Camp McDowell Taking a Sabbatical at Wonderful, Wonderful Camp McDowell

The Rev. Rob Iler

It was my good fortune to spend five weeks of a recent sabbatical at wonderful, wonderful Camp McDowell. My original sabbatical plan, an RV excursion around the country, was nixed when Putin’s invasion of Ukraine further complicated an already sketchy supply chain; then, my hope to join an archaeological dig in Israel was thwarted by Covid; and a motorcycle tour of the chapels of Ireland also fell through. It seemed God was calling me to a construction branches, clear drains and keep bugs at bay – an extraordinary feat on its own, given that Camp is deep in the woods. They don’t have time to do long term maintenance: Their plates are full as they juggle the flow of work order repairs with regular maintenance and keep firewood on the porches for the steady stream of year-round guests who visit. committee mission at our beloved diocesan camp.

Housekeeping is equally exceptional. Diana Legg heads up the housekeeping department, which includes eight employees. Diana has worked at Camp McDowell for 32 years. There are 770 beds on the campus, all of which are kept ready to receive guests. That’s not easy when it takes 18 laundry loads to put clean sheets and towels on the beds and in the bathrooms of just one Bethany Village or Miller Commons cabin. Treating stained linens adds precious time to a schedule that also includes the endless vacuuming, dusting, sweeping porches, cleaning of hearths, refrigerators and kitchens and taking out the trash in each of 26 cabins.

What I found there was encouraging in so many ways, but none more so than in the staff who have worked for us at Camp McDowell over the years and, in some cases, generations. I say “us” because Camp McDowell is our church camp. We are all welcomed, invited and encouraged to visit often for rest, relaxation and renewal, for fun and fellowship and the deepening of our faith.

We, as a body of Christ’s own in the Diocese of Alabama, are ultimately responsible for the upkeep and financial commitment to maintain and operate Camp McDowell; however, Camp McDowell’s volunteer board of trustees and our diocesan bishop, the Right Rev. Glenda Curry, and assistant bishop, the Right Rev. Brian Prior, wisely have put the day-to-day responsibilities of running Camp’s varied aspects in the very capable hands of an exemplary staff.

Our maintenance team, headed up by Ethan Johnston for five of his 19 years at Camp McDowell, does a remarkable job of keeping up with work orders for more than 100 structures on the campus. His crew of four fulltime employees and one part time keeps air conditioners running in the hot summer months and heat flowing all winter. They clip

And the food! Camp McDowell serves 100,000 meals every year from three kitchens, with a staff that grows and shrinks with the flow of campers. This team balances their offerings to provide a healthy variety of tasty foods, taking extra care to meet special dietary requirements for guests whose health or preferences dictate heart healthy, gluten free, diabetic and weight loss meal plans and more.

These are labor intensive jobs, and these Camp McDowell employees make sure we only need to drop our luggage and dive into a wide spectrum of activities when we arrive. We can immerse ourselves in folk school, Cursillo and other training and renewal opportunities, environmental education, farming, hiking, canoeing, singing camp songs and rocking on the porches because this crew does a great job of minding our accommodations. In fact, our arrivals and departures at Camp McDowell are so seamless that it’s easy to take the efforts of our operations staff for granted.

While 14 staff coordinate programs from the central office, four staff – including interim director Whitney Moore-Shea –currently keep up with the bills, budgeting, and bookings. This small but efficient team harmonizes the schedules, orders supplies, troubleshoots the unexpected and maintain relations with 101 churches and places in the diocese. In addition, they coordinate and support environmental education programs for thousands of school children who attend camps at McDowell, as well as farm school and more. In addition, there also are many organizations across the Southeast that visit Camp for training, retreat, and renewal.

Their efforts are supported by a 16-member board of trustees and a diocesan staff – under the careful hearts of our bishops, who all work to preserve this sacred space that is our beloved Camp McDowell. Our trustees serve for as many as six years, setting policies and directing the growth and future plans of Camp’s role in the body of Christ.

Spending five weeks at Camp – watching the day-today operations function like a well-oiled machine – gave me a new appreciation for the staff that makes it possible for us to partake of the blessings we find there. I am grateful for them and for the board and our bishops who take seriously their commitment to maintain God’s backyard for the benefit of Christ’s kingdom. And I encourage us all to greater gratitude for those who take such care of Camp McDowell.