The Wilds Christian Association, Inc. is a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

Christian organization, based in Brevard, North Carolina. The organization was founded by a group of Christians at

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

who recognized the need for a Christian camp in the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

. In 1967, the group purchased a 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 The Town of Kremmling is a Statutory Town in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 1444 at the 2010 United States Census. The town sits along the upper Colorado River in the lower arid section of Middle Park between ...

, 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 is 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 A summer camp or sleepaway camp is a supervised program for children conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as ''campers''. Summer school is usually a part of the academ ...

programs. The Wilds has a year-round staff of forty and a summer staff of about 270.Abe Hardesty, "Hay's ministry took root in N.C. mountains," ''Greenville News'', November 24, 2010, City People, 4.

Beliefs

The Wilds is a

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

fundamentalist Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishi ...

organization. Although not affiliated with any denomination, many sponsors are

Independent Baptist Independent Baptist churches (some also called Independent Fundamental Baptist or IFB) are Christian congregations, generally holding to conservative (primarily fundamentalist) Baptist beliefs. Although some Independent Baptist churches refuse af ...

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" ( 1 Corinthians 10:31). The Wilds seeks to

evangelize In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are in ...

non-Christian campers and encourage spiritual growth among Christian campers by combining Bible study, personal discipleship, and religious services with recreational activity.

Camping ministries

North Carolina

The Wilds Christian Camp/Conference Center is located 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 Resear ...

(with a mailing address in Brevard). The camp property contains approximately of land through which Toxaway Creek flows. Four main waterfalls on the Toxaway are on The Wilds property and are common hiking destinations for campers.

History

In the late 1960s, a group of people recognized the need for a Christian camp in the

. In 1967, the group discovered the property in

Transylvania County, North Carolina Transylvania County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census the population is 32,986. Its county seat is Brevard. Transylvania County comprises the Brevard Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included i ...

, and first incorporated as "Hemlock Hills Christian Association" because of the abundance of hemlock trees on the property. Then someone recalled

Socrates Socrates (; ; –399 BC) was a Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and among the first moral philosophers of the ethical tradition of thought. An enigmatic figure, Socrates authored no te ...

' death from drinking hemlock, and they decided to call the camp "The Wilds," a reflection of Jesus having urged His disciples to rest awhile in a secluded place. (Mark 6:31) Although the group had few resources, they eventually obtained funds to purchase the 810-acre tract of land in Transylvania County, North Carolina. By 1969, The Wilds was established by Ken Hay, Walter Fremont, Joe Henson, and Carl D. Blyth Sr., who knew each other from their association at

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

Facilities

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 specialized retreats that attract 21,000 attendees annually. 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 Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

venue and a 1,300-seat auditorium). The property includes a man-made lake, Toxaway Creek and waterfalls, basketball courts, and athletic fields. There are also several leisure activities available such as a

water slide A water slide (also referred to as a flume, or water chute) is a type of slide designed for warm-weather or indoor recreational use at water parks. Water slides differ in their riding method and therefore size. Some slides require riders to s ...

, land trolley (zip-line), and a "Giant Swing." The Wilds' section of Toxaway Creek has several

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in severa ...

s, which are numbered going downstream. * "The Shoals"
* First Falls
* Second Falls
* Third Falls
* Fourth Falls

Colorado

The Wilds of the Rockies opened in 1987 near

and operated near Rabbit Ears Pass and

Muddy Pass Muddy Pass may refer to: * Muddy Pass (Continental Divide) Muddy Pass (el. 8772 ft.) is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States. The pass straddles the continental divide along the boundary betw ...

until it was closed in 2004 due to community issues. The Wilds sold the property to longtime supporters Jeff and Linda Peotter, and the property became a residential development.

New Hampshire

In 2007, camp operations began at The Wilds of New England at rented facilities. The Wilds purchased land by

Lake Winnipesaukee Lake Winnipesaukee () is the largest lake in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, located in the Lakes Region at the foothills of the White Mountains. It is approximately long (northwest-southeast) and from wide (northeast-southwest), covering & ...

, near Meredith, but securing permits was difficult and "the property, though beautiful, was near enough to the town to bring a number of disadvantages." In 2009, the Meredith property was sold, and The Wilds assumed the mortgage of another camp property in Deering, New Hampshire. In 2007, the Board appointed Rand Hummel, assistant director of The Wilds in North Carolina, as the director of The Wilds of New England.

International

CampsAbroad
is a worldwide consulting program used by The Wilds 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. Training and materials are provided to ministries at no charge, but The Wilds name is not used by these camping ministries outside the United States.

Products

The Wilds produces Bible study guides, topical studies, songbooks, recorded music, and books of activity ideas for church youth groups. The Wilds is noted for its recordings of conservative

Christian music Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely aroun ...

produced by camp staff.

References

External links

The Wilds official website

The Wilds (North Carolina)map

The Wilds of New England

Camps Abroad
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilds Christian Association, The Publishing companies established in 1969 Christian fundamentalism Christian summer camps Christian publishing companies Christian record labels Companies based in South Carolina Transylvania County, North Carolina Privately held companies based in South Carolina Christian organizations established in 1969 Christianity in North Carolina Christianity in South Carolina Youth organizations based in North Carolina