CAMP MEETING

The history of camp meetings is quite interesting.  It goes back to the early days in our country when masses of people were pushing west and establishing new frontier settlements.  Methodism is credited with being the creator and promoter of this innovation.  Here’s a snippet of its development:

As the name implies, those who attended such meetings came prepared to camp out, gathering at the prearranged time and place from distances as great as 30 to 40 miles away. Families pitched their tents around a forest clearing where log benches and a rude preaching platform constituted an outdoor church that remained in almost constant session for three or four days. As many as 10,000 to 20,000 people were reported at some meetings. People came partly out of curiosity, partly out of a desire for social contact and festivity, but primarily out of their yearning for religious worship. Activities included preaching, prayer meetings, hymn singing, weddings, and baptisms. The theology of the preachers varied, but a sudden conversion experience was usually emphasized.  [https://www.britannica.com/topic/camp-meeting]

It's difficult to overemphasize the impact of the camp meeting movement.  Stories abound from these encampments.  These frontier preachers were a hard stock of men who often had to settle rabble-rousers in order to be able to continue their preaching! 

But, even after the movement became formalized in many areas into two-week interventions with properties developed to meet the needs of the people, the church held on to this outreach that had originally been improvisational.  Gradually but certainly the purpose of these camp meetings became less and less outreach and evangelism and more and more fellowship.

Most of these camps that have survived into the 21^st century have lost their sense of purpose and failed to redefine it for the current day. 

A caveat

During the late 1980’s and part of the 1990’s, as a young leader, I led such a camp in Ohio.  Realizing the need for updating and transitioning, I initiated many changes to try to refocus and rechannel the camp. 

• We changed it from ‘Camp Meeting’ to ‘Family Camp’.
• We established a family-oriented morning chapel that was fun, high-energy and gave a positive start to the day.
• Essentially, family camp was a simultaneous youth camp, children’s camp, and adult camp.
• Afternoon fun activities were planned to engage all either as participants or spectators.

Many of the innovations that we established in that day unfortunately became institutionalized – and have consequently lost a lot of their impact.  Examples would be:

• Establishing a youth night where the youth led the service.
• Giving the youth who work in the dining hall a day off.
• Rewriting the camp rules [which was met with waves of opposition].
• Arranging with a nearby park pool to have a morning swim time for campers only [we later incorporated baptisms into this time].
• Maintaining a STRONG emphasis on ‘community living’ to sustain mutual respect.
• Youth who were unattended by family had to acquire an adult sponsor to oversee their appropriate participation in camp and observance of camp rules.

Innovation became rare with a few exceptions.   [See footnote]

Camp attendances – across the country – have plummeted since the turn of the 21^st century.  Many have closed.  Most are struggling. 

Those that survive will be the ones that are effective at reinventing themselves with a purpose that connects with 21^st century people.  Maintaining a camp for the sake of nostalgia will not be enough to sustain interest! 

In 2020, when COVID caused our family camp to be cancelled, about fifteen families decided to camp together at a campground on a lake and with a pool.  Everyone cooked their own meals.  Campfires in the evening brought groups together.  Sports activities filled the afternoon hours!  All-in-all, everyone loved it!  We had the personnel to add spiritual dynamics to the gathering – although that did not happen. 

It was an unintended innovation that stands in stark comparison to the burden and responsibility of maintaining property that sits unused for 355 days a year! 

The American church has been remarkably stubborn about maintaining traditional programs at all costs!  Consider Sunday School which began in Great Britain in 1870. 

Or Vacation Bible School which was an innovation around the turn of the twentieth century.  In spite of an identified decline in these institutions [including family camp], many churches hang on to them and resist the need to be creative in engaging people in relevant ways. 

FOOTNOTE:

This camp currently has new leadership and seems committed to revitalizing.  After a period of decline, it shows promise for growth and hope for a repurposed future.  Interestingly, young adults are returning with their young children in hopes of giving them a dose of the 'family camp experience'!  😊