April 17, 2004

Christian love?

My dad used to work at a camp. He quit at the end of my freshman year because of some issues of disagreement with the director. He was one of many full-time staff to leave within two years. Talk to me personally and I might be able to give you some more information.

Anyways, last year the directors and two other departmental directors were asked to leave by the camp board or trustees/directors after the director refused to change some things that they had asked to be changed. The board had had someone come in and do a management audit type think where they see how things run and such and offer suggestions for improvement. Now this was at the end of three-four year of questionable full-time staff turnover and after an incident involving a local church a year or so earlier. I think the church elders had confronted the director on what was going on and there was some letter written by a former staff that played in. The director thus left the church and "strongly encouraged" all camp staff who attended the church (which was probably about 75 percent camp staff) to leave and they started their own "community bible study" on Sunday mornings. So back to the directors being asked to leave. They all left, picking up jobs in little Lake City and one of the three families having to find another place to live. Things the last year have been treated badly by a few friends of the directors. The camp has managed to continue running as the board had brought in another director and had asked some remaining people to help out more. My only problems that were ever with Redcloud were with the directors and the way it was run. I agree fully with and support the goals of the camp to encourage growth of faith in Christians and reaching out to non-Christians who attend something at the camp and I think God has definitely blessed the camp. However, as is the case for many places, the management of the camp was being handled wrongly and is now being treated better as far as I know. My dad is even working part-time again for the camp. However, there have been actions of revenge against the camp such as this, to block the continued running of the camp. A gas station in town refuses to offer credit to the camp anymore as friends of the directors. They accuse the camp of horrible things and yet take actions of their own that are more divisive and un-Christian flying the face of biblical texts speaking directly to the way things of disagreement are to be handled in a body of believers. I believe that last link I have provided is even threatening to the camp itself.

If ya'll could, offer up some prayer for the camp and people involved in continuing to run the camp.

Posted by Anna at April 17, 2004 01:53 PM