- The Wilds Christian Association
:"For other uses of the phrase "The Wilds", see
The Wilds (disambiguation) ."Infobox Company
company_name = THE WILDS Christian Association, Inc.
company_
company_type = Private
foundation = 1969
location = Taylors, SC
key_people =Ken Hay
Walter Fremont
Joe Henson
Carl BlytheRand Hummel
industry =Camping
Retreats
products =
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
num_employees =
parent =
subsid =
homepage = [http://www.wilds.org/twca/index.php www.wilds.org]
footnotes =THE WILDS Christian Association, Inc. is a
Protestant Christian organization that operates "The Wilds Christian Camp/Conference Center" inBrevard, North Carolina (commonly called "The Wilds").The Wilds was founded in 1969 by
Ken Hay , Walter Fremont, Joe Henson, and Carl Blythe, who knew each other from their association atBob Jones University inGreenville, South Carolina . The Wilds corporate office is located inTaylors, South Carolina , a town near Greenville.The Wilds organization is supported by over 300 churches, and over 250,000 campers have attended its
summer camp programs. They are currently seeking to expand the organization by building a new camp in New England, called "THE WILDS of New England".Beliefs
[http://www.wilds.org/twca/index.php?content=doctrine THE WILDS Doctrinal Statement]
The Wilds is a conservative, fundamental,
Protestant organization. It does not affiliate itself with any denomination, although many church sponsors areIndependent Baptist and Bible churches.The Wilds' mission statement is most succinctly stated in the "camp verse:"cquote|Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.|15px|15px|
I Corinthians 10:31They seek to evangelize non-Christian campers, and encourage spiritual growth for Christian campers. This is done by combining Bible study, personal discipleship, and sermon time along with all of the many recreational activities.Camping Ministries
North Carolina
"THE WILDS Christian Camp/Conference Center" is located near
Rosman, North Carolina (with a mailing address in Brevard). The camp property contains approximately convert|1000|acre|km2 of land through which the Toxaway Creek flows. Four main waterfalls on the Toxaway are on The Wilds' property and are common hiking destinations for campers.The camp is one of the largest Christian camps in the United States. During the summer, the camp averages between 1,100 and 1,200 campers each week. Throughout the rest of the year the camp hosts many specialized retreats.
The campsite facilities include staff residences, an inn and chapel, dormitory and craft shop, cabins, dining hall, main office building, and a large multi-purpose building (used as an indoor
basketball venue and a 1,300 seat auditorium). The property includes a man-made lake, the Toxaway Creek and waterfalls, basketball courts, and athletic fields. There are also several leisure activities available such as awater slide , land trolley, and a convert|65|ft|m|sing=on "Giant Swing."s, which are numbered going downstream.
* "The Shoals" [http://jesserichardson.com/pics/shoals.jpgPicture]
Coord|35|4|43.2|N|82|52|17.5|W
* First Falls
Coord|35|4|40.4|N|82|52|27.3|W
* Second Falls
Coord|35|4|41.7|N|82|52|32|W
* Third Falls
Coord|35|4|39.9|N|82|52|36.6|W
* Fourth Falls
Coord|35|4|35|N|82|52|39.5|WColorado
"THE WILDS of the Rockies" was the second Wilds camp to open. It was located in
Colorado in order to service a new constituency. It operated for 17 years, but was eventually shut down due to community issues. In the fall of 2004, The Wilds sold the property to Jeff and Linda Peotter, longtime supporters of The Wilds. The land is to be developed as a residential area.New Hampshire
"THE WILDS of New England" is the latest camping venture of The Wilds organization. Camp operations began in 2007 before the purchase of land. Instead, several other facilities were rented. The Wilds purchased a piece of land in
Meredith, New Hampshire byLake Winnipesaukee , but the Board of Directors later decided to sell the land. Prospecting efforts are currently underway in New Hampshire to find a permanent home for the New England camp. In 2007, the Board appointedRand Hummel , Assistant Director of The Wilds in NC, as the Director of the new camp.International
"CampsAbroad" is a world-wide consulting program The Wilds uses to assist the cause of Christian camping around the world. The program is designed to help already established camps, as well as churches who want to start new camping ministries.
Products
The Wilds also provides many different materials by way of bookstores and an [http://store.wilds.org/ online store] . These include Bible study guides, topical studies, songbooks, recorded music, and books of activity ideas for church youth groups. The Wilds is widely regarded for its selection of conservative
Christian music recordings, which are all produced by camp staff members.References
* [http://www.wilds.org/twca/index.php The Wilds official website]
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