On July 16, the Subud USA board of directors voted unanimously to approve a resolution to accept the gift of the Amani Center in Beltsville, Maryland, from Subud Washington D.C. and to purchase the adjacent four-bedroom Twin Oaks residential property with revenue from the Amani centerprise. As one national helper commented, “This is such an important project for the future of Subud USA. I think that this is going to be much greater than anything that any of us can imagine.”
The Amani/Twin Oaks project was written about extensively in the June and July Subud USA newsletters, and presented in detail at the National update on July 9, followed by a question and answer session. If you are not familiar with the project, here’s a recap:
The story begins in 2003 when a small group of dedicated Washington DC members with a vision for the future purchased an old house in Beltsville, Maryland. Over the years, and with tremendous commitment and surrender, the old building was torn down and the new Amani center was constructed in its place.
Since that time, the group has built a successful centerprise at Amani, which has been consistently profitable through rentals to churches and other outside groups.
In July 2021, a significant milestone was achieved when the Subud USA archives were moved to the Amani Center, thus providing a permanent home for irreplaceable documents in a specially retrofitted area on Amani’s second floor.
This spring, the members of the Subud Washington DC group, as part of a discussion about sustaining the Amani Center well into the future, voted unanimously to gift the Amani center to Subud USA. At that time, the Subud member who owns the adjacent Twin Oaks residential property expressed an interest in selling that parcel to Subud USA so that the 2-acre Amani/Twin Oaks campus could remain indefinitely in Subud hands.
Twin Oaks is a four-bedroom house that would serve three very important purposes: a residence for an on-site property manager for Amani; an overnight accommodation for those who are visiting Amani to work on the archives; to augment space in the Amani center during Subud gatherings and meetings. Historically, the Amani centerprise has generated enough revenue to cover the expenses associated with the purchase of Twin Oaks.
Two months ago, the Subud USA Board of Directors charged the Subud USA executive committee with vetting all aspects of this proposal to verify its viability and ensure that a long-term commitment would be in the best interest of the membership of Subud USA. In response, the Subud USA executive committee reached out to a variety of Subud experts in the areas of commercial real estate, finance, and law to research the proposed Amani/Twin Oaks acquisition. Subud USA also employed external professionals, such as inspectors and appraisers.
Every step of the way, careful consideration was given not only to the material, but also to the spiritual aspects of the project. On two occasions, the national helpers tested about the project, and in both instances, they received positive results.
Bapak often spoke of the need for enterprises and Subud houses to sustain the growth of Subud. We believe the Amani campus and centerprise align with Bapak’s vision, and we are excited about the possibilities that this project will bring to Subud USA.
We welcome you to join us on this journey forward with your prayers, support and participation.
Sincerely,
Your Subud USA National Dewan
For questions or comments, please contact us at info@subudusa.org
For more information, please review the following:
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