Because there is such an interest in the restoration of the former Heritage USA property (also known then as PTL), I will from time to time give a report on it as a Special Bulletin.

For those who may not have heard, in September 2004 MorningStar Fellowship Church purchased the former Heritage USA Grand Hotel and Conference Center. On December 5, 2004, exactly seven years to the day from when it had closed on December 5, 1997, we held our first services in the hotel lobby with overflow crowds, renaming it Heritage International Ministries (H.I.M.). Before the month of May is over we should have several dozen hotel rooms ready for occupancy. The rest of the restoration is progressing ahead of schedule.

We know the Lord is far more concerned with building people than buildings, but these buildings do have both historic and prophetic significance; therefore, we understand the attention that many are giving to them. We are in every way seeking to honor the property as that which has been dedicated to the Lord. We are therefore resolved to restoring them to like new, and where possible, even better than they were before. Even so, we do not want people coming for the buildings, but for the Lord.

Many believed that the collapse of the PTL ministry at Heritage reflected the state of the church at that time, and some have inferred that the restoration of the property is also a prophetic symbol of the restoration of the church in our time. We do not presume this, but if there is a connection then there is a reason to be very encouraged about the condition of the church. The buildings looked and smelled terrible when we acquired them, but the problems were almost all superficial, and they are already beginning to look beautiful, feel great, and even smell great. The problems all looked far worse than they actually were.

While restoring the buildings is important, we are seeking to raise up a church composed of the strongest and most Christlike Christians that they can possibly be, and that every ministry which bases with us there will be the same. It is only Christ in His people, not just the buildings, that will have the impact we should have. If people come to see the buildings that is fine, but we do not want them to leave thinking about the buildings, but about the Lord. Only if that is accomplished will we be truly successful.

Since that first meeting the number of people coming to services at H.I.M has continued to increase, but even more importantly, so has the grace and presence of the Lord. If we are true believers of the Bible, we should be experiencing the things that are written in it in our own lives. This has been our prayer for many years, and it is becoming a reality. The testimonies coming regularly now from what God is doing through His people, not just the leaders, is starting to sound like a modern book of Acts.

During the last two Sunday meetings, more than ninety people were baptized in water, and between seventy and eighty people were baptized in the Holy Spirit. Noteworthy miracles are also being reported regularly. There is also an increasing grace on the prophetic ministry in our midst. Our goal is nothing less than true, New Testament church life the way the Lord intended for it to be. Like the restoration of the buildings, it seems that some things are starting to happen even faster than we had anticipated.

We are not saying this to attract more people because we can hardly handle any more at the present time, but it is for the sake of encouraging all who have invested in our ministry and this project. Prophecies are being fulfilled, promises are being fulfilled, and we are starting to see with our own eyes the things that the prophets and righteous ones of old desired to see. We have also held three conferences to date at H.I.M., and each one seemed to go to a much higher level. Every Sunday there seems to be more of the grace and favor of the Lord present.

Besides the way the Lord has been meeting us since moving to H.I.M., another great encouragement has been the way that other churches and ministries have gotten behind the work of restoring H.I.M. Through what we call “The Nehemiah Project,” churches, ministries, and individuals can sponsor the restoration of a hotel room for $5,000, which is then named after their church, ministry, as a memorial, or after families in some cases. The number who have done this has already exceeded our expectations, and more are coming in almost daily. Some have taken whole blocks of rooms, and many more have let us know that they will be doing this.

Of course $5,000 is a lot of money even for some churches, so some are making installments toward a room renovation. Some are going together with others to do this. For churches, ministries, or individuals to work together in this way can begin some even more important things in their lives than just the blessing from being a part of this work.

Many others have made donations to the project that will all be recorded in our Registry of the Restoration. We think this is biblical and important. As Robin McMillan pointed out, we do not know how many people were left in Babylon after the remnant returned to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple, but those who returned to be a part of the restoration were all numbered in Canon Scripture, even down to the number of animals they brought (see Ezra 2).

The more we have worked on this property and buildings, the more we have also been amazed at the vision and leadership of Jim Bakker and the PTL ministry and partners to accomplish all that they did. As it is hard to live in the Charlotte area and not hear many testimonies of the way their ministry touched people, we know that the spiritual fruit of the founders was great regardless of the way it ended. This has only increased our resolve to honor the builders and partners who gave so much for this remarkable property to be built in the first place. We do not intend to cover up past mistakes, but rather redeem them and learn from them, but also give honor to whom honor is due.

Even so, something restored does have the potential to have a greater glory than just something that is built, just as the restored temple was promised to have a greater glory than the first one. Restoration is the basic theme of the entire Bible after Genesis 2, and is one of the things that most reflects the character and power of the Lord. H.I.M. is called to be a witness of God’s power of redemption and His heart for restoration. We are thankful to be able to be a part of this and are deeply thankful for all who are joining with us in it.

We know because of the history of this property we must do all things by the highest standards of biblical integrity and morality, but even more importantly, we are devoted to doing all things for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not our goal to have this place just known for the good and decent running of the ministry there, though of course we want that, but we want it to be known even more as a place where God meets with His people. Our goal is for it to be a place of His manifest presence. If we do our job right the people who visit will not leave talking about the facilities, or us, but about the Lord.

We also know that something with this kind of visibility and profile will not be restored without opposition and the same kind of attacks that Nehemiah endured when he sought to restore that which was bringing reproach to God’s people. Even so, the progress so far and the way so many have rallied to this cause has been very encouraging. We may have felt a bit alone in this at first, but not any longer. Thank you.