Bluewater Bible Camp

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His;
We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise;
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.
                                         Psalm 100

For the past twenty-five years, the people of the Red River Valley Covenant
churches have enjoyed the facilities of the Bluewater Covenant Bible Camp in Grand
Rapids, MN for their Bible camp activities.

This beautiful summer camp, located on the northern shores of Bluewater Lake, and
nestled in the Chippewa National Forest, is an idyllic location to enjoy God’s
wonderful outdoors and to learn of His love and desire for each person who will claim
Him as Lord and Savior. But, this has not always been home of the Bible camping in
the Red River Valley. We would be errant not to trace, however briefly, the roots of
this important work in the valley churches from its very beginning in 1912.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN…

On June 20, 1912, a delegation, consisting of members from the various Covenant
Churches in the northern part of the Red River Valley, met in Vega Township to form
a society, which they named the “Swedish Mission Friends Christian Young Peoples
Covenant of the Red River Valley.” The purpose of this society was to “unite the
Christian young people of the Red River Valley for their mutual spiritual edification;
also for united efforts for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God.”

For several years following that meeting, summer conferences (rather than a true
Bible camp) were held at different locations throughout the Red River Valley. These
conferences often began on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, and continued
through Sunday. Guest speakers of the caliber of Gust F. Johnson from the
Swedish Tabernacle in Minneapolis and Dr. T.W. Anderson from Minnehaha
Academy (who later became the President of the Covenant) were frequent visitors to
these summer meetings.

It soon became evident that the churches could no longer hold the large crowds,
which were being drawn to these meetings, so a large tent (60’ by 90’) was
purchased which enabled the increased participants to meet in relative comfort. The
tent was set up in different places around the Valley each year for the summer
conference.

In 1923, the Bible conference took up residence in the large pavilion in the Drayton
Memorial Park. This “pavilion on stilts by the river” was an ideal setting for the
conference meetings. Between June 13 and17 of that year, the Word of God was
preached at three different sessions—morning, afternoon and evening. The annual
meeting of the “Society” was held on Saturday morning.

In the ensuing years, camp meetings were held in Drayton, Viking or in Warren.
Interest in a permanent Bible camp began to take form and, as the old tent began to
deteriorate to the point of repair or replacement, the camp board, in 1935, voted in
favor of establishing a permanent camp in Warren.    Within three years, a large
tabernacle (interestingly, the same size as the old tent, 60’ by 90’), a combination-
dining hall and girl’s dormitory was erected along the Snake River in Warren. Four
cabins were constructed in 1945 and the final building, a recreation building, was
constructed in the 1950’s.    This campsite, named the Covenant Bible Camp, was
used continually until 1967.

The vision of this faithful group of people which began the “Christian Young People’s
Covenant…” nearly eighty years ago, developed a concern for the welfare of souls
which established a heritage of Christian camping that continues today. It was
because of the dedication of this society and its members, and the continued
preservation of the notion that young people and their families needed a place to go
for in-depth Christian teaching and activities during the summer time, that we are
privileged to commemorate twenty-five years of camping at Bluewater Bible Camp.

But if camping at the Warren campsite had been such a meaningful experience in
the lives of so many over the years, what brought about the change in 1967?
Perhaps it was the feeling of many of the valley people that the Warren camp no
longer met the growing needs of the Valley churches. Perhaps it was the prospect of
a large levy against the Warren camp for sewer rehabilitation, which the City of
Warren was conducting. Perhaps it was the fact that young people had to be
bussed several miles to the Old Mill State Park for swimming and water activities,
since the old campsite did not have access to a lake. Perhaps it was because the
entire concept of Christian camping was changing to include a wider program of
activities than could be provided in the confinement of a Bible camp located inside
the limits of town. Whatever the reason, the camp board, in 1966, began earnestly
to consider the need for relocation.

THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD…

On July 26, 1966, the board created a New Campsite Committee, chaired by Rev.
Eric Josephson, pastor of the Teien Covenant Church. Other members of the
committee included Rev. Walter Anderson, Stephen; Vernon Grand, Roseau; Nels
Holmberg, Thief River Falls; and Roy Johnson, Warren.

This committee investigated several potential sites for the relocation of the Bible
camp, culminating in a report by Chairman Josephson to the board, at its meeting on
November 14, 1966, regarding Camp Marmac, a camp for boys and girls located on
Bluewater Lake, seventeen miles north of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. After
discussing the report, the board drafted a resolution stating, “… it is the unanimous
consensus of the board members that consideration should be made by the district
churches that a new campsite should be acquired… and that an urgent and early
appeal be made for the consideration of the recommendation of the campsite
committee.”   Thus was the chain of events begun.

At a special meeting of the Red River Young Peoples Covenant (the name adopted
in the 1950’s), held on January 31, 1967, at the Warren Covenant Church, the
matter of purchasing Camp Marmac was proposed. Prior to the meeting, the Valley
churches had been polled as to whether or not they supported making a change of
campsite at this time. After lengthy discussion, forty-six of the fifty-four delegates
present voted to “authorize the board to proceed to purchase Camp Marmac for a
sum not to exceed $50,000.”   At this same meeting, the camp board was also
authorized to check on the disposal of the Warren Camp property. And so, the
decision was made to leap out in faith and move the Bible camping activities to a new
location more than one hundred and fifty miles from the twelve churches which
supported them.

There was a flurry of activity over the next several months, as the offer to purchase
was accepted by the owners of Camp Marmac and the board set about planning for
the camping season, which was a short five months away. The members of the
Koochiching District Churches (Bemidji, International Falls, Big Falls, etc) had been
invited to participate in the purchase of Camp Marmac. However, they declined but
indicated that should we purchase the camp, they would be interested in renting it for
the coming summer.   (They later declined for the summer of 1967). This potential
arrangement certainly provided some opportunities, which had not been available
previously, and opened up a new relationship with these churches, which was to
continue throughout the first twenty-five years.

Everyone in the Valley churches was excited at the prospect of going to a new Bible
camp in the summer of 1967. The information which had been circulated among the
churches and the reports of the board members who had visited the camp, indicated
that in addition to several cabins for sleeping, there was a large dining hall, a
building where a chapel could be developed, several shop and storage buildings, a
stable and twelve horses, and of course, the BEAUTIFUL lake.

There was, also, another campsite around the east side of the lake, which included
more cabins for sleeping, as well as a large lodge for eating, recreation, or
whatever. The east campsite was used for a few years, but in the early 1970’s it
became evident that upkeep, maintenance, and required renovation of both
campsites was a financial strain and burden for the people of the Valley. The camp
board, therefore, reluctantly decided to dismantle the buildings and return the
campsite to its natural state. The lease was returned to the United States Forest
Service in 1977.

It was the prospect of the lake, however, which heightened the enthusiasm of many
Valley people, young and old alike, Bluewater Lake, a deep, crystal-clear body of
water, offered a dimension in Bible camping which had not previously been available
to people of the Red River Valley churches. Even though it was necessary to travel
much farther to attend camp, still the spirit of the people was not dampened; for they
felt wonderfully fulfilled by the generosity of a loving God to provide such a beautiful
setting for study and rest and relaxation.

AND SO, A NEW ERA BEGINS…

Although the first season of camping took place at Camp Marmac, it wasn’t long
(March, 1968, to be exact) before the people of the Valley churches voted to adopt
the name Bluewater Covenant Bible Camp for the new facility in Itasca County. In
1975, the name of the sponsoring organization, the Red River Valley Young Peoples’
Covenant was officially changed to Bluewater Covenant Bible Camp, Inc.

The structure of Bible camping for most of its first twenty-five years was set in the
camp schedule established for that fist summer of camping in 1967. The schedule
included a Covenant Women’s Retreat, a men’s retreat, teen camp, junior camp,
trailblazer’s camp, and family camp.   The rates, as established by the board , were:

All youth camps        $15 first child, $12.50 for the second child, and $10.00 for each
additional child, high school age and down. (Weekly rate)
C.W. and Men’s Retreats        $3.00/ day
Family Camp        $15.00 first adult, $12.50 second, and $10.00 for each; additional
family member. (Weekly rate)
Meal rates        Breakfast: $0.75; Dinner: $1.25; Supper: $1.00

The first summer was both a joyous experience and a time of realization that,
physically, the campground was in desperate need of renovation and repair.
Between September, 1967 and May of 1970, an extensive and well-organized plan
for building construction and maintenance was undertaken by the Buildings and
Grounds Committee under the watchful eye and with the approval of the Camp Board.

Archie Lundell, Sr. of Kennedy was the primary mover and shaker of this flurry of
activities designed to improve the quality of camp life for all who attended and
worked at camp. Archie served on the committee for fifteen years, many of them as
chairman. Archie had a vision of what everyone wanted to happen so that the Lord
would be glorified in the camp plant, and so that the investment of this relatively small
group of people who had underwritten this step forward in faith would be enhanced
and preserved.

Archie was also effective in working with the Buildings and Ground Committee and
the Camp Board, and persuasive enough to make sure that the vision became
reality, for during that period of just under three years:
·        The old lean-to kitchen was replaced
·        The dining hall roof was reshingled
·        A new20’ by 36’ laundry and shower facility was built
·        Cabin#3 (dorm/ lounge) was paneled and extended (a 24’ by 36’ addition was
completed in 1970) to serve as a temporary chapel
·        The cook’s cabin was remodeled and shingled
·        Cabin #11 (dorm) was paneled/ partitioned and a heater installed
·        Cabin #7 (nurse’s cabin) was paneled
·        Floors were varnished in the manager’s cabin and in the dining hall
·        The sewer system was improved

This was not the end of building activity at Bluewater, however. During the past
twenty-one years (1970- present), in addition to normal maintenance, many buildings
and renovation projects have been completed, including:
·        A sewage lift station installed
·        Cabin #12 (dorm) completely renovated—enlarged, new roof, heat, and wiring
·        New cabin #13 (dorm on the hill), built (using lumber from the dismantled East
camp)
·        New heat in cabin #3 (porch later renovated and new bedrooms constructed)
·        Updated wiring in #3 and in the kitchen
·        Cabin #1 (manager’s cabin) remodeled
·        A new area cleared for camper and trailer parking
·        Cook’s cabin remodeled—new insulation, plumbing, floor and paneling
·        New walls and windows installed in the dining hall
·        Purchase of a mobile home in 1979 for use as staff housing
·        Old craft cabin remodeled for use as staff housing
·        New potato storage bin built
·        Shop building enlarged and remodeled
·        Stables razed and area restored to natural state
·        Cabin #11 dismantled and four small cabins built as replacement housing (16’
by 24’ with bathroom; sleeps nine)
·        The nurse’s cabin shingled and remodeled
·        The Memorial Chapel constructed and dedicated on July 10, 1977 (all weather
building with reinforced concrete basement which serves as a storm shelter)
·        A 16’ by 24’ cabin constructed by the International Falls Covenant Church in
1985 (identical to other sleeping cabins)
·        New manager’s home/ office constructed with enormous contributions of labor
and materials coming from Roving Volunteers in Christ’s Service (RVICS), the people
of the Koochiching district and the people of the Red River Valley churches. The
cabin was completed in 1991 at a total cost of under $35,000
·        A retaining wall constructed on the waterfront in 1991 to retard erosion.

MANY HANDS…

There are other people who should be acknowledged for their contributions to the
change and improvement of Bluewater Covenant Bible Camp, as well. Rev. Walter
Anderson and Rev. Eric Josepheson were dedicated to the notion that a new
campground be established, and worked tirelessly to insure that the best possible
place be located.

Rev. Walt spent much of his summer n 1967 at Bluewater, working morning, noon
and night to help with camp management, maintenance and general supervision. His
missionary zeal was evident in all he did. We owe him much for his determination
that Bluewater Covenant Bible Camp would be a place where young people and their
families could establish or re-establish a relationship with the Lord he loves so much
and served so willingly.

All of the individuals who have been willing to take leadership positions on the board,
the grounds committee, camp management, program direction, and all of the other
leadership responsibilities which are such important ingredients in an enterprise of
this magnitude played an enormous role in guiding the camp through the first twenty-
five years must also be remembered for their diligence.

Pat Murphy, a non-Covenant, long-time lake resident, has been a friend of the camp
since 1967. Through the years he has been the epitome of the “good neighbor,”
watching over the property during the winter months, doing favors of hauling,
providing wood, maintaining our interests with the lake neighborhood, and being a
friend to camp managers and campers alike. He continues, even to this day, to be
concerned about the ongoing work and life of Bluewater Covenant Bible Camp.

The Valley pastors have, through the years, played a large role in the development
and life of Bluewater Covenant Bible Camp. Most, if not all, of the pastors have
served at one time or another as counselors, directors, speakers, or members of the
Camp Board. They have taken the life and work of the camp as a part of their
ministry to the church(s), which they have served, and have provided guidance,
counsel and direction in the ongoing work of the camp. They have worked hard to
assure that camp has been Christ-filled and spirit-directed, and that young lives have
been touched for Jesus Christ during the brief periods they may have spent at
Bluewater.

The Covenant Women of the Red River Valley have, through the years, contributed
in various ways to the camp. For three days each June, the women come together
for their retreat, (they also invite the Koochiching district ladies to participate) as they
share in topnotch speakers and music, as well as a time of wonderful fellowship.
The RRVCW has made Bluewater Covenant Bible Camp their district project for the
past 25 years and money has been raised each year to help purchase items of
need, as well as helping with counselor salaries.

In 1986, the women began having craft auctions at retreat in order to purchase
additional items. Some of the many, many things given the camp through the
RRVCW support include the fans in the dining room and chapel, the pontoon, and
the canteen/ storage addition to the kitchen.

Many women have cooked for each of our camps over the 25 years; others have
been a part of the committee to find cooks. Women have helped with the program
and counseled our young girls. Bluewater is a major part of the life of our valley
women as they support our camp by giving of their time, talents, money, and prayers.

And we must not forget all of the volunteers who have made it possible to make camp
what it is today because they were willing to clean, to build, to repair, to paint, to
cook, to counsel, to bring people back and forth, and to give of their time and of their
financial resources.

Adequate and well-maintained facilities make camping more enjoyable for all who
participate, however, the real heart and soul of a Bible camping program must be
programmatic. It is clear that the importance of religious training carried on by
speakers, missionaries, and the influence of counselors on small groups of campers
was carried over from the old Warren camping program. But, in this new, expanded
setting it took on new meaning and new dimensions. In 1970, Family Camp was
extended to two weeks for the first time. In 1976, increased numbers of campers
forced the expansion of junior high camp to two, one-week camps. And in 1982, the
Koochiching and Red River Valley senior high camps were combined for the first
time. This past camping year, 1991, each camp – Trailblazer, Junior, Senior, and
Family – had two, one-week camps to accommodate the increased enrollment. The
Lord has surely used this facility to furtherance of His Kingdom by bringing campers,
youth and adults, to camp in significant numbers.

In 1989, Board Chairman’s Report, Galen Nordin wrote:

“…I feel Bluewater has had one of the most productive years for quite some time…
As a newcomer to Bluewater, I’m encouraged to listen to the stories of the people
that have grown up with Bluewater. I see families that come to camp and are now
three to four generations deep into Bluewater. To me that is what makes family
camp at Bluewater so special, it sort of gets in your blood.”

Indeed, this has become the heritage of this Bible Camp. Not only do we see several
generations of families continuing the Bluewater tradition, but we also see young
people that met or shared camp at Bluewater, who have married and started their
own families and have created new traditions of spending time at camp with family
and friends. Bluewater has also offered a splendid setting for family reunions and
even a wedding (Tungseth- Josephson).

To Be Continued….