Vernon Tannahill

A canoe trip is flexible. We will float lazily down the river, chilling with your friends. We will struggle with the challenges of the river, building a fire, cooking outdoors, learning to tie knots, working together to keep the canoe going straight and team building. These challenges can bring you closer or make you want to start whacking each other with your paddle. Whatever happens we will help you work through it based on God’s Word. We have all been struggling with the issues around Covid 19. This is a great opportunity to learn how to live for God when life doesn’t make sense. Doing this with friends and godly leader in a safe environment is a great way to grow. Download flyer here: Canoe trip flyer 2021

Print Registration Form here: 2021-canoe trip-registration

Register at Cedine.org

We just passed the Anniversary of the March on Washington. I now have a dream I didn’t have even 10 years ago. I have a dream of my grandkids growing up in a society where ethnic and cultural issues are minimized and the color of their skin will not affect the quality of their life.

Eyes are often opened over time. I would never have called myself a racist (I don’t like this word as we are all one race created by God) but in reality I was. I felt that the poor belonged where they were. It was their own fault for not getting off government help and working. Some have, but they still feel the pain and effect of racism. Many others have tried but don’t have access to the resources or education to escape. And yes, some choose to stay. My point is, much like Jonah’s view of the Ninevites, I thought I lived a better Christian life and deserved the grace of God more.

The Ethnic Divide From My Perspective. I have served the African American community now for 20 years. I have seen and heard so much of their pain, some of it first hand. During our first years I often traveled with Bro. Walker. When flying his bags would be searched but mine would not. While on recruiting trips people would interact with me instead of him, even though he was older and the Camp Director. More recently one of our African American staff was stopped in our county and was surrounded by police cars with 8 guns pointed at his head. These are just a few examples.

I was walking the other day in Atlanta with no fear for my life even though I was in a African American neighborhood, but as I walked I began thinking about my grandsons who are Black. If I, if we, don’t see the reality of the world they are growing up in and what my children will have to teach my grandchildren about how to interact with the police and others, true change will never come. I did not begin to understand the issues until I started getting close to and doing life with the people I serve. PLEASE trust me on this, the issues are real and we need God’s wisdom to know the right course of action from here. If you truly want to understand, listen and hear the issues from the other side’s perspective, I will help you make those connections. Ethnic divides have been around a long time (Jonah hated the Ninevites because of how they treated his people. The Jews hated the Samaritans because they thought of them as half-breeds.) but with your help we can make a difference today in the way we think and act towards our brothers and sisters who are hurting, especially now. Please pray, listen, sympathize and seek to understand our hurting brothers and sisters.

Cedine Ministries, holding to the truth of Scripture that all men are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), and that unjust acts against another human being are affronts to God who made us in His image (Gen. 9:6), stands firmly on the understanding that human life is precious. The senseless killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd have brought forward understandable pain and anger about racism and violence against black Americans. The racism and violence that plague our society need to stop, and the healing needs to begin. This can only happen through the power of God through the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As a body of believers, we have been entrusted with the message of reconciliation as well as the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18, 19), which begins, in part, when people start accepting others who differ from themselves. We need to be proactive in listening to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are hurting and need our support. There is no place for partiality or violence in our community here at Cedine as we have been commanded to “Love our neighbor as we love ourselves” (Matt. 22:39).

With many decades of peaceful protest and advocacy for social justice, we are thankful for some results of real and positive change in our society. Cedine has been an example of that change for nearly 75 years. Racial exclusion was replaced with inclusion right here on these grounds, and racism was replaced with African American Campers having access to quality Christian Camping. We’re on the right track but still have a long way to go. Through continued hard work and sustained commitment we will together help bring an end to the pain and injustice that ail our society.

We at Cedine desire to be a place where safe and meaningful conversations can occur and where understanding is fostered in a Christ honoring atmosphere (James 1:19). We, as members of Cedine, stand in solidarity in rejecting racism and violence. We are committed to building a better future where opportunity is real and just for all, where the message and power of Christ and the gospel has its full impact in our churches and on our society.

“Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with our God.”

Vernon Tannahill
General Director

As I am sure, like most of you, this spring didn’t look like anything we had planned and the summer is shaping up to be a casualty of the pandemic as well. As you have read in this issue besides the challenges with the pandemic we also had the wind storm.

Despite the fact that the fees for camps and retreat normally produce about 40 percent of our income, we praise the Lord that to date our bills are paid. We have cut spending, partly because of not having events but also being careful about doing anything that isn’t absolutely essential during this time. Please pray with us and if the Lord should lead, send a special gift to help us through this challenging time. We are so grateful to the many of you that have shown your concern by sending your words of encouragement and your gifts.

After much prayer and looking at all the data we could find, including a survey we sent to parents of campers from previous years, it has been determined that we will forgo all of our scheduled summer activities unless the Lord supernaturally opens the door. We agonized over this decision but with the information we have at this time it appears this is how the Lord is directing us.

You may be wondering what we will do with our time. It seems for me up to this time I have had more to do in keeping up with government guidelines and seeking the Lords mind each step of the way than functioning in normal operational mode. There are some things that we have often said we would love to do when we have some time. We hope to tackle some of these in our effort to make Cedine the best tool we can be for our Master’s use. We are spending time with people to encourage them in their walk with the Lord as He provides opportunity. I am planning to have a list of some of those things to share with you in the fall.

On March 29, 2020 around 5:00 am a thunderstorm with high winds, possibly a tornado, came through Cedine and uprooted and knocked down trees. One fell on the roof of the camp dining hall, one on Nash Hall, one on the farmhouse and a couple on the garage at Beth Haven. Most of the roads on the lower half of the property were impassable. (You can see many pictures on our Facebook page.) We are praising the Lord for His protection as no one was hurt although some personal cars were damaged. An amazing thing occurred that morning when 50 or so volunteers showed up from the community to help clean up and open up the roads so emergency vehicles could get in if necessary. All the power was out until Tuesday afternoon and the final residence had power by Friday.

We are so grateful for the Pine Grove Volunteer Fire Department and Fire Chief Cory Yarger for their help in the clean up as well as Colby Yarger and some of his crew that came to help. They not only came but brought equipment that allowed us to get things opened up much quicker than anticipated. There were many neighbors and friends as well as many staff that worked together to help us get to a place we could continue to function. Thank you for your prayers for protection and provision. We are so grateful to the Lord for all of the ways He has ministered to us through this tumultuous time.