Bonclarken

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Bonclarken is a conference center located in Flat Rock, North Carolina (between Asheville, North Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina) operated by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP). It is used as a conference center by the ARP church, and 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, and hosts activities for youth and adults alike. There is also a chapel on the campus for worship services whenever groups or churches have special services there. The chapel is also where the ARP Church conducts most of its annual General Synod business.

[edit] Meaning of Name

After the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church 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. The winning name, "Bonclarken," paying homage to the ARP Church's Scottish roots, is a combination of Scottish words meaning, "good, clear vision."

[edit] References

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