Glory Mountain Lodge opens as faith-based retreat and event venue

Byron Martin, his wife Scherry Martin, and his brother Paul Martin had spent their entire lives working in Christian ministry in the Washington, D.C., metro area.

Byron and Paul are third generation pastors — both their father and their grandfather were also ministers in the American Rescue Workers Christian denomination and charity.

Never heard of the American Rescue Workers? Most people haven’t, but it is an off-shoot of the Salvation Army, which is headquartered in the Pennsylvania town of Williamsport.

The Martin brothers saw the clientele of the men’s rehab facility that their father had founded changing, and they also saw the furniture restoration and clothing recycling projects that helped support the ministry failing.

They wanted to continue in ministry and in service, but they felt a change of venue and of purpose were absolutely necessary. Even as they neared the back side of a middle age, a new dream was born.

That dream is coming to fruition in 590 mostly wooded acres along the Catawba River between Morganton and Drexel — acres that provide a home to Glory Mountain Ministries and its centerpiece, the Glory Mountain Lodge.

HEADING TO THE SOUTH

When looking at possible locations to relocate and relaunch their ministry, Byron recalled the day he and his wife were visiting in Hickory and had lunch at a barbecue joint there.

“I was ‘honey’ and I was ‘darling’ and I was ‘sweetie,’” Byron recalled of his treatment by the waitress. “And every time our tea or water glasses got down just a little bit, they were refilled. It was a real eyeopener.”

The South, the family decided, was where they needed to be.

“I tell folks now that I wasn’t born in the South,” Byron said, “but I got here just as quick as I could.”

With funds from the sale of their properties in Maryland, the Martins looked to buy a location in the South with enough land to build a Christian retreat center and activities venue.

“Our vision was for a location in a scenic place, with plenty of room for walking trails, RV sites, and camping sites,” Byron said. “And also room for us to raise chickens, grow vegetables, and harvest timber.”

And those 590 acres along the Catawba meet that vision just about perfectly.

“Pastor and church workers and church leaders need a place where they can come and relax and just let the batteries recharge,” said Scherry. “Ministry is a very tough calling. Ministers spend most of their time listening to problems and searching for solutions to problems. It can be very stressful.”

THE PERFECT PLACE

The Burke property is the perfect place for that sort of emotional and spiritual refreshment, Scherry said, because while it “feels” remote, it’s actually quite close to the restaurants and shopping of Morganton.

“Again, we’re looking at attracting pastors, church leadership, women’s groups, men groups,” Scherry said. “Anyone or any group that wants a spiritual environment for a retreat.”

The lodge at the heart of the retreat grounds features a beautiful stone wood-burning fireplace.

“We’ve got hundreds of acres of woods here,” Byron said. “No way I’m going to be burning gas.”

The “heart of the lodge,” as Byron terms it, is the chapel, which is accentuated by a giant stained glass window towering over the altar. The chapel has seating for roughly 280 people.

Off the chapel are two large meeting rooms — one that can accommodate up to 50 people, a second with a capacity of 25.

Also part of the lodge are restrooms with showers, a laundry room, and a full kitchen designed to meet the needs of caterers.

“We want to be a resource for local churches,” Scherry said. “We want this to be a place where they can come easily and without having to travel a great distance. We also see ourselves as a wedding and event venue, albeit one that does not serve alcohol.”

The Glory Mountain Lodge is located at 2609 Devinney Ave., Morganton. More information can be obtained by calling Byron at 828-408-9580 or emailing him at byronmartin57@gmail.com.

OTHER MINISTRIES

Located at the east end of the 590 acres, off Amherst Road, are a work barn, a small saw mill, and a house for a few dozen chickens.

Those chickens produce 6,000 to 7,000 eggs per year, all of which are used to provide fresh protein to the homeless around the county.

The ministry also owns its own food truck, which is taken out to a different location around the county each Tuesday.

“We try to feed around 40 folks per week,” Byron said.