Camp Mohaven Is Not Just a Summer Camp

Story by Heidi Shoemaker

Most memories of Mohaven include swimming, archery, high ropes, horses, mountain biking, and that’s only summer camp! What many may not realize is that Camp Mohaven in Danville, Ohio, operates year-round and is host to a variety of programs. Men’s and women’s retreats, camp meetings (Hispanic and English), local church retreats, Pathfinder and Adventurer events, youth and young adult events and lay pastor assistant and elder trainings, just to name a few.

Camp Mohaven attracts thousands of people each year, both constituents and non-constituents. Over the last decade, Mohaven leadership has created and nurtured connections within the community. Their equine therapy program continues to grow, helping at-risk students in nearby Danville local schools. “It’s a ministry … when Christ was on this earth, He healed and fed people before He ever preached the gospel. At Camp Mohaven during the winter, it is healing and feeding; and in the summer, when we have summer camp here, they are teaching,” says Carrie Brown, equine program manager and new manager/ranger for Camp Mohaven.

The Camp Mohaven of 2019 showcases the many upgrades completed in 2018. High-speed internet and improved cell service are available, thanks to a new Verizon tower and fiberoptic cabling installation. A new pool liner both conserves water and saves countless man-hours readying the pool for the summer season. Newly completed bathhouses (which double as tornado shelters) feature exterior stonework, concrete sidewalks and freshly seeded grounds ready for spring.

God has been “showing off,” as former camp ranger Dave Robinson used to say. Donations of materials and labor continue. Brown shares that 25 volunteers donated their time over Thanksgiving for a work bee. During recent months, a grain bin was donated to help decrease grain costs for Mohaven livestock; a feed room was constructed from existing lumber and a donated door, built with the assistance of equine-therapy students; and fencing was removed and relocated to improve field management and create a field for Pathfinders.

Not all improvements are readily visible. Brown, who has served as interim ranger since last fall, reported a barn expansion, including improvements to the drainage tiles; an electric pole and connections replaced and upgraded following a windstorm; and a four-year project to place and bury electrical piping carrying electricity to other areas of the camp.

“In the camp world, I am what is known as a ‘Lifer,’” explains Brown. “From the time I was a child attending camp, I told my mom that when I grew up, I would work at a camp. Little did she know it would be a lifelong career for me.” Brown looks forward to showing Ohio constituents all Mohaven has to offer. Contact her at (740) 599-6111 or mohaven@ohioadventist.org for more information.