The WILDS camp

[Clint]

(01-08-2011 05:03 PM)captain_solo Wrote:  that man is the scariest thing at the Wilds - unless Tom Ferrell is in town.

Wow. That name brings back the memories of manipulation, fear and silly eschatology.

(01-08-2011 05:03 PM)captain_solo Wrote:  It IS a sin to think as highly of yourself as Matt Herbster does

[Tony Mel]

(01-08-2011 05:03 PM)captain_solo Wrote:  It IS a sin to think as highly of yourself as Matt Herbster does

The guy seriously scares me. He used to preach as if every kid saw the world from a Fundy viewpoint.

[Jenjenjen]

I was thinking about the Wilds the other day when I saw the BJU Bible Conference lineup and saw a preacher named Scott--and I remembered him as the preacher who yelled and screamed every night at the Wilds of the Rockies when I was there in the 90s. Every night I dreaded those evening services and always got a massive headache. I remember that after at least one service I was just sobbing and sobbing, and one of my friend's moms asked me why, and I couldn't tell her. It was just emotional manipulation and being yelled at, basically. When I left camp I was an emotional wreck, yelling at my parents for being too wordly and sobbing all day. I am also an introspective, introverted person, and that place was a nightmare. I also, like others have said, felt like God barely tolerated me and only "loved" me because He had to. I had been saved for two years at that point, but the preaching made me doubt everything I'd believed. I would never send my kids to a place like this. I have good friends from school who worked at the Wilds and loved it, so maybe they had better experiences than I did.

[mounty]

I went once as a camper, but I think I just goofed off all week; don't really remember anything specific from the week. I went once as a sponsor, and I gotta say it was a half-decent vacation - nice surroundings and I didn't have any show up for any activities if I didn't want to. But they are fundies of fundies up there, and Rand Hummel's views on just about everything are dangerous.

[Jordan M. Poss]

(01-09-2011 10:23 PM)mounty Wrote:  Rand Hummel's views on just about everything are dangerous.

And he can also make you feel guilty about just about anything. Something about those sad eyes and that pleading voice, like his heart is always on the verge of breaking. I always dreaded his inevitable appearances in the pulpit at BJU.

[Pete M]

I always enjoyed the Wilds. My parents made it a requirement, but usually let us choose the week to attend. I always picked a week that didn't involve Tom Farrell and I learned to ignore Rand Hummel after my first year (1987).

Although I never really liked the business of every waking moment, I loved the camp in spite of it's shortcomings. For me, the fun was worth the aggravation of bad speakers and naive counselors. Also, you would be hard pressed to find a camp with as consistently good food.

[Historian]

(01-08-2011 05:02 PM)Clint Wrote:  And no one but NO ONE thinks Soundforth will be heaven's music! (just kidding; I'm sure no one earthly style will dominate or be forbidden!)

If it does, I'm not sure I want to go.

[pastor's wife]

Never went in high school (we were in GARBC circles), but did go with my husband two years in a row to a youth pastors' retreat. Because we weren't connected to any "big name" church, basically no one talked to us, so it was pretty lonely. (What a bunch of stuck-up snobs, in other words.) Probably part of it was that I didn't get the memo: even though this is "camp" and our fliers said to dress casually, really remember to bring your cute jean jumpers with white lace collared blouses underneath. I didn't know that was the requite camp uniform, so I didn't bring any. So I felt horrible out of place - also annoyed, because I HAD jean jumpers and blouses I COULD have brought had I known. (I did the second year, but no one still talked to us.) The swing was fun to ride and the hike to the waterfall was awesome (even if it was too cold for swimming and the leaves were bare), but it was lonely. Maybe we weren't fundies even back then, and the "true" fundies somehow could see a secret mark of Cain on us. I also remember feeling guilty because my husband and I wouldn't throw our stick on the fire the first year. (The second year I think we skipped the closing meeting; that's the fun of being adults!)

[Arie]

(01-11-2011 08:44 AM)pastors wife Wrote:  I also remember feeling guilty because my husband and I wouldn't throw our stick on the fire the first year.

Never been to the Wilds so could someone explain the 'stick in the fire' which I've heard referenced many times? Is it supposed to be after a week of hard preaching that the stick represents some sin in your life that your going to give up? Is everybody handed a stick at the beginning and you shouldn't leave the fire empty handed?

[mounty]

(01-11-2011 09:18 AM)Arie Wrote:  

(01-11-2011 08:44 AM)pastors wife Wrote:  I also remember feeling guilty because my husband and I wouldn't throw our stick on the fire the first year.

Never been to the Wilds so could someone explain the 'stick in the fire' which I've heard referenced many times? Is it supposed to be after a week of hard preaching that the stick represents some sin in your life that your going to give up? Is everybody handed a stick at the beginning and you shouldn't leave the fire empty handed?

You got it, every last bit.