Article published April 18, 2009
Historic inn is a getaway for stressed-out pastors
By DAVID YONKE
BLADE RELIGION EDITOR
GRAND RAPIDS - When stressed-out pastors step inside the Mill House Bed and Breakfast, "it feels like you're getting a hug," said the Rev. Dave Staiger.
The pastor of Wesleyan Church in Grand Rapids, Mr. Staiger said he knows of three local ministers in different denominations who resigned in the last year because of pastor burnout.
He personally found refuge at the Mill House when the inn's owners, Ron and Kathy Munk, offered temporary shelter for him, his wife, and the couple's young triplets after their home was damaged by a fire several years ago.
Helping pastors is the mission of the Mill House's owners, who bought the historic riverfront inn nearly three years ago. They plan to showcase their establishment to local clergy by hosting an open house for pastors on Monday.
"God put a burden on our hearts after a pastor friend went through hard times and we didn't even know it until it was all over," Mrs. Munk said. "We started praying and God started opening doors."
She said many people don't realize the pressures pastors face, and that they essentially are working 24 hours a day, seven days a week."They're human just like any of us. When they come in here, it's just a time for them to relax. We're here if they want to talk. If not, that's fine, too. We just serve them, whatever their needs are," Mrs. Munk said.
The Mill House Bed and Breakfast was built in 1898 as a steam-powered mill, producing Stump's Best brand flour. The building's brick, made in the village brickyard, and the stone, from a local quarry, were often covered with a fine coating of dust from the day's milling.
The building was converted into a bed and breakfast in 1992 and has been renovated and updated several times by a series of owners. Now fully air-conditioned, the Mill House has four guest rooms, each with its own quaint ambience. The Munks live on the upper floor.
The Rev. Bill Hall, an evangelist from Greeneville, Tenn., who was leading a revival at Bethany Baptist Church, stayed in the Mill House's Garden Room this week.
The yellow-and-white room has a row of windows overlooking the Maumee River and the Miami and Erie Canal, a queen-sized bed covered with a quilt, and a small wooden desk where Mr. Hall propped his Bible for reading.
"This is a lovely place. I've stayed at a few bed and breakfasts and this is one of the finest," Mr. Hall said. "Kathy and Ron really look after their guests."
The Munks said they first began thinking about running a bed and breakfast in order to minister to pastors in 2004. They sought guidance from the Rev. Paul Alford, then the interim pastor at their church, Fallen Timbers Community Church in Waterville.
"Dr. Alford advised us to pray for specific locations. When we started praying about this place it was not on the market. Then in 2005, I was looking online and saw that it was for sale," Mrs. Munk said.
"And I went, 'Uh oh!'•" Mr. Munk said with a laugh.
They had a daughter in college and didn't think it was the best time to start a business, but the couple kept praying and the doors kept opening. The Munks took ownership of the Mill House in June, 2005.
Mr. Munk has a full-time job working as an actuarial agent for an insurance company, while Mrs. Munk runs the inn full time. She cooks breakfast and is known for her homemade scones, which she provides to guests and sells to visitors for $3 a dozen, donating the proceeds to a ministry in Africa.
There was much work to be done before the inn could be profitable, the couple said. In 2006, their first full year of ownership, the annual occupancy rate was 19 percent. The next year it was 25 percent and last year it was 30 percent.
"The tracking is getting better," Mr. Munk said. "We get a lot of return guests."
About 25 to 30 percent of the guests are ministers, pastors, evangelists, missionaries, priests, and nuns.
Most people who stay at the inn are from Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana, but the Mill House has hosted missionaries from the Philippines, Thailand, France, Mexico, and Mali, as well as military chaplains being deployed to Iraq.
Clergy can rent rooms at the discount rate of $75 a night, down from the normal rates that range from $80 to $140.
If money is an obstacle, the Munks said, they will try to work things out - "because we're the boss."
"It's never been about money," Mr. Munk said. "We need to pay our bills. But we want to give back as much as we can."
"It's an incredible ministry," Mr. Staiger said. "And it's much needed. This is a ministry that not everybody can do. You have to have a passion for it like Ron and Kathy."
Ministering to ministers, providing a quiet place to relax and recharge their batteries, is the answer to countless prayers for the Munks.
"I can't really put it into words. We're just being obedient to God," Mrs. Munk said. "Even people who don't know God, I think they can feel something different here. They feel safe. They feel embraced. I hope that when people leave here, they feel good, they feel special."
The Mill House Bed and Breakfast will hold an open house for ministers from 1 to 8 p.m. Monday. The inn is at 24070 Front St. in downtown Grand Rapids. Information is available by calling 419-832-6455 or online at themillhouse.com.
Contact David Yonke at:
dyonke@theblade.com or
419-724-6154.
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