By Lane Loman, FAS Speaker
Camp meetings are an integral part of my spiritual DNA. Summers were spent traveling with my father and Mother to camp meetings. If asked by friends where we went on vacation, my response would always be, “We went to a camp meeting.” I was converted at the altar of Sharon Holiness Camp near Wadsworth, OH, at the age of 17. My dad was the evangelist!
Summer camp meetings are vital to the full-time, itinerant evangelist. Due to circumstances beyond everyone’s control, every camp meeting, except one, I had scheduled for the summer of 2020 was cancelled. Camp Sychar, located in Mt. Vernon, OH, was set to celebrate their 150th anniversary when state regulations imposed as a result of COVID-19 necessitated canceling the camp being held on-site. So, the leaders of the camp put into motion plans to move forward with a virtual version of the camp.
This was a first for me! The plan would involve pre-recording three sermons with the assistance of the camp’s audio visual director. This was done in my home the week before the camp date. My co-worker would do the same. To offer the full camp experience, during the evening service, campers could sing along with congregational music recorded from previous camps. Mission moments and videos of “Sycharites,” as they are called, sharing what the camp has meant to them highlighted each service. A virtual children’s program was provided, and a Zoom Bible Study was scheduled each night before the evening service. Zoom altar rooms were opened for prayer following each sermon. People could “attend” camp via the camp’s Facebook page or YouTube channel.
Personally, I was moved by the positive spirit of those watching. There was a seeming determination to “have camp” regardless. One night, people were encouraged to join the “Goodnight Song” 30 minutes after the service was over. At the conclusion of the song and devotional, a group picture was taken of all those “tuned in” via the Zoom chat room. After the picture was taken, the people began to talk with one another just like you would on the campground at the snack bar following the evening service. It was amazing!
No, we weren’t there in person! But God used technology and a lot of talented people to keep alive the spirit of Camp Sychar Holiness Camp. I am glad I was “there!”