It was natural for me to serve in the camp and conference ministry of the presbytery, for that ministry had both nurtured my own faith journey and provided a vehicle for others to come and experience the love of God. When five years later I was called to be the pastor of First Church of Brandon, Fla., Cedarkirk was now only 12 miles from the church, and my terms of call included the understanding that every year I would devote one week to the care, nurture, and support of camp and conference ministry.
For the next 18 years I directed summer camp programs from music to biking, small group camping to large conferences for folks ages pre-school to older adult; my love continued to grow. Little did I know the scope of influence that camp and conference ministry, permeating deeply into the lives of my children. My son, John Reiter, now serves as executive director of Presbyterian Camp and Conference Ministries for Tampa Bay and Peace River Presbyteries housed at Cedarkirk.
I’m now executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy with Mound Ridge within our bounds, a beautiful setting in the Ozark hills of central Missouri providing experiences once more for all ages.
I look back on that journey of 36 years and realize that it has been a good one, and that camp and conference ministries have provided core values of support not only for my ministry but for the ministries of scores of others who have found a deeper relationship with our loving God.
But camp and conference ministry has not always had an easy journey. Connecting with meaningful ministries in a presbytery, funding difficulties, and utilizing facilities are contemporary challenges pressing upon every camp and conference center in the country.
To address this need the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has been proactive in dealing with these challenges. During summer 2009 the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association (PCCCA) and the PC(USA) Office of Outdoor Ministry approached the Association of Executive Presbyters (AEPS) initiating a conversation that would lead to greater clarity and understanding between the ministries of presbyteries and the camp and conference ministries within their bounds.
In conversations, this group came to some mutual conclusions:
» Camp and conference ministry is an incredible place for discipleship, group building, and time apart in God’s creation.
» Presbytery funding for their camps/conference centers will likely decrease in the future, and boards and committees of these sites will need to create and expand their fund development program.
» A good relationship between camp/conference staff and presbytery staff is the key to the future of these shared ministries.
» Incorporation and broader forms of ownership are being explored as options for viability in the future.
Camps and conference ministries continue to provide opportunities for the church to grow this vital ministry into the future. They will play an important role in reaching newer generations for Christ. Many young people today speak of the value that camp and conference ministry brings to their lives. Sessions speak of what it means to have a place apart where one can nurture relationships with God and others that will be a key to our transformation as a denomination in the future. Camp and Conference ministries continue to explore relationships with local communities, and local mission has been strengthened. Creative endeavors are emerging — everything from disaster assistance to camp experiences for communities, helping them meet their local challenges. Even secular corporations are finding our camp and conference centers provide much needed support for the development of relationships between co-workers.
Outdoor ministry is one of the best kept secrets in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). Why not take some time and get to know this resource right in your own backyard.
It could be life changing — just ask a teenage camper this summer near Weeki Wachee Springs!
PAUL T. REITER is executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy and serves as the convener of the Task Force of Association of Executive Presbyters, Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association, and the Office of Outdoor Ministry of the General Assembly Mission Council.
