JEFFERSONVILLE, IND. — The Presbyterian Foundation announced January 25 its receipt of a $1 million charitable gift from the Mark D. Hostetter and Alexander N. Habib Foundation. The gift establishes a permanent endowment fund to provide funding support for the camp and conference ministries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
The Donald A. Hostetter Endowment Fund, established in January as a permanent endowment held by the Presbyterian Foundation, was created through the generous lead gift from the Mark D. Hostetter and Alexander N. Habib Foundation of Boston. The initiative to establish the endowment was led by Don Hostetter’s son, Mark, to serve as a meaningful and lasting legacy befitting his father’s lifelong dedication to the ministry of Presbyterian camps and conference centers. The private foundation, of which Mark Hostetter serves as a co-trustee, made its gift following months of thoughtful conversation and planning involving Hostetter, representatives of the Presbyterian Foundation, and staff leadership of the General Assembly Council of the PC(USA)
For more than fifty years, beginning with his graduation from the Princeton Theological Seminary, Don Hostetter served the Church in a number of professional capacities including Field Director for the Presbyterian Christian Education Council. In this role he was responsible for all aspects of Christian Education for three presbyteries with a special focus on its camp and conference centers. Later he focused his career on the full-time supervision of camps and conference centers as Executive Director of the Presbyterian Center in Holmes, in upstate New York. He later established the Consultant’s Network of the national Church to provide advisory services to the PC(USA)’s 140 camps and conference centers. He was named Executive Emeritus of the Presbyterian Center in Holmes and more recently, the American Camp Association voted to award Don its highest ‘Legends of Camping Award,’ which was to be presented to him in March 2008.
‘Sadly, the Church lost Rev. Hostetter before he could be publicly acknowledged for his lifelong achievements in support of camps and conference centers, from which so many Presbyterians have benefited,’ reflected Robert E. Leech, president and CEO of the Presbyterian Foundation. ‘2008 signifies the celebration of 100 years of Presbyterian camp and conference ministry, an important milestone for the denomination. This endowment fund will continue to remind us all of Rev. Hostetter’s remarkable contributions in this area for generations to come.’
Mark Hostetter, an attorney and hedge fund manager, is also a third-generation Presbyterian minister (both his father and grandfather were Presbyterian ministers). Like his father, Dr. Hostetter has been very involved in the outdoor camping and conference programs of the PC(USA). In a recent article published in The Presbyterian Outlook*, Dr. Hostetter discussed growing up in a family dedicated to Presbyterian camping saying, ‘in some ways my faith was formed by it.’
Mark Hostetter currently serves as associate pastor for Stewardship and Mission to the Corporate World at First Church in New York City , providing an innovative practical ministry to persons within the business community and ministry to a broader population on issues of faith and work, wealth and stewardship. He also serves on the boards of a number of not-for-profit organizations, including board chair of Auburn Theological Seminary, past governing board president of Ghost Ranch Conference Center, New York Theological Seminary and the Presbyterian Conference Association.
Income from the Hostetter Fund is to be used to facilitate advocacy, coordination, management, networking, and the promotion of fiscal responsibility among the camping and conference ministries of the Church. Specifically, the funds shall support a staff position to promote, support and strengthen the camp and conference center ministries throughout the denomination and coordinate programming efforts among all Presbyterian camps and conference centers. The funds will also be used to provide grants to support collaborative programs, excellence in leadership, and coordination among members of the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association (PCCCA).
The Hostetter Fund remains open for additional contributions, and is part of a comprehensive $3.3 million campaign being launched by PCCCA to help support the work of the national Church, the Consultants Network and PCCCA in camp and conference ministries and their vital role in faith formation and evangelism.
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*Editor’s Note: The Presbyterian Outlook issue dated January 6/13, 2008, featured numerous articles on the ministries of Presbyterian camps and conference centers, including an interview with Mark Hostetter in the article, “Presbyterian camps/conferences movement celebrates 100 years.”
