I think that each campsite we have had the privilege to visit has wrestled with questions of what it means to be stewards of such wonderful pieces of property. In each case, the camp site was acquired and much of the development of the site was done by prior generations. We have inherited these properties from previous generations of church members who were committed to the process of outdoor ministries as part of faith formation for the church. Their vision and wisdom was combined with sacrifice and struggle to make these places of hospitality and welcome as well as places for the development of character and the experience of the power of God’s ongoing creation.

Over the years, however, these places have become valuable, and, in many cases, the use by the churches is quite light. Not all members of contemporary congregations take advantage of the ministries of the camps. In fact, in most Conferences of the United Church of Christ those who have participated in camps is a minority. When viewed as an asset on a balance sheet, a camp can be seen as a huge part of the conference. In most cases, where the camp is on deeded land, it constitutes the largest asset of the conference. Of course some camp sites are not owned, they are, in contrast, leased. Generally the leases are with the federal government, most of the time with the USDA Forest Service.

N-Sid-Sen is the largest piece of undeveloped lakefront property on Lake Coeur d’Alene. There are many million dollar homes along the stores of this beautiful alpine lake. The camp receives inquiries about ownership and possible sale of the property on a regular basis. There are cash customers who would line up and join the bidding were such a place come onto the market. As a result, it is difficult to place a cash value on the real estate involved. It would not be a small number.

But ownership of land is more than a matter of dollars and cents for God’s faithful people. We believe we are called to be stewards of the land. We are obligated to care for the land and to provide access to those who otherwise might be excluded from its use. The reality is that if the Conference were to sell this piece of property, it would become unavailable for use by people of modest means. We do not believe that only the rich should have access to the glories of God’s creation. It should not be a privilege for only a few to spend time in such a beautiful place. Furthermore, the land is the largest piece of undeveloped lake front precisely because generations of wise stewards have chosen not to overdevelop the property. There are cabins for campers. There are a few retreat spaces with convenient bathrooms and showers. There is a modern dining hall and a large lodge. And there is a cove with a swimming area and a boat launch for canoes, kayaks, row boats and a sailboat. The camp has made the entrance of this cove available for the local volunteer fire department to construct a boat house and docks. The docks are available to the camp. The boat house houses a fire boat that is used to protect the homes and other buildings along the lakeshore.

The rest of the property is truly undeveloped. Aside from a few walking trails, it is the way it had been for many generations. The concept that this land could be owned is relatively recent in the history of the world. From time immemorial, the indigenous tribes who have lived near the stores of this lake did not see the space as something that could be owned. It was, rather, visited for hunting and ceremony. The name of this camp, N-Sid-Sen, is a transliteration of an indigenous name for this place. It translates roughly as, “the place where when you lie down, you wake up inspired.” It is a fitting name for this place. The indigenous concept that land cannot be owned is probably very accurate when it comes to this special place. But we live in a time of deeds and controlled access to property. People buy title to pieces of property and they treat it as their exclusive tract of land, denying others access. So in this time, it makes sense for the ownership of some property to be communal. One example of a group of people owning property is federal lands. The lands of the Forest Service, the Parks Service, and the Bureau of Land Management belong to all of us as citizens of this country. We all own those pieces of property and we all have the right to use the property with certain restrictions and rules. Another example of communal ownership is the ownership of areas of land by church conferences and other organizations, such as the scouts or YMCA. These private, nonprofit organizations become stewards of the land and try to practice hospitality that gives access to many.

Camps are excellent places for the teaching of Creation Care, Stewardship, and Climate Justice. Their value to future generations is impossible to estimate, but as more and more land becomes highly developed, these less developed spaces gain unique value. Simply conserving the land is a mission that may justify ownership even if the properties are lightly used. Just having properties that are lightly used is something that we ought not to deny future generations. Part of the stewardship of these special places means that we need to be willing to sacrifices as have previous generations in order to preserve the land for those who come after us.

Those of us who are interested in church camping all know stories of campsites that were sold and are no longer available for use as church camps. Each of these stories is one of loss and sadness. Most of them include stories of the overdevelopment of the property, covering the land with mansions for the use of only the wealthiest of our country to use.

It is good for the church to wrestle with these issues. Our decisions have dramatic effects. Sometimes it is best to simply delay such decisions as we consider how best to pass on these places to future generations.