Ridgecrest Forty Million Revitalization

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- It’s amazing what $40 million can do. 

In the past six years, that’s the amount LifeWay Christian Resources has invested in new construction and renovations for lodging, meeting, recreation and worship space at LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center near Asheville, N.C. Now into its 101st year, Ridgecrest has undergone a dramatic transformation, putting it in an elite class of Christian conference centers.

B.H. Spilman, who spearheaded the purchase of Ridgecrest with the intention of developing it into a place that would be “the equal of any assembly in the world,” might have a hard time recognizing today’s 1,300-acre campus, but he no doubt would be pleased by how his vision is being fulfilled.

According to Bill Bowman, general manager of LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center, renovations have been completed on all but three buildings on campus.  Four entirely new structures have been built since 2002, and a fifth will be completed next year.  In addition, adventure recreation, laser tag and environmental education have been added to the growing menu of things to do at Ridgecrest and in the surrounding area.

“These buildings, renovations and activities symbolize the new face of Ridgecrest, and our commitment to providing the best conference center environment for experiencing spiritual transformation and renewal,” Bowman said.

Last year Mountain Laurel West, offering 108 deluxe guest accommodations, opened at Ridgecrest.  The building has five suites with balconies—a first for Ridgecrest—as well as classrooms and an expanded fitness room. A connecting lobby between the Mountain Laurel West and East buildings has a unique fellowship area with comfortable seating and a large stone fireplace.

The Auditorium Recreation Center (ARC), which was completed in 2006, provides seating for 900.  Its flexible design enables the ARC to serve as an auditorium with state-of-the-art audio and video projection capabilities or as an indoor gymnasium for basketball, volleyball and other recreational opportunities.

Mountain Laurel East, which opened in 2003 with 120 deluxe accommodations, also includes classrooms, a conference room and a state-of-the-art auditorium.

Rutland Chapel, a 300-seat stone-and-wood structure set on a mountainside, kicked off the revitalization efforts when it opened in 2002. In addition to the chapel area, the building also has conference and fellowship space.

Soft renovations—which include new carpet, curtains, mattresses and bedding—have been completed at Rhododendron Inn, Royal Gorge apartments, Maple adult housing and Walnut youth housing.

In spring 2009, a new convention center will be located in the center of Ridgecrest’s campus, below Mountain Laurel and directly behind Rhododendron.  The center will provide a variety of meeting options with up to 25 breakout rooms ranging in seating capacity from 50-1,000.

When it comes to things to do while visiting the conference center, Ridgecrest has an adventure recreation line up that’s hard to beat.  Laser Tag!—a completely new game developed by Battlefield Sports—is a fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping activity that requires teamwork and strategy.

A challenging climbing wall gives participants a rush as they scale its 40-foot height while safely harnessed to a security rope.  And, since what goes up must come down, climbers can descent with a scream by rappelling off Ridgecrest’s new tower. Several high-rope adventures that float high above the mountainside terrain test balance and coordination skills.  Each outdoor experience is facilitated by trained leaders of Ridgecrest’s Adventure Recreation staff.

“We’re very proud of the ‘new’ Ridgecrest and are confident guests will enjoy memorable and rewarding times in comfortable, first-class facilities,” said Byron Hill, director of LifeWay Conference Centers.  “While the face of Ridgecrest continues to change, its focus will always be to provide a comfortable haven where people can get alone with God to experience spiritual renewal,” he added.

Located in Black Mountain, N.C., LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center is one of the largest religious conference centers in the nation.  Its 1,300-acre campus has 120,000 square feet of conference space and housing accommodations for more than 2,500 people.  Ridgecrest reservations can be made by going to www.lifeway.com/ridgecrest  or by phoning 1-800-588-7222.

Revitalization highlights

New building completed since 2002:
• Rutland Chapel
• Mountain Laurel East
• Auditorium Recreation Center
• Mountain Laurel West
• Johnson Spring Meeting Center

Renovations completed since 2002:
• Centennial Eatery
• Rhododendron guestrooms
• Royal Gorge apartments
• Walnut Youth housing
• Maple guestrooms
• Dogwood classrooms
• Pritchell guestrooms
• Spilman auditorium