By Chad Hershberger
As we continue our look at Camp Mount Luther’s history, we continue further into the decade of the 1970s. This was a time when the focus of the camp ministry was being expanded. There was a push to look at what was done in this place as “outdoor ministries” instead of just camping.
A study was done by Harrison Associates. In early 1972, Arthur Harrison wrote in a report that the organizational structure needed to be in place first before work could begin on future land and program development. In his concept for the first phase, Harrison suggested that an operational and management corporation be formed which would replace the commission on camping of the synod and a full-time Executive Director would be hired. Harrison also recommended that Mount Luther develop as a year-round resident camp for all ages; the other camps in the Central Pennsylvania synod would have a focus, too. Nawakwa would be for small-group retreats and family programming and Kirchenwald would be used for small-group camping.
On March 23, 1972, Harrison met with the board, presenting the second part of his report that was a philosophy of camping. He emphasized the need to hire a synod director of camping and suggested there be a corporation for camping related to the synod. That June, at Synod Convention, the Commission on Camping reported they were engaged in the process of establishing long-range goals for the camping program. They also eagerly awaited the employment of a director of synod camps. This person would direct and coordinate the total synod camping program. The board approved this, but no hiring took place: “The Commission on Camping feels that one of the strengths of the camping program is the diversity of camping experiences available. The commission plans to continue this diversity, hoping to add an even greater variety of camping opportunities. These might include family tent and trailer camping, college groups, and other interest groups, such as the camp for handicapped children currently offered at Mount Luther.”
A motion by Rev. Thomas L. Myers was adopted on the floor of assembly that the commission “report to the next convention on a philosophy of camping and outdoor ministry and the practices of public camping facilities so that the synod can take action to enable our camps to become self-supporting and adequate consideration be given to camping on an ecumenical basis.” The Rev. Glenn Heasley made a motion that the decision to employ an additional staff person be postponed until the report the following year. The motion was adopted by a vote of 261-258. A recount was called for and again adopted by a 266-263 vote.
That summer, Central Pennsylvania was hit with flooding from Hurricane Agnes, forcing a retreat group at camp to stay a few extra days because they could not return home due to road closures. There was also talk about using helicopters to bring people to Mount Luther for emergency housing, but that never happened. Following the clean-up from that flooding, on Saturdays at camp, Chuck Confer of Tressler Lutheran Services in Williamsport came to camp and offered two hours of extra in-service training to the staff on active listening, “I” messages, and conflict resolution skills. Also that summer, a Counselor-in-Training program was held as well as a Special Camp for Handicapped Children, a College Students Camp, and a series of canoe trips in cooperation with Camp Krislund, a Presbyterian Camp near Madisonburg.
Knowing that a document of philosophies needed to be presented at the 1973 Synod Convention, in the spring of 1973, the Long Range Planning Committee of the Commission on Camping submitted a philosophy of camping, an organizational structure, and recommended staffing and directions for development. The initial report called for an Executive Director of Camping but later was changed to a part-time Administrative Assistant since a part-time position was thought to be more financially attainable. As work continued by the synod’s Commission on Camping, they became quite aware that the ministry provided by the camps was year-round ministry because of the heavy use of the synod camps from September through May, as reported by the synod. “More and more the title “Camping” does not adequately describe the work for which we are responsible. Our responsibility is really that of “Outdoor Ministry.” Until such time as proper constitutional changes can be effected, however, by necessity we will continue to use the word “Camping” hoping that everyone will understand that we mean “Outdoor Ministry.”
In June 1973, Rev. James Park Bricker presented the Philosophy of Camping at the Synod Convention. On the notion of financing, it was noted that camps should not be separate from the church but should support themselves when it comes to operation and ordinary maintenance. It was suggested that other income sources should also be explored. The Philosophy of Camping called for encompassing everyone in the parish from very young to very old to experience personal enrichment in God’s love and to learn more about stewardship. It was also recommended that a part-time Administrative Assistant to be employed to work with the Commission on Camping.
In an interview for a synod history project, Pastor John Bishop talked about the changes in church camping. “Soon all our camps began sponsoring off-site events. Mount Luther experimented with canoe tripping with a neighboring Presbyterian camp,” Bishop recounted. As Mount Luther and the other camps began looking at new opportunities, they maintained their fundamental foundational practices of providing Christian education in a unique setting.
On January 1, 1974, Rev. James Park Bricker began serving as the Administrative Assistant to the Commission on Camping on the synod staff. The commission believed then that upgrades to the facilities needed to be done and they planned to look at that by the end of the year, deciding what to keep, what to replace, and what to build. On March 15, 1974, the Commission on Camping submitted a report entitled “An Outdoor Ministry of Service” to the Executive Board of the synod. It set forth a program of visitations to each of the four camps to evaluate the present facilities and recommend further courses of action. In May 1974, the synod Executive Board voted to continue using the term “camping” instead of “outdoor ministries.” In 1973, they received a recommendation to change Commission on Camping to Commission on Outdoor Ministry. After a committee studied that change, they believed the responsibilities of the Commission on Camping were not congruent with all that the name “outdoor ministries” included. So, the board voted to keep the name as it was.
On October 5, 1974, the Executive Committee and the Long Range Planning Committee of the Commission on Camping, acting as a single group, visited all four synod camps, including Mount Luther. They explored the facilities, programs, and philosophies under which the camps operated. The philosophies adopted on March 31, 1973, said that Christian camping should be an extension of the church’s parish life ministry, encompass all ages, be sensitive to creation and increase personal spiritual growth. It was the feeling of the commission that the camp facilities were being operated on a “crisis basis” with repairs and maintenance only done when absolutely necessary and as money became available. On November 9, 1974, the Commission on Camping instructed George Weiser to investigate the best economical way to tear down the building next to the barn.
The tearing down of the building next to the barn (most likely the present day “Block Building”) could be seen as a metaphor for what happened as Mount Luther approached adolescence. The camp established itself as a place for small group camping with rich traditions. But like its sibling camps, Mount Luther began to decline. It was seen as potentially being another Nawakwa; it was not seen as a camp with its own identity, able to be revived and renewed. As mid-decade approached, the camps of the Central Pennsylvania Synod slid to a low point and were at a crossroads. Decisions made in the coming year would solidify Mount Luther’s part in synodical camping but would still not lead to the camp finding its own identity.