April 13, 2020
The Lord is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia. Alleluia.
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Dear Camp Bratton-Green Campers, Camping Families, Camp Directors, Permanent Staff, and Session Staff,
In the midst of our Easter celebration, the COVID-19 virus has claimed another victim. Fortunately, this time no life has been lost, or new person infected. Rather, after careful and prayerful evaluation of all available data, including CDC and Mississippi State Department of Health statistics, projections, recommendations and guidelines, and after consultation with numerous individuals, I have made the difficult and painful decision to cancel all 2020 CBG summer camping sessions and programs. My decision was ratified today by the Gray Center Board of Managers.
Since the early days of our Diocesan response to the world-wide pandemic, I have placed the health and safety of our Diocesan family at the top of my list of priorities. It should come as no surprise to you that the health and safety of our summer campers, their families and others, are also uppermost in my mind, and in the minds of our Diocesan leaders. Accordingly, I have made this decision out of an abundance of caution to protect our campers, their families, our staff, and everyone else involved with events at Camp Bratton-Green.
While I know that this decision is the right one, it is painful for me, and you, to think that the cabins, dining hall, swimming pool, lake front, and other parts of camp will not be overrun with campers, counselors and friends this summer, and that collectively we will not make new friends and memories. But I also recognize that “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven . . . a time to weep, and a time to laugh; . . . a time to mourn, and a time to dance; . . . a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; . . . a time to keep silence, and a time to speak. . . .” Ecclesiastes 3:1-7. The summer of 2020 will be our time to mourn the loss for a season of precious and life-giving camp encounters, while creatively reimagining what the summer camp experience could be like in the summer of 2021 and beyond.
The Gray Center staff has begun their efforts to adjust to this new reality. You will hear more from them in the coming days on how you can help during this time of transition and adjustment.
Please rest assured that the Gray Center staff has already begun conversations as to how our 9th grade campers, scheduled to TQ this summer, might have that experience later this year or next. More details on that front will be shared in the coming weeks.
As you can imagine, not hosting the 2020 summer camp sessions will cause significant adjustments in the operations of the Gray Center Camp and Conference Center. Many of you have already paid deposits and pre-payments of camp session costs for the 2020 summer sessions. The Gray Center staff will be in touch in the coming days about those deposits and pre-payments.
In the interim, I ask you to prayerfully consider turning your deposit or pre-payment into an unrestricted, tax deductible gift to Gray Center. In this time of financial uncertainty, your unrestricted gift will assist Gray Center in being financially viable tomorrow and in the coming weeks and months. If you prefer, your deposit or pre-payment will be refunded to you in whole in the coming weeks. Details on how to gift your deposit or pre-payment, or to request a refund, will soon be forthcoming from the Gray Center staff.
My blessings to you all.
Peace be with you,
The Rt. Rev. Brian R. Seage
