The Church of the Brethren has signed a purchase agreement with Shanghai Yulun Education Group for the “upper campus” of the Brethren Service Center property in New Windsor, Md. The purchaser intends to establish a private school on the property. The agreement is effective today, Nov. 14, 2016, but it is anticipated that a sale will not be finalized until spring 2017.
The “upper campus” of the Brethren Service Center property has been listed for sale since July 1, 2015. (See the Newsline report of Oct. 22, 2014, for background and more information about the decision of the Mission and Ministry Board to market the property, www.brethren.org/news/2014/mission-and-ministry-board-fall-meeting.html .)
Only the upper campus portion of the property is for sale. The “lower campus” is not for sale. That portion of the campus is across the highway from the upper campus, and consists of a warehouse and office annex. Following any eventual sale of the upper campus, the lower campus will continue operating as the Brethren Service Center and will continue to house Brethren Disaster Ministries, Children’s Disaster Services, the Material Resources program, and the SERRV Distribution Center.
Church staff have shown the upper campus property to numerous potential buyers over the past year while continuing the ministries that are located there including options for volunteer work, shopping, dining, retreat facilities, and more. The Zigler Hospitality Center and SERRV facilities as well as On Earth Peace offices have been operating on the upper campus while the property is listed for sale.