Prodigy Leadership Academy given Shadow Rest Ministry

Local Christian private school Prodigy Leadership Academy announced on social media Thursday evening the 38-acre Shadow Rest Ministries on Sierra Ridge Lane in Cape Girardeau has been donated to the organization by Fred Burgard and Paul Cordes, co-founders of Shadow Rest Ministries.

In a telephone interview Friday, Russell Grammer, co-founder of Prodigy Leadership Academy, described the gift of Shadow Rest as �a perfect thing� and was absolutely surprised by the donation.

With the acquisition of the acreage, Prodigy can now sell its current property on Lexington Avenue, Grammer said. The revenue from selling the nearly 9 acres � coupled with prayer � will be used to build the new facility at Shadow Rest, he said.

The Rev. Fred Burgard, left, and Paul Cordes, co-founders of Shadow Rest Ministries north of Cape Girardeau, are seen in 2012.Fred Lynch ~ flynch@semissourian.com, file

As Grammer and his team were designing a facility campus for Prodigy on the current nine-acre property, he said they felt landlocked. He wanted to do more.

Grammer said Prodigy is striving to soon have a full-on agriculture program so students are taking care of plants and animals, in addition to having a workshop so students can troubleshoot and be familiar with how to take things apart and repurpose items.

�Another thing we want to do is have apartments or �mini houses� on the grounds, because we are going to have interns coming to Prodigy from other countries,� he said.

Shadow Rest Ministries contains trails, wooded areas, a pond and cabins, which Grammer said is �more than we could have dreamed.�

Burgard explained Prodigy co-directors Russell and Amy Grammer have been some of the kindest people he has known since he�s been in Southeast Missouri, so he wanted to reciprocate that kindness.

�I went to Russell and said, �Hey, what would you do if I offered Shadow Rest to you to build your school on?�� Burgard said.

Burgard explained the need for transition came about when he and his wife decided to slowly move into a different direction, still within ministry, but with more of a focus on working with married couples and helping to restore marriages.

That�s when they decided to contact Grammer at Prodigy.

�We�re going to gift everything to Prodigy, the land, everything, but we will still do Shadow Rest out here,� Burgard said. �The school will get the property, but it will be a gradual change when they start using everything.�

He said it was about a month ago when the Shadow Rest Ministries board decided to move forward with the donation.

Right now, Burgard is unsure of �all the particulars.� But once the deed is signed, the transaction will be final; with the only restriction being Shadow Rest Ministries will continue to remain on the property, he said.

�We�re still working on that,� he said, �because I�m still going to be doing things at Shadow Rest, and Prodigy�s school is going to be out in front of the property.�

Burgard said the property is to be surveyed soon, and once that is complete, he estimates the changeover to be final �within the next two months.�

jhartwig@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3632