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Luther Crest was
originally a boy’s camp, built by a man named Heinie Brock, who
later became well-known for his ice-skating in the Ice Follies.
In the fall of 1945, the Milaca-Glenwood-Fergus Falls Bible Camp
Association bought the camp for $25,000, and the Luther Crest Bible
Camp Articles of Incorporation were submitted to the State of
Minnesota.
Camping ministry and
a dream goes back beyond the pages of minutes and recorded history
of Luther Crest. People of this area had camped on a rental
basis at other camp properties. The need for Bible camping was
felt and known by the people of the area. Youth was the
primary target when the camp was bought. By the second summer,
church women (WMF), the Zion Society for Israel and LBI were using
Luther Crest.
In the summer of
1946, there were five weeks of Bible Camp scheduled. By the
summer of 1962, the plea for full-season counselors became a
reality. Counselors were hired and a week of staff training
was held. Camp Deans supplied the different programs and the
lives of people were influenced by their camp experience.
Seminary students were hired to be summer camp managers. They
hired the staff, coordinated the program with the Camp Deans,
supervised the counselors and managed the property of the camp.
The Retreat Center
was used for some attempts at weekend retreats. It rented for
just $30.00 a weekend and could house 30 people. Guests would
bring their own food, lead their own program and do their own
cooking.
Early in 1969, Pastor
Will Bigott arrived at Luther Crest to be the first full-time,
year-round Executive Director. That spring, the first
year-round maintenance staff was added on a part-time basis.
In 1978 the current
Dining Hall was completed, and by the mid-1980's year-round camping
and retreating had become normal routine at Luther Crest. With
increased summer camper numbers, Luther Crest was blessed with the
donation in 1990 of 59 acres of land north of Morris, MN for Luther
Crest West, a satellite site for specialty summer programs.
The 1990’s at the main Alex site saw the construction of a new year-round bathroom
facility, a year-round Adult Retreat Center, and an Administration/Health Center. In 2001, a new
Program Center was built, containing a large multipurpose gymnasium, a
storm shelter, an interpretive center for
environmental education, bathrooms with shower facilities, and meeting rooms.
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