The Wilds Christian Association
 |
|
| Private | |
| Industry |
Camping Retreats |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Headquarters | Brevard, North Carolina |
|
Key people
|
Ken Hay Ken Collier Rand Hummel Matt Herbster |
| Website | wilds.org |
The Wilds Christian Association, Inc. is a Protestant Christian organization, based in Brevard, North Carolina. The organization was founded by a group of Christians at Bob Jones University who recognized the need for a Christian camp in the Southeastern United States. In 1967, the group purchased a 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) property near Brevard, North Carolina and established The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center (commonly referred to as "The Wilds") about two years later. Today, The Wilds is one of the largest Christian camps in the United States. About 21,000 people attend annual retreats, while summer camp averages 1,100 to 1,200 campers per week.
The Wilds of the Rockies opened in 1987 near Kremmling, Colorado, though the property was sold in 2004 and converted to a residential development. A third camp, The Wilds of New England, was established in Deering, New Hampshire in 2009. Additionally, CampsAbroad was founded in 2001, which an international program assisting Christian camping ministries in 40 countries. The Wilds Christian Association is supported by more than 300 churches, and more than 250,000 campers have attended its summer camp programs. The Wilds has a year-round staff of forty and a summer staff of about 270.
The Wilds is a conservative, fundamentalist, Protestant organization. Although not affiliated with any denomination, many sponsors are Independent Baptist and Bible churches.
The Wilds' mission statement is succinctly stated in the camp verse: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (I Corinthians 10:31). The Wilds seeks to evangelize non-Christian campers and encourage spiritual growth among Christian campers by combining Bible study, personal discipleship, and religious services with recreational activity.
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