Introduction

The Heart of Bay View Campaign is Bay View’s response to the challenge of enhancing the interior of John M. Hall Auditorium with needed facility and technological upgrades. The campaign is dedicated to seeking and raising the funds necessary to meet this challenge. A preserved and enhanced John M. Hall Auditorium is critical to our mission.

For the better part of one century, Hall Auditorium has stood at the heart of the worship, music and educational experience of Bay View. No other building is as central to Bay View, not only for members but for the greater community. Here we meet for worship, intellectual and cultural programs. It is here where we come together, greet each other, and care about friends and neighbors. As it was for the spirits that came before us—parents, grandparents, others —it is the heart and soul of our life together. In this place we join together to learn, to understand, to grow and to be a community. Here, in our imaginations, we attach all that Bay View means to us.

Since constructed in 1915, Hall Auditorium has not had a significant upgrade of the interior space. Our programs have grown and facility usage is at the highest levels. Many of the cottages have been modernized in order to achieve better function and efficiency. So it is with Hall Auditorium — it needs our attention. It is getting fragile in its old age and upgrades are needed to this outdated infrastructure. If certain equipment fails, we face the problem of repair components no longer being available. The time is now as Hall Auditorium approaches a second century of service.

In 2003, the Ad Hoc Auditoria Committee was created by the Board of Trustees to study facility usage and provide the Board with a plan to improve venues, to more effectively promote and support the goals and values of Bay View. Many experts, many years, many methods of gathering input culminated in a recommendation to focus on Hall Auditorium—the Heart of Bay View.

The report concluded that the exterior of Hall Auditorium should be preserved and the facility should be used as originally intended: as a worship, lecture, and music space. The interior of Hall Auditorium should receive a comfort and technological update, incorporating the recommendations from Kingscott Associates for sound, acoustics, seating and safety. Changes should be made that would enhance the performance and reception of current programming.

Bay View is the leader in bringing religion, art and culture to Northern Michigan. We compete for the best preachers, performers, lecturers and educators. They need an up-to-date facility and equipment to perform at their best. We must continue to attract audiences — both members and guests — in order to maintain our tradition of providing programs of the highest quality. This has been the mission of Bay View from its founding and it remains our mission today.