About Us
WHO WE ARE
Beersheba Springs Assembly stands on the edge of the Cumberland Plateau and overlooks the scenic Collins River Valley. It consists of a pre-Civil War Hotel and its surrounding historic buildings. In 1941, the Tennessee Conference of the Methodist church purchased the property and sought to restore it to a place where people want to gather. Since then, the Assembly has offered guests from all walks of life a place to seek God in a natural setting, offering modern and vintage accommodations, warm hospitality, great meals and beautiful sacred space. We are committed to respecting the rights and dignity of every individual, affirming the unique worth and contributions of all who visit the Assembly.
Beersheba Springs Assembly accommodates
events such as:
Large conference or church events of up to 250 persons
Local church family retreats
Church staff retreats
Planning retreats for
Conference committees,
boards and commissions
Clergy personal spiritual and prayer retreats
Mission Statement
Our mission is to offer gracious hospitality while providing opportunities for connecting with God & community.
History
The history of Beersheba Springs Assembly is complicated; birthed in a spirit of healing and retreat, it thrived from the capital investment of notorious slave trader John Armfield. Thus the iconic hotel is forever connected with America’s original sin. Yet, it’s purchase and re-purposing by the Methodists has given a new life and story to Beersheba Springs Assembly. What you’ll read below is only a partial history of a facility full of character, life, and renewal. As you read, know that we are committed to being a place where all are loved because of who they are.
The Early Days
When Beersheba Porter Cain, wife of McMinnville merchant John Cain, followed a mountainous Grundy County pathway in 1833, she discovered the chalybeate spring that would come to bear her name. By 1839, Beersheba Springs had incorporated and begun official operation as a summer resort. A small hotel was built that consisted of a tavern, dining room, along with a row of log cabins. The somewhat primitive establishment benefited from the stagecoach traffic along the new road running from McMinnville to Chattanooga. Cabins sprang up as well-to-do local families discovered this idyllic haven and began making annual treks.
RECONSTRUCTION
Throughout the civil war the facility was left abandoned or used by the confederate or union armies as shelter, horse stalls, or an infirmary. After the civil war the resort was closed for several years until new buyers could be found in 1875. Through the years 1875 – 1920 the resort struggled and ownership changed rapidly over 2 dozen times. When someone in Nashville area mentioned Beersheba and the beloved inn, the standard question was: “Well, wonder who’s running the Hotel this year?”In the 1920’s it became a junior high and high school for local youth and boarding students. However, deterioration…
METHODIST FACILITY
In October 1941 the Tennessee Conference of the Methodist Church approved the purchase of the Beersheba Springs Hotel. The $3,000 purchase consisted of 22 acres containing the antebellum inn, several other buildings in a quadrangular configuration on the south side of the inn and a row of sleeping quarters extending further southward from the quadrangle. Often the former resort had simply been called Beersheba, and sometimes the name had been spelled “Bersheba.” The common pronunciation “BURR-shi-buh” was adopted by the Methodists and has prevailed. (2)