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Longtime camp director, wife fired by board of directors
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| By: Anita Zimmerman |
August 05, 2009 |
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Luther Park Bible Camp’s financial problems have forced the board of directors to terminate longtime director Sherm Toufar and his wife Mary.
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For the second time this year, Luther Park Bible Camp's executive director has lost his job. Sherm and Mary Toufar live on the Chetek property, where Sherm has worked for more than 30 years, 23 of those as full-time executive director. Mary served as director of program ministry.
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Sherm was asked to resign in January, then stayed on as interim director through 2009 while the board launched recruitment efforts. At their July 7 meeting, board members approved motions to terminate both Toufars following a closed session.
Sherm said the abrupt decision took them by surprise.
"I was staying on as the interim director through the end of the year. I need to assure you that I have not done anything wrong," he said in a phone interview Friday morning.
Meeting minutes show Sherm was fired for "unsatisfactory performance" (one voter abstaining), and Mary due to the continuing need for "reduction in workforce."
Declining to discuss the board's reasons for dismissing them now, Sherm said Chairman Steve Kolden would elucidate.
"There is no good time," Kolden begins. "The timing was to give notice. There just, quite simply, isn't a good time."
Although Kolden didn't want to speak on whether the organization had personnel conflicts, he did say the decision to change management reflects fiscal challenges at the facility.
"Financials were a chief symptom of issues the camp needs to deal with," he says.
In recent years, Luther Park has been saddled with money problems. An inability to secure enough of the donations required for debt reduction, fewer campers and an operating deficit were continuing issues, the July 7 meeting minutes show.
The board's target reduction goal for the year was $82,000; financial report minutes show only $47,000 had so far been cut out of the budget. The remaining $34,200 in needed reductions would be addressed by the end of the year.
Ministry is always the camp's chief concern, Kolden explains, but lately board members have had to spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about dollars.
"We want to make sure the camp isn't all about money ... ministry is the first purpose ... but if we don't have solid financial standing ... ministry suffers," he remarks.
While the Toufars finish out their time at Luther Park, the board wants to be respectful, Kolden says. They hope to make the transition to a new interim director as smooth as possible.
The process of shifting directions to improve the camp's financial situation will be sequential. Once an interim has been hired, board members will undertake long-range strategic planning, including hearings with pastors and input from the Chicago office.
"Where we're going to be a year from now, God only knows," Kolden says.
But, not to lose perspective, he says the camp and its mission is "bigger than us"-it's about "nurturing the faith journey of youth."
Kolden doesn't know whether the new temporary director will live on-site, as the Toufars have. That, along with the length of the interim's term, is up for negotiation.
The Toufars' employment ends Sept. 18. Sherm's severance package includes pay and benefits through 2009; he and Mary must move off the property by the end of the year.
The couple isn't sure whether they will stay in Chetek, which jobs they'll seek or where their next road will lead. Sherm adds, "We need to see what's out there."
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©The Chetek Alert 2009
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Matt Dietsche |
Aug, 20 2009 |
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The Chetek Alert exercised poor judgment in running the piece before auction weekend, one of Luther Park's primary fundraisers. They certainly knew about it because of the camp's published auction bill in that issue. Though the blunt headline invited readers to view a personnel trainwreck (and they sold a few of us a paper who wouldn't normally buy one), the article's "good golly they were fired; no one really knows why but was probably the economy" lazy journalism was a disappointment for an otherwise fine local paper. Of course the principals can't comment. Take the time to consider other people more at liberty to speak and get a truly balanced story.
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Jerry Langlois |
Aug, 17 2009 |
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Here come the lawyers !!!
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