Paul Cowell will tell you to never give up on a dream even if it takes 34 years to accomplish. Growing up on a dairy farm in Tennessee, his hard-working parents did not take time for a family vacation.
It was not until 1963 that that Paul experienced the beauty of the Adirondack Mountain religious vacation retreat in upstate New York with his wife, Jean, and her parents.
Paul Cowell spent an afternoon sitting in the resort’s chapel writing out his vision for a similar retreat in Tennessee.
Whitestone Country Inn, located in Kingston, Tenn., opened in 1997. The 360-acre country estate on the shores of Watts Bar Lake includes 20 bedrooms, three conference rooms, three dining rooms, eight miles of walking trails and a chapel.
“I believe if we are not called to go on the missions field ourselves, then we must help those who do; so at Whitestone, missionaries stay for free and the rate for pastors is half price,” Paul Cowell said.
The regular rate is comparable to most four-diamond rated inns in North America.
In 2002, the Cowells’ dream broadened as they, along with current Executive Director Steve Tackett, founded the Christian Hospitality Network (CHN).
CHN is an association of Christian innkeepers who operate their businesses as ministries.
The CHN provides the Christian traveler with a list of Bed and Breakfast/County Inn locations across North America owned by people who operate their establishments with Christian hospitality as a goal. The organization requires members to offer at least a 25 percent discount to pastors, missionaries and other full-time Christian workers mid-week and off-season when they are not as crowded.
More than 700 inns participate in the nonprofit organization. This makes more than 1 million rooms a night available to pastors and international missionaries. CHN’s first major event was a retreat for 311 missionaries November 2002 at the Chiang Mai Westin Hotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Attendees from across Southeast Asia were pampered and refreshed for four days at no cost to themselves.
Noting the potential for missionaries to experience burnout, Paul Cowell said, “There was one missionary couple that came here that was so tired that they were going to send for their things and return to the States permanently. After a few days of total rest, they decided to return to the field.”
Life can become so hectic and even in Christian ministry there are times when one needs to get away. The need is not to go and do, but to be quiet and simply rest and recharge.
“Whitestone provides the peaceful setting which allows one to experience the presence and wonder of God in a fresh and meaningful way,” said Billy Harris, pastor of Parker Memorial Baptist Church, Anniston.
Cowell, an ordained minister, conducts an interdenominational service on Sunday mornings for guests and local residents. He also welcomes the guests before dinner each night and blesses the food. The Bible verses written on white stones and nature paintings throughout the inn witness to guests who are not Christians.
To find out more about CHN and a list of participating inns by states, call 1-865-376-7546 or visit www.christianhospitalitynetwork. org. For information on Whitestone Inn, call 1-888-247-2464 or visit www.whitestoneinn.com.
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