The Ohio Independent Baptist, December 1963

1 e story o ome an EDITOR' S NOTE : At the. annual meeting of the Ohio Association meeting at Toledo, I asked Rev. Elton Hukill to write an article to summarize the story of Home and Camp as he has experienced it. By Rev. Elton C. Hukill Ohio Regular Bcliptist Home and Camp, Inc. , had its beginning in the earnest and prevailing prayers of four ladies of the Fostoria Bapti t Church : Mrs. Anna Hawk, Mrs. Nellie Long– acre, Mrs. Nilva Hottenstein and Mrs. Lillie Babb. Their concern wa that Ohio Association provide a home for the aged of our churches who had no one to care for them, and for re– tired mis ionaries and other Christian workers. Letters of invitation were sent out in the spring of 1949 to the churches of the Association to send Pastor and delegates to a meeting to be held in the Immanuel Baptist Church of Co– lumbus. At this meeting the need of such a home was presented , and, also, the need of a Youth Camp . It was finally agreed that the two projects should be combined, and a committee of three was appointed to investigate possibilities and to make recommenda– ti ons to the Association. Thi com– mittee consisted of Pastor Earl V . Wil– letts, Chairman, Pastor C. Douglas Burt, Secretary, and Pastor Elton C. Hukill, Treasurer. The com,plete story of the travels of this committee to fulfill its appointed task cannot be told here. Many sites wer e visited, but all either found un– suitable, or beyond our ability to pay. Soon, it was agreed that no one place could provide for both a home and a camp. Since many of our pastors did not approve of the incorpor ation of our churches into an organizati on that could legally ho ld property, a com– r11ittee of three men : Dr. H. K. Finl ey, Mr . George Milner and Le ter dger– tor1 , drew up papers of incorpor at ion a11d subr11i tted then1 to the tate for apJ rova1 . A board of eight lrL1~tees \\'as the11 appointed by the C'oL1nc il of c11 . l ~he e trustees met and or – gar1 L1ed J une 26, 1950. his board has no"' bee11 i1creased to 16 n1cn1- l,e1 . l ... ear11ing of a11 a\ 1 ailal)le can1p site 011 Kelley I land , t rL1stce. Will etts and H11kilJ visited tl1e islantl arl y ir1 l 95 J. 1"l1e1 on J Lil)' 2 , 195 1, tl1e trus let; 111e t at t l1e i te and appro,re<l THE OHIO lNDEPENDENT BAPTIST the purcha e of what is now Camp Patmos. Thi had been operated as a Youth Camp by Father Chaloupka of Cleveland, but it use h ad been di continued, and we were able to purcha e it at a co t of $22,500 in 1952. A grounds commj ttee of two C . Douglas Burt, chairman, and Elton C. Hukill, assistant, was appointed to direct the task of putting the camp in condition for operation. Only by prodigous efforts by many volunteer helpers from our churches, under the capable direction of Chairman Burt was this accomplished in time for the opening of Camp. Brother Burt recently went to be with the Lord . We are sure a rich reward will be his for his labors for the camp. He had a real burden on his heart for )'Oung people. Churches contributed In 1953 the churches contributed over $11,000 for the improvement and enlargement of the camp, and the present kitchen, the two anitation houses and two cabins were built. Again, only many volunteers made this possible. One church contributed 72 man-day of labor . T he tory of Camp Patmos from 1953 to the pres– ent is familiar to all. Ground Super– intendent Beightol and Town end have contributed much to it ucce . The names of Travis, Thompson and Shirley have made the culinary de– partment famous. To God be all the glory for Hi gr acious leading in building thi camp, and for the many young people aved , and for li ves dedicated . It was not until 196 1 that uitable 5ite was f OLtnd for OLtr Hon1c for Retired hristi an Worker s. H illtop House at 303 Tu carawa , Ave.. in Barberton wa purchaised at a cost of $50,000 1n 1962. After 111ak ing n1any tate-r eqL11rcd changes thi hon1c i now i 11 operat1on. Mltch cred– it here n1u ' t be given to Pa"tor Dca 11 Henr)·. ' f'l1cre is 111t1ch ) et to he do 11e, ht1t we ure sure tl1at ot1r 01 d Wl10 i11 st1c l1 a \\'Onderf ttl wa\' has led tis J amp, nc. this far will continue to ble in thi great ministry on behalf of our youn,g people and the aged of our churches. May these two God-given ministries continue until the Coming of our Lord . Of the four ladies whose prayers brought into being both Home and Camp, two, Mrs. H awk and Mrs. Longacre, are now with their Lord only seeing with the eye of faith ~he .fulfilment of their Holy Spirit 1nsprred dreams. Is it possible that in the glory they know what has been accompli hed? Much more could be written and many other names could be recorded as having a part, but pace will not permit. Contributions to Home and Camp, Inc. Leland G. Howard, Treas. P. 0 . Box 3 Rochester, Ohio OCTOBER Gifts to the Camp Received from Ohio Youth . . .... . $284.02 Department (chapel offerings from camp) Memorial Baptist, Columbus .. .. .. .. .... 15.00 Calvary Baptist, Salem .... . ... ........ .... 3 .00 Bethlehe,m Baptist, Cleveland .. .. .. . ... 5.00 First Baptist, Gallipolis .......... .. ........ 15.00 Northfield Baptist ............. .. ... .... .. ... .. .. 10.00 Penfield Jct. Baptist, Lorain .. .... . .... .. . 10.00 Sharon Baptist, Sharon, Pa . .. ........ .. .. 5 .00 Trinity Baptist, Lorain .. .......... .. .... .. . 5.00 Evansville Baptist, Niles ...... .... .... .. ... . 10.00 First Baptist, Elyria ...... ... .... . 31.66 Blessed Hope Baptist, Spr ingfield ... .. 10.00 Berea Baptist .. .. .. .. . .. .......... 10.00 Immanuel Baptist, Columbus ............ 10.00 Whipple Ave. Baptist, Canton ........... . 5 .00 Total $428.68 Gifts to the Home Northfield Baptist ....... ..... .... $ 10.00 Memorial Baptist, Columbus ... ........ 15.00 North Royalton Baptist .................... 10.00 Faith Baptist, Amherst ............. ..... .... 5 .00 Rochester Baptist ....... .... .......... ... ... 5.00 Calvary Baptist, Cleve land ........ ........ 10.00 First Baptist, McDona ld ................... 10.00 Immanuel Baptist, Arcanum ... . ........ 10.00 Reynoldsburg Bible Miss ion Bapt ist .. .. 5 .00 W. M. U. Hunt sburg Baptist .. ................... . Ceda r Hill Bapt ist, Cleve land ........... . Sharon Baptist, Sharon, Pa. . ............. . Tri n ity Baptist, Lora in .... ............. .. First Bapt ist , Elyria . . .......... Bible Bapt ist, N. Mad ison ..... .. Norton Center Ba pti~t ................ . First Bapt ist , Find lay . . . . Immanuel Baptiit, Columbus ......... ... Berea Bap ti~t . ... . .. . Total 10.00 30.00 s.oo 5.00 31.66 9.00 5 .00 s.oo 15. 25.00 - $220 .66 Page 5, 1963