06/07/2026
I had the honor and privilege of getting to know Elizabeth on Thursday at a photoshoot at Seven Gables in Shelby, NC! She was so gracious with her time and knowledge. I am forever grateful to be a part of a community with people like Elizabeth who devote so much energy to giving back!
“People often ask us why we invested so much time, energy, and resources into restoring Seven Gables.
The answer is probably a little different than most people expect.
Years ago, during a season that was both challenging and refining, Jeremy and I began looking for a small place that could be used as a ministry tool—a place where people could gather, connect, learn, heal, grow, and simply find rest. We looked at house after house. Door after door seemed to close. For two people in real estate, it felt oddly difficult.
At the time, we couldn’t understand why.
Looking back, it’s clear that God simply had a different property in mind than the ones we were pursuing.
Then Seven Gables became available.
From the moment we walked through the doors, we knew it was something special. We were honored, humbled, and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to become its stewards. We fell in love with the history, the craftsmanship, and the story of the home itself. Our goal was simple: preserve it well and use it in ways that could benefit others whenever opportunities arose.
What we didn’t realize was how much bigger God’s plans were than our own.
What started as an idea for a ministry tool eventually became our home. What started as a restoration project became a place where relationships were built. What started as a dream to create space for others became an opportunity to welcome people from all walks of life through the doors.
Over the years, Seven Gables has hosted Bible studies, nonprofit gatherings, educational programs, leadership conversations, community dinners, tours, fundraising events, and countless conversations around tables and front porches. This weekend’s garden tour supporting the arts is simply one example of many opportunities we’ve been blessed to be a small part of.
In many ways, it feels like the home is continuing to do what it was originally designed to do nearly 100 years ago—bring people together.
The experience has taught me something I continue to learn over and over again: sometimes God gives us only a glimpse of what something could become. We take the next faithful step, and over time He reveals a story much bigger than the one we could have written ourselves.
That same perspective carries into our work at Champion Investments.
Property management may be our vocation, but stewardship is our calling.
As a fourth-generation family business, our goal has never simply been about properties. Housing matters because people matter. We know we’re not always the solution for every situation, but we hope to be a resource. Our goal is to listen, show up, follow through, and serve well within the opportunities we’ve been given.
The same heart extends through the Harriet Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to education, awareness, and community engagement around human trafficking prevention and response. It is simply another vehicle through which we hope to serve.
Whether through housing, community involvement, our church, local boards, Seven Gables, or the Harriet Institute, the mission is really the same: be faithful stewards of whatever has been entrusted to us.
No community is perfect. Ours certainly isn’t.
But what continues to inspire me is the number of people who care deeply about this place. People who invest their time, talents, resources, wisdom, and energy into making our community stronger—not just for today, but for future generations.
Through Seven Gables, I’ve had the privilege of meeting artists, educators, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, volunteers, students, pastors, business owners, neighbors, and friends. Every one of them has taught me something about the beauty of community.
Life moves through seasons. Some seasons bring joy. Some bring challenges. Some bring restoration. Most bring a little of all three.
None of us know exactly what tomorrow holds. What we do have is today—the opportunity to encourage one another, support one another, learn from one another, and serve where we can.
For this season, these are some of the vehicles through which we get to do that work.
And for that, we are deeply grateful.
Thank you to everyone who has walked through the doors of Seven Gables, partnered with us through Champion Investments, supported the Harriet Institute, served alongside us, or simply encouraged us along the way.
We never could have imagined where this journey would lead.
But we’re grateful for every step.”
