Camp continues to draw
RIMERSBURG, Clarion County — Some things have changed over the past 148 years at Cherry Run Camp, but the spiritual side remains the same.
The summer's highlight is the family camp session, which began July 31 and concludes Sunday.
"The way the Lord works here is amazing," said Glea Foster, pastor of Chicora and Karns City United Methodist Churches. "Once you're here, there's something about it that draws you back."
Dozens of returning families, along with plenty of new faces, attend the Christ-centered camp each summer.
Open to all, the encampment includes daily Bible study, worship, missions class and recreation for children, youth and adults.
Also featured are guest evangelists, song evangelists and missionaries.
The first meeting at Cherry Run Camp took place in 1862 and the primary focus was evangelism.
The camp meeting also served as an important social center for visitors, a tradition that continues today.
"It's something you look forward to all year," said Bert Domineck of Ambridge, camp manager and pastor. "It's like a coming-home experience."
Jim Eaton of Erie, a pastor and chairman of the camp board, agreed.
"The whole family can be an active part of the camp," said Eaton, whose 26-year-old daughter Mary Jane is one of many lifelong "Cherry Runners."
"She was born July 8 and the camp meeting was in August, so she's been coming here since she was weeks old," Eaton remembers.Like the Eatons, several families are multigenerational attendees.The camp meeting also brings together a number of pastors, said Cindy Duffee, a pastor from Clark, Pa."We're able to meet together and share together because our jobs can be very stressful," she said. "There's a saying that you can't always lead, you have to feed sometimes."About 175 campers will stay full-time this year, said registrar Becky Addleman of Shanksville."That includes all the adults, counselors and kids, but people do come in just for the services," Addleman said.Most come from Western Pennsylvania, but others travel from neighboring states to attend.Visitors to the daily nondenominational services increase total attendance to about 240 people, she said.The camp is owned and operated by the Franklin District of the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.The property is rented for church retreats, family camps and reunions and conferences.Aside from registration and rental fees, the camp operates on donations, said caretaker Dave Hrisak.Tucked away in a serene wooded area, the camp has space for about 300 people.Accommodations include 18 rustic cabins and two dormitory buildings that also contain the kitchen, dining hall, bookstore and craft room.Constructed in 2000 to replace an old building, the camp's tabernacle features seating for 650, a sound system, projection screen and a closed-circuit television system that broadcasts worship services to the nursery and kitchen.These modern amenities are fairly new, but the message has been constant, said Foster."Once you're here, once you spend time here, it's unforgettable," she said.For information, call 814-473-3470 or visit www.cherryruncamp.org.
