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Founders
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In the late 1960's, O.A. Fish, an Eastern Airlines pilot, and his wife Charlotte purchased an
80-acre tract of land in western North Carolina planning to retire there someday. Shortly after
making the purchase, God began to impress upon their hearts that they should use that land to
build a youth camp. Inspired by the words of Jesus in Luke 18:16, O.A. and Charlotte
established South Mountain Christian Camp in 1972. The first weekend camps were held
in August of 1974.
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Lodging
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What began as a few tents set up on a hillside, soon developed into the construction
of tent platforms. Later these platforms were replaced with screened-in cabins suitable
for operating week-long camps. Today these cabins have been closed in, insulated, and
equipped with heating and air-conditioning to provide for year-round use. The Glory Land
Cabin is a different type of cabin designed for personal retreats with God. Additionally,
duplex-style lodges have been constructed in recent years to bring the total sleeping capacity up
to 180.
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Waterfront
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One of the first projects in the early years of building the Camp was the construction
of the lake and fishing pond. With a lot of tree cutting and bulldozing, the 7-acre "Lake
Galilee" was built as well as the smaller fishing pond which was named "The Dead Sea."
Both were stocked with fish and have provided great fishing for years. Lake Galilee also
served as an area for canoeing and paddleboating, and a portion of it was marked off for
swimming. Over the years, the lake became less suitable for swimming, so in the early 1990's
construction began on the swimming pool and the Owens Family Memorial Park was established.
This area has been a favorite of summer campers and retreat groups for years.
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Cafeteria
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The first cafeteria for the camp was O.A. and Charlotte's basement. Soon an old farmhouse
on the Camp property was renovated and named the "Manna House" as a more suitable dining
facility. While the camp grew, so did the need for more eating space, so an addition was
built onto the Manna House which now can feed up to 130 people at one time. Plans are currently
underway for the construction of a new multi-purpose building which will meet current and future
needs for more dining space.
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Programming
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As God has blessed the ministry of South Mountain Christian Camp, growth has taken place in
both the facilities and programming. In the 1980's, Joy Center was built providing a place for
a full-size gym, game room, indoor climbing wall, chapel room, camp store, and office space.
In the 1990's, Steve Collins became the full-time Program Director for the Camp and now leads not
only the Summer Camp program, but also the Ropes Course program and the S.E.E.D.S.
nature program.
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More
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By God's grace and provision, South Mountain Christian Camp has been able to operate completely
debt-free since it's inception so many years ago. If you would like to find out more about how
God used O.A. and Charlotte Fish along with so many others to build SMCC, contact the camp office
to request a free copy of O.A.'s book, Fingerprints of God.
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