Advocate Has Extra Day To Raise Funds For Passion Play

With Jan. 1 being a holiday at Cornerstone Bank in Eureka Springs, the owner of a gospel radio network has another day to raise $75,000 to save the Great Passion Play.

Randall Christy, owner of The Gospel Station Network in Ada, Okla., said there was a Dec. 31 deadline to raise the money before the 700-acrePassion Play property was supposed to be turned over to the bank through a deed in lieu of foreclosure.

But Charles Cross, president of the bank, said it would be Wednesday morning before he was back in the office anyway.

“The bank’s going to make more money with somebody up there operating that and bringing more people totown,” Cross said. “We certainly don’t want the property back, so if it can be saved by some sort of miracle of whatever, we’re all for it. It would be welcome news if they could pull a rabbit out of their hat. We’re not interested in taking back the property. We never wanted it.”

Christy, who is also pastor at Union Valley Baptist Church in Ada, said he believes he’ll have the money by then.

“He’s fine with us giving it to him on Wednesday,” said Christy. “We’ll end up having an extra day the way it has fallen.”

At about 5 p.m. Monday, Christy said $41,500 had been raised, and he had a guarantee of another $10,000 in matching money.

Christy said he was heading to the Pine Mountain Theater in Eureka Springs on Monday night to encourage the crowd celebrating New Year’s Eve to support the Passion Play with donations.

If the $75,000 goal isn’t reached, all contributions will be returned, Christy said.

Christy spoke at a fundraising and informationalmeeting Thursday night at Smith Chapel near Eureka Springs, saying he believed God was working through him to save the play. He reiterated that on Monday.

“I really, really feel strongly about this, about as strong as anything I’ve ever done,” he said. “I’m not really doing it. I’m the organizer, I guess.”

After 45 years, the Passion Play had what many believed was its last performance Oct. 27. The play’s board began asking for financial help in September, saying the organization needed to raise $500,000 to keep operating the play. But donations amounted to about $18,000, which was enough to allow the play to finish its 2012 season.

In mid-December, Christy learned of the play’s plight. Christy contacted Keith Butler, chairman of the nonprofit Elna M. Smith Foundation, which operates the play, saying he wanted to help.

Butler said 7.6 million people have seen the performance on Magnetic Mountain near Eureka Springs since it opened in 1968.

Attendance peaked in 1992 at 289,212, dropping to 46,578 this past season, he said.

Christy said he hopes The Gospel Station Network can operate the production for its 2013 season and buy it after that.

The first hurdle is raising the $75,000, Christy said.

Christy said the Passion Play owes a total of $2.53 million to the bank.

On Thursday, he told the crowd the total was $2.8 million, but Christy said he learned from Cross on Monday that the total was $2.53 million.

Paying the $75,000 by Wednesday will allow thePassion Play to continue operating, and more money will be raised to get through the 2013 season, Christy said. Last year, the play was performed on 110 nights from May 4 to Oct. 27.

Christy’s presentation Thursday night resulted in $9,420 in donations, including $2,000 from Christy.

“I don’t have the personal wealth to save this, but I’ll tell you what I’ve got,” Christy told the crowd. “I’ve got the Holy Spirit, and he wants to save this.”

A review of the tax records of South Central Oklahoma Christian Broadcasting Inc., which operates The Gospel Station Network, would seem to back that up.

The nonprofit organization paid Christy $27,120 in 2010, $26,020 in 2009 and $26,530 in 2008. Records for 2011 weren’t available yet.

Although the organization had income and liabilities each around $1 million in 2010, it had a net profit of $12,408 for the fiscal year. The organization had a net income of $29,131 in 2009 and $316,608 the previous year. In 2007, it had a net loss of $198,779.

Christy said The Gospel Station Network will give $100,000 worth of free advertising to the Passion Play for its next season.

The network owns 25 radio stations in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Donations can be made through thegospelstation.com.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7 on 01/01/2013

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