Over forty years ago, God put a dream in the heart of Bill Taylor, then a young evangelist.  His heart’s desire was to have a place where Christians could gather for worship, relaxation, refreshment, and renewal. 

This dream lay dormant for twenty years.  In 1970, he and his wife Reba purchased 28 acres on Hawkins Lake and subdivided 71 lots - with no prior experience.  The Lord was good and watched over them in their stumbling steps to promote the dream.  One day at a particularly low time, their pastor, Billy M. Ford, drove from Gladewater to deliver a message from the Lord.  While he was praying at the altar, the Lord impressed him to look up a scripture and take it to Bill Taylor.  He drove up, got out of his car with his Bible in hand, and said, “This is a message from the Lord for you today.”    

“For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie; though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”  Habakkuk 2:3. 

With no further discussion, he got in his car and drove away.   

Bill and Reba were encouraged and given a peace about the “vision.”  The lots were indeed developed, a church was established on the property, and they had many good years there.  But the “dream” was not there.  They developed three other subdivisions – and the dream was not there.  They stayed at Whispering Pines for twenty years and learned many lessons.  They left there, went to the Dallas district church camp, and managed it for five years.  While there, they learned many more things - still believing to see “the dream” developed into reality.  

God led them to Bass Lake Ranch in 1995, and gave them the assurance this property would be the place for “the vision.”  Two years later they were able to purchase it - miraculously.  Now ten years later, the vision is brighter than ever. 

This is the vision in its original form – adapted to Bass Lake Ranch: 

     A small prayer chapel
     A large worship facility which could eventually include a “faith based school.” 
     A facility to house retirement age people with private living quarters,
     Planned activity for interaction. 
     Paid staff and volunteer help.
     Paved Streets.
     Blacktopped walking trails wide enough for golf carts
     The woods - landscaped into a beautiful garden –  like The Rose Garden
     A large lodge-like facility to accommodate groups of 50 to 100 for seminars, etc.
     A large commercial kitchen and dining room possibly overlooking the lake.

 Areas that have already been developed: 

     A 3000 sq. ft. building for community activities.
     Eleven acres with 67 lots (60x70) for permanent RV sites.  (Over 50 have already been sold as life-time leases).
     An 8 acre lake which is on the property and available to members.
     Five half acre lots on the lake front. 
     Seven half acre lots for mobile homes and “double-wides.” 
     A 2900 ft. air strip which is registered in Washington D. C.
     Approximately 50 permanent residents at Bass Lake Ranch
     Two acres on the southeast corner of the ranch were donated to the SOWER Ministry for their national office.

The total acreage – excluding the Sower office – is approximately 109 acres.

In 2009, the Taylors donated what was the Bass Lake RV Park, as well as about 5 additional acres, to the Bass Lake Christian Retirement Community, a separate non-profit corporation. See here for more information.

 

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