Our History
Blackburn Community Outreach, Inc. developed out of the Blackburn House intentional community. The birth of Blackburn House followed close upon the near closing of Blackburn’s Chapel UMC.
The community surrounding this Chapel faced challenges of aging demographics, lack of job opportunities, and declining economic activity. For long-time residents, these changes led to a loss of their once-lively sense of community and shared purpose. Blackburn’s Chapel came to reflect the broader community decline--Sunday attendance had dwindled to 6-8 aging adults who could no longer provide the energy that a thriving church requires so the Chapel was slated for closure in 2008.
Through a visitor, Bob Bumgarner, Blackburn’s plight came to the attention of Pastor John Fitzgerald of Boone United Methodist Church. Pastor Fitzgerald suggested that BUMC “adopt” Blackburn’s as a mission of BUMC. It thus came to be that Blackburn’s Chapel, while continuing to be independent in finances and personality, became another worshipping community or campus of BUMC. It was the first occurrence of this sort in North Carolina. Subsequently, as a continuation of the renewal process, Blackburn’s separated from a rural three-church charge.
The question then arose of how to resolve joint ownership of the parsonage. Blackburn’s congregation wished to retain full ownership of the house since it was adjacent to the Chapel and had historically been part of it. Their goal was two-fold: to pay off the mortgage and to maintain a beneficial occupancy in the house. With the encouragement of Pastor Jason Byassee, a team from Blackburn’s applied for a grant from The Duke Endowment in 2011, introducing the concept of Blackburn House for the first time.
The proposal was to “convert our unused parsonage into The Blackburn House, with the goal of creating an intentional Christian community of four residents. They will live and worship in Todd, covenant together for a life of discipleship, explore and implement effective leadership methods in the rural setting, cultivate their ministry calling, be Christ to one another and the local community.”
A two-fold new capacity was expected: “1) a vital community ministry and 2) an upgraded facility with its loan balance paid off after three years of grant funding.” A commitment was made to “long term use of our facility as a quiet, contemplative, transitional space for future pastors and church leaders."
In the years since, Blackburn House residents started the Green Valley School Partnership, Beatitude Gardens, and the Todd Listening Project. As these ministries grew, they were formalized into Blackburn Community Outreach in 2015. In 2020, Blackburn Community Outreach received its independent non-profit status. While BCO still operates in partnership with and on the grounds of Blackburn's Chapel, it is now it's own legal entity.