At this year’s Annual Conference (June 14-16), members passed legislation that directed a task force to conduct feasibility studies to evaluate the current outdoor and retreat ministry and explore steps toward strengthening it.

The conversation about this legislation was one of the most honest and heartfelt we’ve shared on the floor of the Annual Conference. Speaker after speaker testified to the ways camp has shaped faith, formed leaders, and created life-changing encounters with Christ. That passion is precisely why this work is so important.

It also became clear that some confusion remained about what the legislation actually approved.

The legislation did not decide the future of any particular camp property. Rather, it authorized the task force to continue the work Bishop Dan Schwerin asked it to undertake: 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 so that we can provide "a vibrant, inclusive, and mission-driven camp experience for all."

Specifically, it called for an evaluation of site requirements, the viability of Reynoldswood and Wesley Woods or other sites; capital needs; staffing and program requirements; accreditation and compliance requirements; governance and organizational models; financial sustainability; fundraising capacity; and the long-term relationship between ministry program, property stewardship, and conference oversight.

As part of that work, the Annual Conference affirmed an emerging strategic direction worth testing through a professional feasibility study: a renewed model centered on a comprehensive single-site ministry whose primary purpose is year-round discipleship development through camps, retreats, and intergenerational programming. Hospitality and space-sharing may continue to support that ministry, but they would no longer define its primary purpose.

Because the feasibility study needs freedom to honestly evaluate site options, financial sustainability, governance, staffing, fundraising capacity, and long-term ministry needs, the legislation also places a strategic pause on accepting reservations beyond the current 2026 season until the feasibility work is complete. This does result in a limited operational wind-down of the current outdoor and retreat ministry, while we attend to what the Spirit emerges in our midst. 

The task force is already moving forward. A feasibility sub-team is currently preparing a request for proposals from qualified consultants. Our intention is to receive proposals as early as September, begin the feasibility study this fall, and provide progress reports to the Annual Conference via the Shepherding Team as the work unfolds. As recommendations are developed, any actions requiring approval by the Annual Conference will be brought back to the Annual Conference for discernment. 

This next season is not about preserving a particular structure; it is about discerning how God is calling the Northern Illinois Conference to renew camp and retreat ministry for future generations. We are grateful for the trust the Annual Conference has placed in this process and ask for your continued prayers as we seek God's wisdom, listen well, and faithfully discern the path ahead.