Hundreds of church camps closing doors

GALLANT, Ala. — Camp Sumatanga has meant Bible stories and softball games for generations of Methodist families. Young and old alike come to the old church retreat for renewal in its quiet coves and chapels. Today, though, the 1,700-acre retreat is in danger of shutting down.

Nestled in the Appalachian foothills, it's among hundreds of church camps nationwide that are on the critical list. Years of declining usage and the recession have forced administrators to consider closing or cutting services.

The president of the Christian Camp and Conference Association, Bob Kobielush, said dozens of camps nationwide ceased operating in the last three years, and this could be the last summer for many more.

"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," said Kobielush, whose organization has about 950 member camps. He estimates there are about 3,000 church-affiliated camps nationwide.

Leaders say Camp Sumatanga, operated by the United Methodist Church in north Alabama, could close at the end of the summer without $300,000 to make up a budget deficit. The possibility worries longtime visitors like Carol Glover, of Trussville.

Glover, 47, fondly recalls summers at the camp as a youth, and her 7-year-old son Kent now enjoys hiking there. Glover's ties to Sumatanga run still deeper: Her 70-year-old mother, Anita Alldredge, helped raise money to build Sumatanga when she was young.

"The feeling of godliness is everywhere at Camp Sumatanga. It's so peaceful, quiet and beautiful," said Glover. "You can really feel God's presence."

Not enough people are sharing in the experience to make the camp economically viable, however.

"There was a period of huge growth," said Kobielush, who estimated that as many as 70 percent of the nation's church camps were built in the late '40s and 1950s.

The baby boom turned into a bust for the camps, though, and many began losing visitors as religious denominations began contracting, TV replaced the campfire and kids' schedules were filled with Little League practices, music lessons and dance recitals. Declining revenues meant renovations and repairs never happened at many camps as they aged, Kobielush said.

Rather than relying solely on summer youth camps for revenue when bills had to be paid year-round, many camps built nice retreat centers to lure adults for church conferences and other gatherings.

Other U.S. church camps are having a tough year, too.