Kenneth Edward Hay (November 13, 1933 – April 2, 2019) was the founder of The Wilds, a

Christian fundamentalist Christian fundamentalism, also known as fundamental Christianity or fundamentalist Christianity, is a religious movement emphasizing biblical literalism. In its modern form, it began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among British and ...

camp and conference center.

Biography

Ken Hay, a native of California and a graduate of

Oregon City High School Oregon City High School is a public high school in the Northwestern United States, northwest United States in Oregon City, Oregon, a suburb south of Portland, Oregon, Portland. History Oregon City High School was established in 1885 on the lower ...

, was the son of a pastor who took his sons to camp settings "as soon as we were old enough to walk." Hay, who was athletic and , turned down several athletic scholarships to attend

Bob Jones University , motto_lang = Latin , mottoeng = We seek, we trust , top_free_label = , top_free = , type = Private university , established = , closed = , f ...

, where he became a student leader and graduated in 1955 with a BA in Bible. He completed a master's degree at BJU in 1957. The following year he was named first director of the University's Institute of Christian Service (later the School of Applied Studies), a former BJU program for non-traditional students seeking to enter Christian ministries. He held this position for thirteen years. In 1975, BJU conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Laws. In 1969, after directing Christian Dells Bible Camp (founded by

Monroe Parker John Monroe "Monk" Parker (June 23, 1909 – July 17, 1994), was a Baptist evangelist, college president, and mission board director. Childhood and Education Parker was born in Thomasville, Alabama and was reared in Edgewood and Chillicothe, Tex ...

), near

Trinity, Alabama Trinity is a town in Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is included in the Decatur Metropolitan Area and the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 2,526, up from 2,095 in 2010. ...

, Hay founded The Wilds, a year-round , non-denominational camp and conference center in the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...

near

Rosman, North Carolina Rosman is a town in Transylvania County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 576 at the 2010 census. The northern terminus of U.S. Route 178 is less than one mile northwest of Rosman on U.S. Route 64. The Pisgah Astronomical Research ...

with the assistance of

Walter Fremont Walter Gilbert Fremont, Jr. (July 20, 1924 – January 7, 2007) was dean of the School of Education, Bob Jones University (1953–1990) and “a seminal force in the inauguration and development of the Christian school movement.” Youth and Educ ...

, Joseph Henson, and Carl Blythe. More than three hundred churches now support The Wilds, its retreats attract 21,000 attendees annually, and more than a quarter-million campers have attended its summer programs, which combine recreation with Bible studies and devotional meetings. Hay reflected that while there was "no way a Christian organization can compete with the world when it comes to amusements...when you get young people away...you can have an impact." The Wilds produces its own music CDs and has as its own missions ar
CampsAbroad
an organization that assists with consulting and start-ups of Christian camps outside the United States. Hay retired as president and CEO of The Wilds in 2006, but he remained chairman of the board until his death.

References

External links

The Wilds official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hay, Ken 1933 births 2019 deaths Religious workers from California Businesspeople from North Carolina Christian fundamentalists American Christian religious leaders Bob Jones University alumni 20th-century American businesspeople