Ministry News

Camp Gonnahaftashutdown

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Friday, 10 July 2009 10:43

For thousands of congregations across the country, loading families into a parade of buses and heading out to the favorite campgrounds is a treasured summer routine. But according to those operating these beloved Christian retreat sites, many churches may be forced to find other summertime options next year.

Bob Kobielush, president of the Christian Camp and Conference Association that represents 950 camps, notices a trend of more camps having to close down due to low attendance and limited funds, and he predicts there are many more to come.

"I think this fall through Christmas we will see as many as 10 to 15 percent of camps decide they no longer can continue operating," Kobielush says. Although he personally knows of several dozen camps that ceased operation over the last three years, Kobielush believes the economic downturn has only exacerbated a problem for camps that's existed for years: a church culture that no longer prioritizes congregational retreats.

"What we offer here is quiet, a place to be quiet," says pastor Bob Murray, referring to Camp Sumatanga in north Alabama, where he once worked as the camp's director. "Not everyone values that as much as they once did."

Of the estimated 3,000 church-affiliated campgrounds throughout the United States, Kobielush says the majority of these were built in years immediately following World War II, when churches flourished through the baby boom years. Yet as American culture shifted away from the church and many church denominations found alternatives for meetings and retreats, hundreds of aging campgrounds became even more dilapidated as funds dwindled. And according to Kobielush, the latest economic hardships may seal their fate. [AP, 7/8/09]