Throughout the summer, members of the Bishop’s Camp and Retreat Ministry Task Force and its working teams have continued the work entrusted to us by the 2026 Northern Illinois Annual Conference. As we begin this next phase, we first want to say thank you.

We are grateful to the clergy and laity who have given significant time this summer to move this work forward. We are also grateful to people across the Conference who have shared memories of lives changed at camp, raised questions, offered ideas, volunteered expertise, or advocated for places and ministries they love. All of this reminds us that camp and retreat ministry matters deeply to the people of the Northern Illinois Conference.

What Annual Conference Asked Us to Do

At its June session, Annual Conference authorized the next phase of the Task Force’s work, including a feasibility study of a renewed model for camp and retreat ministry.

The model being studied places disciple-making and program ministry at the center, supported by a single site capable of serving children, youth, adults, local churches, Conference ministries, retreats, events, and camps throughout the year.

We are not beginning with the question, “Which property should we keep?” Instead, we are asking more foundational questions: What ministry is God calling us to offer? Who would it serve? What would that ministry require? And can it be vibrant, sustainable, and faithful to our mission?

Only after those questions are answered can we consider what facility, location, staffing, governance, and financial model could support that ministry.

Work Completed This Summer

During July and August, a Task Force working group developed a detailed Request for Proposals for an independent feasibility study. Six ministry consulting firms were invited to respond, and three submitted proposals.

After reviewing those proposals, the Task Force selected Deep Dive HR Consulting, in partnership with Bowline, to conduct the independent study. Deep Dive will serve as the lead firm and single point of accountability.

The feasibility study will examine potential participation and market demand, programming, facility needs, staffing, operational requirements, financial sustainability, and the assumptions and risks involved in creating a year-round ministry.

We hope to complete this phase of the work this fall and receive the consultant’s report in November.

We have also developed a dedicated page on the Northern Illinois Conference website where members can follow the Task Force’s work, find answers to frequently asked questions, review important documents and milestones, and learn about opportunities to participate as the study progresses. 

What We Are Not Doing Right Now

Because questions have understandably arisen, it is important to be clear about what this phase of the process is not.

At this point, the Task Force is not choosing between Wesley Woods and Reynoldswood. We are not evaluating bids or proposals for the sale of either property. We are not making decisions about future property reservations or establishing a timetable for the disposition of Conference property.

Those questions may eventually need to be addressed, but they are not the questions before us today.

Instead, we are beginning with ministry.

For more than 50 years, God has used camp and retreat ministry within this Conference to form disciples, nurture Christian community, raise up leaders, deepen faith, and provide sacred places apart. Our task now is to discern whether those seeds can grow into a faithful and sustainable expression for the generations ahead—and, if so, what that ministry needs in order to flourish.

Discernment Means We Do Not Yet Know the Answer

This may be the hardest part of the process: we do not yet know the answer.

We do not know what the November feasibility report will say, whether the model being studied will prove feasible, or what recommendations may follow.

That uncertainty is not a flaw. It is part of discernment.

The Task Force is not working toward a predetermined outcome. We are seeking to remain open to what we do not yet know, listen carefully to data and to one another, and attend faithfully to where the Spirit may be leading.

There will be opportunities for participation along the way. The consultants will need to hear from people throughout the Conference—including those with long histories in our camping ministry, as well as congregations, families, clergy, young people, potential participants, and others who can help us understand what a vibrant camp and retreat ministry might look like today and in the future.

The Annual Conference Will Continue to Decide

The Task Force is a recommending body. Neither the Task Force nor the feasibility consultant has been empowered to make final decisions about the future disposition of Conference camp property.

Any eventual decisions involving matters such as mortgaging, leasing, or selling Conference camp property will require appropriate action by Annual Conference.

If this feasibility study leads to recommendations involving those decisions, our responsibility will be to provide Annual Conference with the clearest information and most faithful recommendations we can so that the Conference can discern and decide together.

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That brings us back to the purpose Bishop Schwerin gave the Task Force: to assess the current viability of our camp ministry, explore ways to strengthen and improve it, and help discern a clear and sustainable direction for its future. Through evaluation, collaboration, and visioning, the Task Force is charged with providing recommendations that support “a vibrant, inclusive, and mission-driven camp experience for all.”

We are grateful for your prayers, questions, stories, passion, and patience as we continue this work together.

Be sure to follow our progress on the Camp and Retreat Ministry Task Force webpage.