South Carolina Spent $4M Renovating AME Vision Center — It Isn’t Designated As An Emergency Shelter

The Vision Center in Fairfield County — a 218-acre conference and retreat campus affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church — was renovated with $4 million in state earmarks but is not formally designated or contracted as an emergency shelter with Fairfield County, county officials say.

What Happened

Since a ribbon-cutting and dedication in August 2024, the newly renovated Vision Center north of Columbia has hosted only a handful of events, produced few new Midlands jobs and has not been opened for routine public shelter use. Fairfield County spokesman Gene Stephens said the county has no written agreement to use the campus as an emergency shelter. "To be honest, I personally know nothing about that facility since it was sold," he said.

State Funding And Renovations

Lawmakers requested $10 million for the nonprofit Vision Center Inc. in consecutive years; the legislature awarded $2 million in 2023 and another $2 million the following year, for a total of $4 million in state support. An expense report filed with state officials shows roughly $2 million of the funds were paid to contractors for work such as roofing, technology upgrades, mold remediation, drywall, repaving and carpeting. Construction documents and estimates indicate a new pavilion and sign together cost about $500,000.

A separate budget tied to the second $2 million earmark proposed renovating a motel lodge, guest houses, restrooms and roofs; public records do not make clear whether all of that work has been completed or how much remains to be done across the campus.

Emergency-Response Role: Unclear

Fairfield Electric Co-Op says it has a verbal agreement to use the Vision Center as an assembly point and lodging site for out-of-state crews after a major storm, but the co-op has not relied on the facility to date and acknowledges that formal terms and overnight capacity have not been documented publicly. During recent winter storms the county instead set up warming stations at local schools.

Origins, Ownership And Leadership

Photos and public statements show the property — purchased in spring 2022 for $870,000 from the S.C. Baptist Convention's White Oak Conference Center — includes a 900-seat auditorium, dining hall and large kitchen, motel lodges and guest houses, lakes, a swimming pool, trails and its own wastewater treatment plant. Bishop Samuel Green, who led South Carolina's AME churches and founded Vision Center Inc., supported the funding appeals but left South Carolina in late 2024 to lead the AME's First Episcopal District from Philadelphia. Bishop James L. Davis, who now oversees the state’s AME churches and the Vision Center, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Lawmakers' Role And Oversight

Legislators who sponsored the funding said they believed the campus could generate jobs and serve as a training or retreat hub for regional projects, including an electric-vehicle factory nearby. Some sponsors said they do not monitor how earmarked funds are used once awarded. "We don't sit around monitoring" recipients, Rep. Annie McDaniel said, adding she lacks staff to micromanage post-award spending.

Current Status And Questions Ahead

The Vision Center is open for some church events but has limited documented public use since its August 2024 dedication. Key open questions include whether all planned renovations were completed, why no formal shelter agreement exists with the county, how many people the campus could reliably house during a disaster, and what level of ongoing public access will be permitted as hurricane and storm seasons continue.

Bottom line: $4 million in taxpayer-backed renovations improved parts of a large church-affiliated campus, but officials say the site is not formally contracted as a county emergency shelter and its disaster role remains uncertain.