STORY
Ohio Conference Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony at Camp Mohaven
September 9, 2023
Francis Tuffour
The leadership and members of the Ohio Conference held a groundbreaking ceremony today to mark the beginning of constructing a multi-purpose pavilion for young people within its territory. The event, which was part of the 2023 camp meeting, took place at Mohaven, the conference’s destination for camp and retreat.
The building project under the theme “Building For Eternity” is to erect a facility to support the youth's physical and spiritual development, which is in line with the vision of the past officials of Ohio Conference who purchased the 700-acre property in 1961. Bob Cundiff, president of the conference who recently chaired a virtual meeting and shared campaign vision with constituents, disclosed that one of the most common questions people ask him as he visited churches has been what leaders were doing to keep the youth in the church. To him, what the conference has started would go beyond concrete and steel. He said, “Yes, we are raising money to build a building, but the erection of a facility is not the end goal. Rather, the end goal is to create an environment that provides meaningful spiritual experiences for our children. Raising our children to know and experience Christ is the single most important task of the Ohio Conference.” During today’s Sabbath worship, he retreated that the building would serve as an avenue for kids to deepen their spiritual experience and to help them with mentorship, encouragement, and training.
Ted Huskins, the campaign consultant from Coleman Stewardship Services Inc., made a brief presentation today about the project, “We build buildings because they're tools to accomplish a purpose. And the purpose is to lead young people to Jesus Christ so that they are in heaven with us for all eternity.” He appealed that every member of the Ohio Conference make a “faith-based sacrificial commitment” to achieve the project's goal. All camp meeting attendees received the building campaign brochures with commitment cards with varied giving options that emphasized that each member should consider an amount they could give because it is not equal giving but equal sacrifice.
According to Jo Ottinger, Youth Ministries director for the Ohio Conference, Camp Mohaven has become a center of influence for members who make decisions for Jesus and enhance their commitment. These campers reported how Camp Mohaven impacted their lives: Natalie Reid testified, “If it were not for Camp Mohaven, I wouldn’t be a Christian today. It was there that a youth pastor sat with me and talked me through my faith when I was at my lowest." Virginia Johnson considered Camp Mohaven as her second home, “I have made so many memories there, and I feel connected to God through Mohaven's beautiful nature. My fondest memory is when my sons were baptized there,” she added. Abigael Isoe said, “ I made memories and bonded with other staff and campers.”
However, Camp Mohave has facility challenges. Since there is no building with over 300 seating capacity, it makes indoor events during rainy days impossible. The new pavilion with a gymnasium will provide a multi-functional space for large-scale events and other activities. The building, expected to be completed early next year, would be used for the 2024 camp meeting.
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