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| 25-Year History of Psalm 23 Camp |
- 1985 – Psalm 23 Camp began as “something to do” for young people
- The camp is located on a 300-acre farm owned by Dennis and Glenda
Rowan of Gap Mills, WV
- The camp name, Psalm 23 Camp, was selected because of the Bible’s
frequent reference to sheep, and the fact that sheep production is the
only farm enterprise of the Rowans.
- The accommodations for the early years consisted of tent camping on Peters
Mountain (3/4 mile from present location), and cooking on open campfires.
- 1993 – Servants At Work (SAW) program was established as the primary
emphasis of the camp. The emphasis is to direct young people 14 and older
in work projects for needy individuals/families as a Christian witness.
- Home Service Projects (HSP) have been the central focus at Psalm 23 Camp
for the past 18 years.
- Estimated service by volunteers to Monroe and surrounding counties
- More than 4400 volunteers
- More than 100,000 hours of volunteer service
- The volunteer service is equivalent to more than 50 people working
40-hour weeks for an entire year, or one person volunteering 40
hours per week for 50 years
- Other incidental facts
- Teams arrive on Sunday evening and leave the following Saturday
- Meal preparation, housekeeping, building maintenance and lawn care
are completed by part-time camp staff
- About 99 percent of all costs involved in the housing and feeding of
volunteers, plus the setup and supervision of HSP, is covered by fees
paid by the volunteers and their respective church congregations
and/or Christian schools
- Groups spend Monday of each week working on the camp facilities
- Approximately 75 percent of the building construction at the camp
was completed by volunteers
- Approximately 250 groups have participated in SAW workcamps
- Volunteer groups have come from 21 different states. More have come
from Michigan than any other state.
- One couple, John and Ellen Rendle, have lead youth teams from St.
Marks Lutheran Church of Wilmington, Delaware every year for the
past 15 years. Three Bridges Reformed Church of Flemington, NJ has
sent teams for the past 13 years
- One group from California came two years
- Approximately 75 percent of the groups attending each summer have
participated in a SAW workcamp one or more previous years
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