glorieta and began serving as a volunteer, and while there I found a cabin for sale.  

            “I was able to purchase the cabin in 2002 for $117,500.  Over the years when I went to Glorieta to work as a summer volunteer, I made improvements that

totaled $15,000.  

            “It was important to me to keep my cabin in good condition because it had become our home away from home for my family.  I wanted to fix up the cabin for my growing family to enjoy, and my grandchildren absolutely loved coming to visit

me in the summers!  At the time, it was worth spending the money on my cabin, because I thought I would have it ‘forever.’

            “But, when the homeowners were notified that we would be asked to leave, my cabin was appraised for $110,000.  A year earlier I was offered $125,000 for it.  

            “Because of the rumors and uncertainty about what was going on at Glorieta, I did not sell my cabin to the young family.  I could not do that with a clear conscience.

            “Then came the summer of 2013.  It was an awful time, and a time of disbelief that our homes were being taken from us without fair compensation.  I had invested a lot of time, energy, and money on my Glorieta home, and had to give it up.

            “Unfortunately, the LifeWay leadership and several businessmen don't seem to have a conscience when it comes to taking advantage of people.  I will never understand how the leaders of LifeWay could treat us like they did, and have a clear conscience.  It seems like someone in the bunch would have spoken up to make things right…… but it never happened.

            “I was paid just $40,000 for my Glorieta home – furnished!”

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DONALD AND BRENDA BURR

(Per 2013 Court Affidavit)

TOTAL CASH LOSS = $117,000!

            Purchase price: $155,000 (2005)

            Major improvements: $6,000 +  

            New kitchen cabinets; an island; sink, faucet, tile work; new light fixtures,

            ceiling fans, light switches, tank-less hot water system, plumbing for washer                and dryer, utility sink and electric lights.

            Total Investment: $161,000

            Fair market value:  Unknown.

                       

            Compensation: $44,000 (includes $4,000 for improvements)

           We first became aware of Glorieta in 1973 when Donald came here with the church on a Ski Bible Study trip for the first time. We volunteered for the first time in

September of 2003, working in the Dining Room wiping tables, etc.  Our joy was meeting like-minded volunteers and serving others while allowing GOD to work in their lives.

            We became aware of private homes on the campus while volunteering in 2005. Before trying to buy, we conferred with longtime residents as to how they operated with a lease agreement where one owned the house but not the land.

            Since no one had had a problem, and being encouraged by several, we proceeded to purchase a house realizing they had not had any problems functioning with such a lease.

            We went ahead and paid cash for the house built in 1966. The house of 1,000 square feet was in good condition.  We paid the asking price of $155,000. We trusted that all would continue in the future as it had in the past 60 years.

            During the past eight years, houses have been purchased and sold at fair market value.  Some houses owned by GCC have been sold to private individuals at fair market value.

            Now, we find to our dismay, we have no viable options other than the ones deemed fair and equitable by both Lifeway and Glorieta 2.0.  These homes, that we sacrifice, are to be used to their advantage and give houses for their staff, families who will pay to come to the camp events, which they will provide for a price.       

            The 12-year lease they offered is prorated so that the houses belong to them at the end of the lease or we can go ahead and give them the house now. 

            Our intent for our home was to enjoy a summer home in a beautiful and serene atmosphere, share it with our children and grandchildren while serving.

This is no longer an option as our children cannot inherit the house in our deaths…it will belong to the new owners. 

            Neither will our children be able to use it without many stipulations and rules should we accept the 12-year lease.

            Our goal of this affidavit is to alert others of the inequity of the situation being imposed on a few in order that the buyers or the sellers benefit at our expense. We are seeking for justice to be handed to the guilty party or parties.

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 CHARLES J. AND KAY H. GOODYEAR

(Per 2013 Court Affidavit)

TOTAL CASH LOSS = $50,000 to $75,000!

           

            Purchase price: $130,000 (2009)

            Total Investment: $130,000

            Fair market value:  $150,000 to $175,000

                       

            Compensation: undisclosed

            We began coming to Glorieta Conference Center as small children and continued as teens and young adults. We were so blessed and felt God’s presence in the place. We had a life-long desire to acquire a home here where we could come during our retirement years and have a safe place to bring our children and grandchildren.

            In 2008, a representative of Glorieta showed us several properties that LifeWay was selling. Prices were beyond our means since a total cash purchase was required.  Mortgages were not allowed. An inheritance in 2009 allowed us to continue pursuing the purchase of a home that could be passed down to future generations.

            As regular visitors to GCC we had noticed a decline in attendance and the reduction in the number of major conferences.  So, we were concerned about the financial state of GCC and asked pointed questions before our purchase.

            We were assured in 2008 by Art Snead, a GCC manager, that GCC’s current operations and future were “stable”.  In 2009, we were told by Hal Hill, GCC Director, that GCC’s cash flow was cash positive almost every year for the past 25 years, although they ran a “book” loss due to depreciation and LifeWay corporate expense allocations. He said GCC operations “could continue for years at the current level.”       

           He repeated this statement in 2011 shortly after it was announced that LifeWay was considering the sale of GCC and again in 2012 when GCC announced would reduce its full time operations to June 1 through September 1.

            We understood that the lease of land to homeowners was to help protect and control the Christian community environment.  We were required to provide a letter from our pastor certifying that we were active participating members in our local Southern Baptist Church.

            We signed a four-year lease and understood our lease to be readily renewable as they had been for the previous 55 years.  No one had ever been denied a renewal.

            We purchased our home in September 2009 at an investment of $130,000 and have made improvements costing $8,000. The home now has a value pursuant to appraisal estimates of like kind homes within 20 miles of $150,000 to $175,000.

            We were also led to believe that our investment was protected by LifeWay in that we would receive buy-outs that were “fair and equitable” if our lease was terminated.

            Since the receipt of a letter sent to leaseholders at GCC in mid-June 2013 advising us of the potential sale to Glorieta 2.0 we have been bullied, threatened, and intimidated to accept pennies on the dollar for our homes.

            Jerry Rhyne, CFO of LifeWay, threatened lessees in a July 9, 2013 open meeting that, if this deal didn’t go through, the property would be sold to commercial developers and we’d all be gone.

            In a meeting in our home on July 15, 2013, we were told by Anthony Scott of Glorieta 2.0 and Hall Hill, GCC Director, that if anyone filed legal action the deal would be killed for everyone.

            In that same meeting we were told that everyone they had visited had accepted the options except one lessee.  From talking to several people whom they’d already visited, I knew this to not be true. I considered these comments as an intimidation tactic to squelch any opposition and cow everyone into accepting as well.           During that meeting we also gave them results of our online investigation of comparable square foot prices.  My research revealed a $109 square foot average in nearby Pecos; in nearby El Dorado the average square foot rate is $206.

            The very next day, in an email from Anthony Scott to us only, he wrote: “Many are using your square foot numbers and are not happy with our offer.  Is it your desire that we walk?”  Clearly, this was an effort in intimidate us into silence and acceptance.

            On August 20, Hal Hill sent an e-mail to all leaseholders saying access to the grounds would remain “as long as those agreements are in place.”  We took that as a threat to cut off the access to our property if we didn’t sign on to one of the new options since GCC might claim our current agreement was “no longer in place.”

            Thom Rainer, LifeWay President, has failed to answer a single e-mail, certified letter or phone call regarding LifeWay’s decision and reasoning!

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Author’s Note:  This is but three of the incredible stories from trusting homeowners who have been financially and emotionally damaged by unfair treatment from LifeWay.  Part Three, coming soon, will include several more heart-breaking stories.