MISSIONS IN THE HISTORY OF CAMP SYCHAR

by Rev. Dr. Gary Campbell

The holiness camp meeting we know as Camp Sychar was first chartered in 1870 as The Ohio State Camp Meeting Association (OSCMA) and the first Ohio State Camp Meeting opened August 23, 1870. For the first decade, there was no permanent home. Camp meetings were held in Canton, Mansfield, Waynesburg, Youngstown, Delaware and Coshocton; and in some years, two camp meetings were conducted. The Ohio State Camp Meeting found its home with the purchase of the present site in Mt. Vernon, and the first camp meeting here began Aug. 24, 1887. The next year, the camp meeting was first called “Camp Sychar,” since the drilling of the iconic well had struck an artesian flow, the answer to prayers for a much-needed fresh water source. There is reason to believe that missions was an emphasis at Camp Sychar from an early time in its history: In 1878, Rev. William Taylor spoke during the camp meeting being held that year in Mansfield. He had not yet been elected as the Missionary Bishop of the (then) Methodist Episcopal Church, but he had organized mission stations in Africa and South America. Over the next several years, Bishop Taylor served twice as a speaker for the camp meeting. His son, Rev. Ross Taylor, was also a speaker at Camp Sychar.

The model and inspiration for the OSCMA was The National Camp Meeting Association for the Promotion of Holiness. In 1910, the national association formed its own missionary organization, the National Holiness Missionary Society (NHMS, later to become World Gospel Mission). In 1925, Camp Sychar made its first pledge to foreign missions: $500 in support of Woodford Taylor, one of the two first missionaries sponsored by the NHMS (the other missionary was Cecil Troxel). Predating this by a decade, however, the OSCMA Board in 1915 designated a Board member as “Superintendent of Missions,” and the story of E. A. “Ta-ta” Seamands dates back to 1912: Seamands, then an engineering student in Cincinnati, came to Camp Sychar to get a gift or loan of money from an uncle who was attending the camp meeting. Young Seamands was not a believer, but he experienced strong conviction under the evangelists' preaching, and was converted during the final service. He actually experienced his call to missions before that: Bishop Wilson Lewis preached about China at the Missionary Service on Wednesday, and while E. A. Seamands listened from the back of the (old) tabernacle, he had a vision: The “Holiness Unto the Lord” banner was transformed, and Seamands saw in glistening golden letters, “I – N – D – I – A!” Seven years later, he sailed for India, and spent four decades there. One of the fruits of Ta-ta's ministry was the founding of Dhrur Jatre, the “Camp Sychar of India;” and Camp Sychar supported Dhrur Jatre financially for many years.

We were still doing so through the early years of Dr. Gary Campbell's quarter-of-a-century term as Secretary of Missions on the Camp Sychar Board. Sychar's historical records include our early commitment to holiness missions.

In 1924, funds were divided between the mission work of E. Stanley Jones in India and the Kentucky Mountain Holiness Association (KMHA). Stanley Jones himself was a speaker at Camp Sychar several times, and the founder of KMHA, Lela G. McConnell, was a Sychar speaker many different years before her death in 1970.

In 1925, funds were designated for the NHMS; the Oriental Missionary Society (OMS; and the OMS founders, the Cowmans, also spoke at Sychar more than once). In 1927, the Missionary Service offering came to $700, and 75 youths responded to the invitation, indicating that they were willing to go to a mission field if God called.

In 1932, Willis Hotchkiss of Kenya was the missionary speaker, and 70 youths offered themselves for possible missionary service. That same year Camp Sychar began its support of one of its own—Virgil Kirkpatrick. Virgil had been converted at Camp Sychar at the age of 6, and was now a missionary in Kenya under World Gospel Mission (WGM). We continued our pledge for Virgil and Faye Kirkpatrick's ministry into the early years of Gary Campbell's leadership of Camp Sychar Missions: Eventually, Rev. Kirkpatrick saw the need for spiritual renewal for the missionaries themselves in Kenya and in other African nations as well. He formed Africa Revival Fellowship (ARF) and, like WGM, OMS and Bethany, there was an ARF tent on Sychar's grounds into the 1970s and 1980s. Camp Sychar Missions also supported both of the sons of the Kirkpatricks from time to time, one of whom was a missionary with his denomination, and the other was a producer of missionary audio-visuals at Taylor University. Like other holiness camps, Sychar's schedule included one Missionary Service each summer. Missionary offerings were limited to that one service, but the funds raised were substantial, given the general economy.

In 1933, the height of the Great Depression, $317 was raised for missions, but in 1937, the total exceeded $1,000. Missionary Services down through the years also saw many Camp Sychar youth responding to the call to missionary service, or at least showing their willingness to go if/when called. In 1936, Virgil Kirkpatrick was the missionary speaker. 20 youths committed themselves to a definite missionary calling, and more than 100 others indicated their readiness to go if called. In 1949, Marshal Cavit—then serving in Bolivia with WGM—was the missionary speaker. (Marshal and Catherine Cavit were missionaries with the Friends for two years; 25 years with WGM in Bolivia; and another 25 with OMS in Ecuador!) When he appealed for volunteers to go to the mission field, 126 youths knelt at the altar. In 1950, Eugene Erny—then the newly elected President of OMS—gave the missionary message. Young people flocked to the altar. After prayer, Erny asked them to stand and join hands. There were so many, they completely surrounded the inside of the tabernacle! No complete record of Sycharites who became missionaries exists, but some can be named: They include not only Virgil Kirkpatrick, but also...

  • Edna Marie Boroff, nurse at Tenwek Hospital, Kenya (The Camp Sychar Nurse's Cottage is named in Edna Marie's memory)

  • Marjorie Brown, daughter of Rev. H. E. Williamson, Sychar's President 1932-l942, who with her first husband, Devee, worked in various Hispanic ministries and whose sons, Ron and Tim are also Sychar-supported missionaries

  • Sue Martin, nurse in Haiti and Haitian-American ministries in Florida

  • Sarah Radebaugh Eberhard, missionary teacher first in Honduras, and then she and her husband, Mel, were WGM's first missionaries in Nicaragua

  • Meryl Esenwein, artist and teacher in Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda

  • Karen Rickel, nurse in Honduras; and her brother, Tim, WGM Vice President

  • Mark Freer, teacher and construction supervisor in Indonesia

  • Keith and Jamie Weaver, health ministries at the Rift Valley Hospital, Kenya

  • Carl and Kelli Dingus, teacher and maintenance at Morrison Academy, Taiwan

All of those listed above have been supported by Camp Sychar, and each one has ministered as a missionary speaker.

1942 was the first year that included a full Missionary Day at Camp Sychar. The custom of holding a single Missionary Service had continued, and for a number of years the afternoon service on the final Sunday of camp meeting was a Missionary Rally. However, the Camp Board decided in 1941 to designate the Wednesday of camp meeting as “Missionary Day.” Every service throughout that day would be a missionary service. Who first proposed this change is not known, but Rev. Fred Shiltz was the first Missionary Superintendent to preside over a full Missionary Day on the Wednesday of the 1942 camp meeting. Over the years, Missionary Day itself has been modified to include, for example, a Missionary Tea or various contests and games; and the special day currently is Tuesday rather than Wednesday.

One result of the Board's commitment to missions was the employment of missionaries not only as missionary speakers, but also as evangelists and Bible teachers. This practice preceded the scheduling of a Missionary Day. Four missionaries who have been preachers and/or Bible Teachers were Dr. John Kunkle, Rev. Helmut Schultz, Rev. Marshal Cavit and Rev. Jimmy Lentz. Rev. and Mrs. John Kunkle were pioneer missionaries in Bolivia (under WGM) in the late 1940s and into the 1950s. Rev. and Mrs. Marshal Cavit served in both Bolivia and Ecuador (Cottage #1 on Missions Avenue is named in memory of the Cavits). Rev. and Mrs. Helmut Schultz (OMS) served in Japan. Rev. Jimmy Lentz was never supported by Camp Sychar Missions, but is remembered as a passionate and often dramatic preacher in our Tabernacle.

An outstanding missionary speaker around 1950 or 1951 was Dr. Meredyth Schefflen. She was under appointment with WGM, and her passion for a lost and needy world was contagious. Dr. Schefflen was never on Sychar's support list, but she is included here because of her outstanding career in Bolivia, beginning in 1953. She started two successful high schools and a Bible school there. Finally, she secured WGM's support in her founding of the Bolivian Evangelical University. BEU became the first private Christian university in Bolivia, a true miracle!

Under the latest revision of the Camp Sychar Constitution, Article V, “Supervision,” provides for the selection, within the Board of a Secretary of Missions and an Assistant Secretary of Missions. The Board member who, over the years, was designated as Superintendent of Missions, Missionary Superintendent, Missionary Secretary now has the title “Secretary of Missions.” Over a period of 75 years in the twentieth century, these missions leaders have included:

  • Clare T. Goodwin, 1925-1933

  • Earl Gray, 1934-1942

  • Rev. Fred Shiltz, 1942-1953

  • Rev. Walter Mullet, 1954 to his death in 1959

  • Rev. Fred Shiltz served again, 1959-1960

  • Dr. Robert Buswell, 1960-1962

  • Rev. Forrest Campbell, 1962 to his death in 1975

  • Dr. Gary Campbell, 1975-1999

By 1953, the Missions Budget was $5,000. By 1999, the amount was $30,000! Some 50 missionary ministries have been supported by Camp Sychar Missions. Offerings and pledges have been channeled primarily through various holiness missionary societies such as WGM, OMS, India Holiness Association (Dhrur Jatre), Kentucky Mountain Holiness Association (KMHA), Africa Revival Fellowship (ARF) and Bethany Christian Mission Center. Sychar has also supported holiness missionaries serving under other evangelical agencies, including Keith and Jamie Weaver (Africa Inland Mission); and Tim and Julie Brown (Pioneers).

Since the year 2000, the post of Secretary of Missions has been filled by Rev. Keith Bond (now deceased); Rev. Matthew Brookes (currently the Camp President); Mr. David Grissom (a former Board member); and Mrs. Linda Daft (currently serving). Only one Assistant Secretary of Missions has been named, former Board member Mrs. Sheila Haldeman. It was she who proposed changing Missionary Day from Wednesday to Tuesday, and helped develop the Missions Fair, held in the afternoon on Missionary Day.

Also in recent years, some amount of the Missions Budget has been reserved to support short-term missionaries, in particular Sychar youth taking missions work-and-learning trips. Former Secretary of Missions, Rev. Matthew Brookes, proposed that Camp Sychar sponsor adults taking work-mission trips. There has been only one such trip to date, a work-mission on the Island of Roatan, Honduras.

Of special interest is the following account of Camp Sychar's influence in the mission field of Haiti: Camp Sychar's tents have all been replaced by cottages. The first cottages were built by Mr. Melvin Bowers, a long-time Board member and at one time the Board's Treasurer, who also served as Caretaker of Camp Sychar. Melvin was a strong supporter of missions, and was one of the originators of Men for Missions with OMS. The Prayer Cottage at the front of our grounds is named in memory of Melvin Bowers. In the construction of cottages at Camp Sychar, Melvin was sometimes assisted by a grandson, Greg Benson. In 1996, the grandson, Greg, began his missionary career in Haiti. Greg Benson is the president of Servants in Fellowship (SIF) and only recently retired as a field missionary in Haiti. In the wake of the most recent and very devastating earthquake in Haiti, many Haitian families were left without homes and were reduced to living on the ground in makeshift shacks, in poor health conditions and with no privacy. Greg remembered working with Melvin at Camp Sychar, and realized that a small cottage, similar to those he had helped construct, could make a much-improved living space for a Haitian family. He procured the release of government properties and began building. Using work-mission teams (which is the primary strategy of SIF), several hundred cottages have now been completed!

Here is a partial listing of Missionary Day speakers in addition to those included above:

  • Hollis Abbott, President of WGM

  • Burnis Bushong, Vice President of WGM

  • Dale McClain, Hong Kong under OMS

  • Rev. Paul Haines, OMS

  • Ernie Kilbourne, OMS

  • Dr. Bill and Ilene Douce, Ecuador, OMS

  • Dennis and Twana Johnson, Honduras, WGM

  • Larry and Angie Overhold, Honduras, WGM

  • Lester and Sarah Pinkley, Southwest Indian School, WGM

  • Barbara Pinkley, Missionary Nurse and Educator, Tenwek Hospital, Kenya

  • Joe and Ellen Kunkle, Paraguay, WGM

  • John and Priscilla Kunkle, Texas-Mexico border, WGM

  • Don and Peggy Saum, Indonesia, OMS

  • Christine Greenwell, Mexico, WGM

Camp Sychar's sesquicentennial was 2020...the only year there could be no in-person camp meeting, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The delayed celebration was featured at the 2021 camp meeting. Since 1870, Camp Sychar's banner has been HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD! Throughout this same century-and-a-half, the banner for Camp Sychar Missions has been

THE WHOLE GOSPEL,
FOR THE WHOLE PERSON,
THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE WORLD!