Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries presented architectural renderings for its new Healing Center project at an unveiling event held in the Greenwood Country Club on May 8. Steering Committee Chair and former Connie Maxwell Baptist Church Pastor Doug Kauffmann greeted the room filled with friends and supporters by noting how Connie Maxwell’s powerful 133-year-old legacy continues to push the organization toward its goal of becoming a nationally-known trauma-informed expert in healing within the lives of children and families.
“First and foremost, this campaign is not about money or buildings. It is about the challenge closest to the heart of Jesus, and that is about changing lives that have been hurt and that are hurting, so that they can come to a fullness of love and service to God,” said Kauffmann who, along with his family, made a $1 million transformational gift toward the building of the Howard and Suzanne Kauffmann Auditorium within the McCall Healing Center in August 2024.
President Danny Nicholson called the proposed Healing Center a “bridge between brokenness and being whole. We’ve learned so much now about the heart, the brain, and the spirit. We can put those things together to be much more productive in our ability to make human beings whole and to nurture them.”
During the renderings presentation guests heard details from the years of thoughtful prayer and planning that led to the distinct features of the McCall Healing Center, the Nicholson Healing and Administration Center, and surrounding landscaped green spaces and gardens that will be located on the ministry’s Greenwood campus. They heard from staff and board members who share Connie Maxwell’s vision to become “a national leader in Christian ministries of healing for vulnerable children and families” about how these new resources will enable Connie Maxwell to serve more individuals. Guests also learned how they can join the campaign efforts in ministry to children.
Nathan Shutte, of McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, said Connie Maxwell’s vision prompted his firm to design a facility that will encompass the work of healing and create consolidated leadership space. He introduced guests to the renderings through a shared presentation with a leading trauma specialist, Michelle Maikoetter, Director of Special Projects at The Neurosequential Network, who spoke to innovative design elements that will promote all kinds of healing for vulnerable children and families.
“Imagine with me a Healing Center that could provide greater breadth of assistance and support, encompassing therapy and total health,” Maikoetter said, as guests viewed depictions of play therapy centers, a sensory gym, and outdoor spaces also designed for use by counselors.
Maikoetter further complimented the healing center design descriptions by discussing the types of assistance provided there, including by medical and case management staff, spiritual leaders, and community social workers. Within the leadership spaces, Shutte introduced a proposed chapel and The Kauffmann Auditorium, which is designed to seat 250 guests. The Nicholson Healing and Administration Center will also house a presidential library and a museum to honor and celebrate Connie Maxwell.
Landscape Architect Yancey Robertson, of Davis & Floyd, introduced a “dignified” outdoor design that will reflect the gospel story while creating space for children to talk, linger, and pray. His design proposes monuments including a bronzed statue of seven-year-old Connie Maxwell and a Tower of Faith and Healing, as well as a labyrinth and landscaped terraces.
“God builds monuments in our lives, things that happened to us when we say, ‘only God could do this!’ When you feel grief stricken, hopeless, or even question God’s existence, you return to these stories and remember that the Master of all creation knows who you are,” Robertson said of his design process. “Connie Maxwell children will be able to see these structures and remember the ‘monuments’ built in their lives while they were here.”
Citing this level of intentionality and planning behind the garden’s design, Nicholson believes people will travel to Greenwood just to experience and be moved by it. “If we can make this happen, it will be a manifestation of God’s glory each time someone passes by,” he said. “This is not about a building or a program, this is about things that change people and about a living God who loves us and cares deeply for us. If you’re not ministering to people, you’re not making progress.”
The Healing Center is a part of Connie Maxwell’s For the Dreams of Children campaign. It’s initial goal was to raise $10 million to support three initiatives to construct the center in Greenwood, build a Charleston campus, and reimagine Maxwell Farms. As the vision for the Healing Center expanded to meet greater needs, the Board of Trustees voted to increase the campaign goal to $25 million. To date, Connie Maxwell has received $12.5 million in pledges and funds secured for the Healing Center project, which leaves 50 percent of the estimated project costs remaining.
In addition to the Kauffmann family’s gift, longtime Connie Maxwell supporters Larry and Jerry Ann Faulkenberry announced their gift of $2 million toward the Nicholson Healing and Administration Center in 2024. Jerry Ann called viewing the renderings and imagining the scope of this new complex an “indescribable feeling. I believe God has a lot of things coming in the future for Connie Maxwell.”
“When you’ve been blessed like we have, and knowing you can’t take it with you, it’s always good to leave something behind,” Larry said of his family’s investment gift. “We hope that 100 years from now a child will be impacted by something we might do today.”
“With momentum and God’s hand resting on our continued efforts, we feel absolutely sure that people will step up just like so many others have and help us make this dream come true.”
To learn more about our 10-year strategic plan, A Decade of Dreams, and the three initiatives—building a Healing Center, reimagining Maxwell Farms, and expanding our mission by creating a campus in the Charleston area—visit conniemaxwell.com/dreamon.
