Bonclarken is a conference center located in Flat Rock, North Carolina (between

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

and

Greenville, South Carolina Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway be ...

) operated by the

Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARPC), as it exists today, is the historical descendant of the Synod of the South, a Synod of the Associate Reformed Church. The original Associate Reformed Church resulted from a merger of the Associate ...

(ARP). Bonclarken is the

conference center A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...

of the

. The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church is a

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...

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denomination that traces its roots to the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

, particularly the work of

John Calvin John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...

and

John Knox John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgat ...

. It is used to accommodate guests of 500 people during the summer and 400 people during the winter. Bonclarken has two fully equipped kitchens and conference centers that can hold up to 1200 people in their meeting centers. Purchased in 1921 by the ARP, Bonclarken is used for

Christian education Catechesis (; from Greek: , "instruction by word of mouth", generally "instruction") is basic Christian religious education of children and adults, often from a catechism book. It started as education of converts to Christianity, but as the ...

, and hosts activities for

youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...

and adults alike. There is also a

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

on the campus for

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s whenever groups or churches have special services there. The chapel is also where the ARP Church conducts most of its annual

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business.

History

The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church began holding a

summer Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...

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conference A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main p ...

Gastonia, North Carolina Gastonia is the largest city in and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest satellite city of the Charlotte area, behind Concord. The population was 80,411 at the 2020 census, up from 71,741 in 2010 ...

in 1915. The conference was very popular and well attended. However, in 1920, the conference planners learned the facility hosting the conference was to be sold. Efforts to buy the facility were unsuccessful, so a new meeting location was needed. Looking for a location with cooler summer temperatures, the mountains of western North Carolina were selected to begin the search. God's providence led a realtor in Hendersonville to suggest a particular location: a beautiful sixty-three-acre estate, containing a massive home and the Heidelberg Gardens, for sale in Flat Rock. The location was perfect for the conference and was purchased on August 31, 1921. Old Bonclarken Sign

Meaning of name

After the

purchased the property from Dr. Arthur Guerard in 1921, a contest was held among members of the Church to find a suitable name for what was to become the denomination's retreat center. Sallie Miller Brice of

Chester, South Carolina Chester is a small rural city in Chester County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 5,607 at the 2010 census, down from 6,476 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Chester County, South Carolina, Chester County. History Whil ...

offered the following: "I submit a name for our Assembly Grounds. It is Bon-clar-ken, and it has this meaning, Bon from the Latin, Bonus – 'good', clar from the Latin clarus – 'clear', ken from the Scotch – 'vision'. Bon-clar-ken – Good-clear-vision."

Mission

Bonclarken's mission is "to provide and promote a Christian environment for inspiration and renewal, worship, education, fellowship, and recreation by the power of the Holy Spirit." Bonclarken is an ideal place for churches to go to retreats and camps. During such retreats and camps, students have opportunities to fellowship with fellow believers from all across the Eastern United States. Activities held at White Oak Lake, the YAB, and numerous other facilities allow students to make lasting friendships in a welcoming environment.

Notable staff

Bonclarken has employed many artists in its history. Americana singer/songwriter, Steven Hardy; EDM producer Adam Donohoe; noted kazooist Todd Hardy (brother of Steven); and multi-media artist Emma Mossford.

References

*Murdock, P.B. (1975). ''Bonclarken: A story of faith, hope, and tenacity.'' Greenville, South Carolina: Woman's Synodical Union - Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

External links

* {{coord, 35.2777, -82.4365, region:US-NC_type:landmark, display=title Christian conferences Buildings and structures in Henderson County, North Carolina Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church 1921 establishments in North Carolina Religious buildings and structures completed in 1921