A Word from Dr. Crowder: Investing in Our Camps

The following was shared by Dr. Crowder in an email to future Living Waters clergy on Thurs. Aug. 20.

Invested in the Wellness of Camp Crystal and Camp Walter Scott

As we look toward the future of our camping ministries, I want to make one thing abundantly clear: the Living Waters Region is invested in the wellness, vitality, and future of Camp Crystal and Camp Walter Scott.

We believe our camps are more than beautiful places. They are sacred spaces where people encounter God, build community, experience hospitality, grow in faith, and discover transformation.

Thank You, Rev. Clayton Summers

First, I want to express my deep gratitude for the ministry of Rev. Clayton Summers. Quite frankly, Rev. Clayton, together with the Camp Walter Scott Advisory Board, has taken the camp to another level of ministry.

His leadership, creativity, hard work, and commitment have helped position Camp Walter Scott for an exciting future. We are grateful for all that Clayton has poured into the camp and into the lives of those who have experienced its ministry.

As Rev. Clayton transitions into his next assignment, we send him with our prayers, gratitude, and blessing. Thank you, Clayton, for your faithful service and for helping us see what Camp Walter Scott can become.

Camp Crystal and Camp Walter Scott: A Ministry of Wellness and Transformation

My vision for Camp Crystal and Camp Walter Scott is that it continues to grow as a ministry of wellness, openness, transformation, hospitality, community, and spiritual formation for everyone who enters these grounds.

• Experience Something Different: I want people to come and experience something different.

• Discover God’s Love: I want children and young people to discover and experience God’s love.

• Retreat, Renewal & Connection: I want congregations to find space for retreat, renewal, and connection.

• Rest & Be Renewed: I want clergy and ministry leaders to have a place to breathe, rest, learn, and be renewed.

• Experience Hospitality: I want families and communities to experience genuine hospitality.

• Encounter God’s Presence: I want everyone who comes through the gates to leave having encountered something that reminds them of the presence and goodness of God.

Keeping Camp Walter Scott Open During the Transition 

Because of that vision, we could not afford to simply close Camp Walter Scott and wait for a permanent caretaker to be identified.

The ministry must continue.

I am pleased to announce that Mackinley Beadles will serve as the interim caretaker of Camp Walter Scott while we conduct our search for the camp’s permanent leader. Mac is no stranger to Walter Scott. Having previously served as an intern at the camp, Mac understands its ministry, its grounds, and its importance to our region.

This interim leadership will allow us to remain present and active through the fall while giving us the necessary time to conduct a thoughtful and thorough search for the next caretaker.

And let me add… we have some amazing finalists for the permanent position. I am encouraged about the possibilities and believe God is preparing the right person to help lead Walter Scott into its next chapter.

Camp Crystal

I am equally excited that, with approval of the 2027–28 budget at the Regional Assembly Business Meeting on Thursday, October 1, via Zoom, we will move forward with calling a half-time Caretaker/Administrator for Camp Crystal.

Camp Crystal currently operates under a management company, an arrangement that will remain in place because it has proven to be profitable. However, there are some gaps in that relationship that we need to address if Camp Crystal is to remain viable and continue to thrive. Some funds designated for camp and conference ministries will allow us to support this position and address those needs.

This is an important investment in the ministry, stewardship, and future of Camp Crystal, helping us strengthen hospitality, wellness, spiritual formation, community, and the care of the camp grounds.

The search for that position will open in mid-October, with the intention of calling the new caretaker/administrator following the beginning of the 2027 fiscal year.

This is another important step in demonstrating that we are serious about the future of our camping ministry throughout the Living Waters Region.

A Robust Camping Ministry for Living Waters

Please know this: the Regional Church Council and I are committed to having a robust camping ministry throughout the Living Waters Region.

Our camps are part of our ministry infrastructure. They are places where the church gathers, where relationships are formed, where faith is nurtured, and where lives can be changed.

As we move into the Living Waters Region, we have an opportunity to reimagine what camping ministry can look like which means not simply maintaining what we have inherited, but investing in what God may be calling us to become.

That will require leadership. It will require vision. It will require volunteers and congregational partnerships. And, yes, it will require financial investment.

Thank You and We Welcome More

Finally, I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported Camp Crystal and Camp Walter Scott through your prayers, your financial contributions, your volunteer hours, your participation, and your belief in the ministry of our camps. Your contributions have made a difference. And as we live into this vision, we welcome even more.

If you have never supported our camps, I invite you to become a partner. If you have supported them before, I invite you to consider how you might deepen that support. If you have gifts, skills, resources, or ideas that could strengthen our camping ministry, we want to hear from you. 

We are not simply trying to keep our camps open.

We are investing in their future. We are investing in wellness. We are investing in hospitality. We are investing in community. We are investing in spiritual formation. And ultimately, we are investing in people.

The Living Waters Region believes that when people come to these sacred places, they should leave revived, refreshed, and re-sent.

That is the future I see for Camp Crystal and Camp Walter Scott. And I believe the best days for our camping ministry are still ahead of us.

Amen. Ase’. May It Be So.

Rev. Dr. William E. Crowder Jr.