All Nations Camp expands to both Baptist conference centers
Fun and games were a part of both camps at Carson Springs and Linden Valley.
NEWPORT – For the first time in the history of All Nations Camp, two camps were held, one at each Tennessee Baptist conference center.
Two-hundred, ninety-eight children, from elementary age through high school, attended ANC at Carson Springs Baptist Conference earlier in June.
Forty-three campers made salvation decisions while 21 recommitted their lives and three were called into full-time Christian service, said William Burton, ethnic ministry specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.
Two weeks later, a second ANC was held in West Tennessee at Linden Valley Baptist Conference Center. The event, designed for refugees and children of refugees and immigrants, drew more than 200 participants, Burton said.
Three churches that had never participated in ANC sent campers to Linden for the first time, Burton said.
“I believe this conference will open more opportunities for churches to participate, especially in West Tennessee,” he predicted.
At Linden Valley, there were 50 salvation decisions, 18 rededications, and four called to ministry.
Campers at both locations gave nearly $3,000 for the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions.
Combined, the camps drew about 500 participants from more than 20 different ethnic churches across the state.
“Neither conference center would handle that capacity at one camp, Burton said, although nearly 500 attended ANC in 2019 at Carson Springs.
“That was when we began to look at having two camps,” Burton recalled, noting that the 2019 attendance was just too many participants at a single location.
But then COVID-19 was introduced to the world in 2020 and camp was canceled. In 2021, due to COVID restrictions still in place, the camp was limited to middle and high schoolers, Burton noted.
Last year’s ANC at Carson Springs drew more than 300 children, teenagers and adults, Burton said.
“I was very happy with the attendance at both locations,”he noted. “In spite of strong spiritual warfare, God worked in an amazing way.”
Kevin Perrigan, center, manager of Carson Springs Baptist Conference Center, leads a Bible study during All Nations Camp.
