It's Reality For Us but Smoke & Mirrors for CCM

Yesterday, two of the Ranch's most dedicated managers quit. Both for the same reason..it's too chaotic and stressful. The stress of knowing you're going to be unemployed in less than two months is stress enough. But to come to work everyday and take heat from angry conference guests and brides is more than they wanted take on.

From the start this whole closure was handled poorly. Absolutely no thought or planning on the part of the Crystal Cathedral went into it. Saying they're closing it yet still continuing with weddings is a contradiction. Now the school is staying open till June which is what should have happened in the first place had there been some common sense used in this decision. The soccer leagues have presented proposals to keep the fields open. Now someone significant is going to submit a request to keep the retreats and conferences going till the end of the year at the Crystal Cathedral board meeting. So if that request is granted this whole thing was futile.

In addition to the insanity above, we now have 2 people managing the Ranch. Cheryl, has been the Operating Director for 15 years and John Charles is the one appointed recently to manage the ranch. There are no clear job descriptions for each, although it is clear John Charles is the ultimate decision maker. Yet Cheryl has not been given direction as to what she has authority t do. It's crazy. I'm fortunate to be pretty much self-sufficient as I don't interact with the guests. The people in other departments are like bobble-heads, looking back and forth to Cheryl and then to John. Of course it has to be that these two personalities are polar opposites. Cheryl is the ulimate planner down to the smallest detail and John seems to go with the flow so to speak. I completely understand the dilemma of the managers that quit yesterday.

What do we do? As Christians, we're told to respect authority and in this case it's John Charles. Or are we loyal and follow the one with whom we have the trust relationship and who has the experience of making the decisions that affect the viability of the Ranch?

I really think this whole thing was done 1) as a publicity stunt to get serious interested buyers knowing there's an urgency and 2) to appease the bank that demands the church to make serious cut backs. This 4.9 million number quoted in the newspaper as the amount saved by the church for the shut down is ridiculous. It was pulled out of a hat and it must have somehow satisfied the bank for now. It gives them time to sell it and pay off the balloon note due.

As of yesterday, there are 4 serious buyers. God will have final say in the end. Stay tuned to As the Ranch turns.....