History

In the mid 1980s, Heritage USA, the home of PTL Ministries, was in its prime and was one of the most well-known, visited, and celebrated locations in the world. In fact, as far as U.S. destinations go, it was second only to Disney in annual visitors. Through its local 2400-acre site and television network, Jim and Tammy Bakker's ministry was poised to reach one billion people worldwide. The Charlotte-area campus was filled with various ministry projects designed to equip believers for total Christian living.

Just a few years later, in 1989, Jim Bakker was jailed for conspiracy of fraud, and the ministry began to unravel. Over the next fifteen years, various ministry organizations, a hotel chain, and a foreign investment group owned the property and took a shot at successfully running the complex, including the 501-room hotel, Main Street, and the Conference Center. None could make it work for a profit, and in 1997, the hotel, Main Street, and Conference Center were closed down.

Over the next seven years, Heritage completely died. Around the world the property became a symbol of the failures of the modern church. Parts of the acreage were developed into residential communities, and a production company used the amphitheater for Christian productions. The hotel, Main Street, and the Conference Center sat desolate.

But, shortly after Jim's prison sentence in the late '80s, many Christian leaders began to prophesy that the property would not only "die," but it would also be resurrected and used for ministry purposes once again, just as Ezekiel prophesied life to the dry bones. Many hundreds of Christians, including former PTL members, were praying for all those years for the very same thing.

Prophetic words to MorningStar's

Many people, including Jim Bakker himself, began to encourage and prophesy to MorningStar that we were supposed to purchase the former Heritage USA.

Rick Joyner, MorningStar's founder, began to realize this could very well be the plan of the Lord. Soon other members of MorningStar's leadership team began to get the vision. Leonard Jones, the worship leader at the time, recalls, "I drove out here by myself and saw the devastation. The Lord began to change my heart. I began to see that this place could be resurrected. It could be better than before."

On September 27, 2004, MorningStar purchased the Heritage USA Grand Hotel, Main Street, Conference Center, incomplete high-rise, and castle, with 52 acres.

Beginning the Restoration

The condition of the newly-purchased property was depressing. The stench was unbelievable. Birds and homeless people inhabited the building. The hotel was eerie to walk through. It was as if one day the people just stood up and left. A lunch box was found opened on a work bench with its old lunch still in tact. The building complex was 500,000 repugnant square feet. Most of MorningStar's team wondered, "Can this really be done? How are we going to restore this place?"

The questions were answered as many people volunteered to begin the restoration. Some even moved to Fort Mill to help. Many came forward, telling how they had been praying for the property for many years-praying it would be used again for the Lord. One man shared how, when he entered the building during our first church service, his heart was healed. The Lord began to show us His heart regarding the property. He allowed the property to die so He could show His unfathomable love in its resurrection. We began to restore, knowing the restoration of each section was a prophetic act of what the Lord was doing in the bigger picture of His church, and in each of us individually.

Nehemiah builders

Morningstar's newly-named Heritage International Ministries facilities were being restored in much the same way that the walls and Temple in Jerusalem were restored in the days of Nehemiah. People began to contribute their resources as well as their time to help with the reclamation. MorningStar launched the Nehemiah Project as a way of applying the donations to the restoration itself.
The first phase of the Nehemiah Project focused on restoring many of the rooms, including all the hotel rooms, many of which were in deplorable condition. People coming to MorningStar conferences now had a place to stay. Many reported having prophetic dreams and experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit during their stay on the property. Thousands of people were refreshed, restored, healed, and equipped on the partially-finished grounds.

The Nehemiah Hall of Honor

Rick Joyner realized that those who helped Nehemiah rebuild the wall had been canonized in Scripture. It would only be appropriate to also recognize those who had so generously contributed to the Nehemiah Project.

In January of 2010 the Nehemiah Hall of Honor was created to recognize all those who had given to begin restoring the rooms and grounds. The Hall of Honor represents the many member of the body of Christ who are united in a prophetic calling to see God's work go forth.

By mid-2010 nearly all the rooms were once again usable. And phase one of the Nehemiah Project ended.

But much of the work, tough work, remained. The grounds needed updating and reclamation. The conference center, with its great potential to host ministries and meetings of all types, needed a major overhaul. The conference center kitchen, which once set a Guinness Book of World Records record for the most meals served in a twenty-four hour period, needed a massive infusion of capital in order to bring it back into working order. Hotel rooms that had been made livable now needed updating.

Much had been accomplished in six years. But to finish the prophetic calling on Heritage International Ministries, a crucial next phase was needed. In 2011 MorningStar Ministries launched phase two of the Nehemiah Project.