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A Study of the Ministry of Three Italian Evangelical “Brethren” Bible Camps

and their Relationship with the Local Assemblies

_____________

A Thesis

Presented to

the faculty of Denver Seminary

_____________

In Partial Fulfillment

of the requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts in Christian Studies

_____________

by

Daniele Pasquale

May 2005

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APPROVED BY

_________________________________________

__________________________________________

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THANKS AND DEDICATION

Many people have contributed to this thesis. Without their help, this research could have

not been made.

Thanks to Dr. Lindquist, Dr. Burns, and Prof. Marzone for their feedback and their

guidance.

Thanks to those at I.B.E.I. for their help with the document research.

Thanks to Maria Teresa, Tina, Osvalda, Irma, Laura, Ciro, Paolo, Giuseppe, Gioele, Eliseo for

their availability for the interviews! It has been a blessing to hear your stories and opinions.

Thanks to all those who distributed and collected the questionnaires while I was thousands

of miles away! In particular thanks to Marcella and all those who helped out at Pravernara; Eliseo,

Marco and Sabrina for their help at Bethel; Luisa, Sara and Carlo for their help at Poggio Ubertini;

Paolo and Dad for their help at the Elders’ Conference.

Thanks Kathy and Geri for your editing work. Needless to say, it made quite the difference!

Thanks to Dad and Mom for their great help with the analysis of the questionnaires and

your unfailing support!

Finally, thanks to our Lord for inventing Bible Camps and for giving me the wisdom and

strength to write this thesis.

I dedicate this work to all the brothers and sisters that have been, are, and will be serving

the Lord at Poggio Ubertini, Bethel and Pravernara.

“Perciò fratelli miei diletti, state saldi, incrollabili, abbondanti sempre nell'opera del

Signore, sapendo che la vostra fatica non è vana nel Signore.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

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CONTENTS

Chapter

1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Thesis Statement

Subsidiary Questions and Subproblems

Significance, limitations and anticipated contribution of the

Study

2. LOCAL CHURCHES AND BIBLE CAMPS: BIBLICAL

CONSIDERATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Definition and Purpose of a Local Church

Definition and Purpose of a Parachurch Organization

The Relationship between Local Churches and Parachurch

Organizations

Definition, Purpose and Characteristics of Bible Camps

Conclusions

3. BRETHREN ASSEMBLIES AND BIBLE CAMPS IN ITALY:

HISTORICAL ROOTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

The History and Convictions on the Italian Brethren

Origins of the Brethren Assemblies and their Spread in

Italy

Current Status of Italian Evangelical Churches and of the

Brethren Assemblies

Doctrinal Convictions of the Brethren

The Centrality of Bible

The Local Church as a Living Organism

Priesthood of all Believers and Spiritual Gifts

Zeal for Evangelism

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Historical Roots of the Italian Brethren Bible Camps

Biblical and Historical Roots of Modern Camps

North American History of Modern Bible Camps

European Roots of Italian Brethren Bible Camps

Contribution of the Italian Brethren Bible Camps to the

ministry of the Assemblies

Current Presence of Brethren Bible Camps in Italy and

across the World

Conclusions

4. HISTORY AND CURRENT STATE OF BIBLE CAMPS AT

POGGIO UBERTINI, BETHEL AND PRAVERNARA . . . . .

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POGGIO UBERTINI (Florence)

History

Current Status

BETHEL (Foggia)

History

Current Status

PRAVERNARA (Alessandria)

History

Current Status

Conclusions

5. SOURCES AND TOOLS OF ANALISIS: WRITTEN

DOCUMENTS, QUESTIONNAIRES AND INTERVIEWS . . . 61

Written Documents

Questionnaires

Survey Objectives

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Target Groups and Survey Design

Types of Questions and Responses

Sampling methods

Survey Analysis and Interpretation

Interviews

6. ANALYSIS OF THE WRITTEN DOCUMENTS,

QUESTIONNAIRES AND INTERVIEWS . . . . . . . . . .

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Written Documents

Magazine Articles

Conclusions

Questionnaires

Generic Information

Follow up

Overall situation

Poggio Ubertini

Bethel

Pravernara

Interaction between Camp and Churches

Conclusions

Interviews

Conclusions

Summary of findings

7. FINAL COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS . . . . . . . . . 103

Comments

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Suggestions

Suggested Camp Efforts

Suggested Church Efforts

Suggested Combined Efforts

Appendix

1. ITALIAN REGIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

2. QUESTIONNAIRES DISTRIBUTED TO CHURCH ELDERS, CAMPERS AND

STAFF MEMBERS . . . . . . . . . . . .

115

Questionnaires for Church Elders

Questionnaires for Campers

Questionnaires for Staff Members

3. TRANSCRIPTS OF INTERVIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Paolo Moretti

Osvalda Biginelli Malcolm

Tina d’Apote

Eliseo Santangelo

Giuseppe Barbanotti

Gioele Corradini

BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Thesis statement

This thesis will investigate the ministry of “Poggio Ubertini,” “Bethel” and “Pravernara,” three

Italian, evangelical, “Brethren” Bible camps, and their relationship to the ministry of Italian Evangelical

“Brethren” Churches, intended as the various local assemblies. Since World War 2, when camps started at

Poggio Ubertini, Bible camps have grown in size and number throughout the Italian countryside. They have

ministered to thousands of children, teenagers and young adults throughout the latter half of the twentieth

century and have an ongoing spiritual impact on the youth of the twenty-first century. Their four

fundamental areas of impact are Bible knowledge, evangelism, fellowship and edification.

While Bible camps in Italy were born through the initiative of some believers and directly linked to

a number of evangelical churches, today they risk becoming more and more isolated parachurch

organizations. This separation, in turn, creates problems and tensions in the relationship with the local

churches. Even though some churches are directly in charge of organizing camps and administrating camp

facilities, often the campers are not linked to a local church, either because they are not Christians or

because there is no church in the area were they live. This leads to the big problem of lack of “follow-up”:

campers go back to their homes losing all contact with believers because there is nobody around locally

who feels the responsibility to pursue a relationship and to encourage them in their Christian walk.

Furthermore, often the Italian local churches are small and do not have what one might call a “youth

group,” leaving the young Christian camper longing for that annual one or two week time period at camp to

enjoy fellowship with his or her peers.

Thus, camps often are the sole relevant spiritual experience a young participant receives

throughout the year. Camps can foster an environment in which one can more clearly sense the voice of

God through the study of the Bible, where a break from the routine of daily life takes place that can allow

positive change, and in which fellowship with other Christians of the same age occurs. Yet, this experience,

if not sustained by additional spiritual input aimed particularly at the youth in the context of the local

church, is deemed to be isolated and insufficient to determine a healthy spiritual growth. Camps risk

becoming an “isolated voice” in the life of a young individual instead of being an effective spiritual “boost”

that challenges spiritual birth and growth while supporting and complementing the ministry of the local

church. Therefore, this thesis will strive to analyze and answer the following question: Is there is a lack of

interaction between camps and churches that reduces the effectiveness of the ministry of the camps to its

youth participants?

In order to research and defend this thesis, the ministry of the mentioned camps will be assessed

primarily through a qualitative study (i.e., interviews), supported by quantitative research elements (i.e.,

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questionnaires). Since these camps in particular were born by the initiative of Brethren Assemblies, their

relationship to these local churches will be the focus and realm of investigation.

The primary and fundamental results of this study will be to inform camp and church leaders on the

big picture of camp ministry and the concerns that are currently present. It will emphasize the benefits that

can result from a greater synergy between camps and churches, and it will strive to offer ideas to improve

the cooperation between churches and camps for the sake of the expansion of God’s Kingdom.

Subsidiary Questions and Subproblems

An important part in assessing the validity of the ministry of the analyzed camps is the basic

understanding on the nature of local churches and of a parachurch organization. Chapter two will give a

working definition for both these entities and identify what an ideal relationship among them should be.

Thus, a reference point will be created that will allow the analysis of the current situation.

Furthermore, in order to correctly understand and analyze the role of these camps in Italy it is

necessary to tackle the broader topic of Christian Evangelicalism in Italy in the latter half of the twentieth

century. In particular, the history of the Brethren Assemblies will be taken in consideration. This brief

historical survey will provide sufficient background knowledge of the churches to which these camps can

minister and will also provide an understanding of the social context in which campers live.

Finally, an historical sketch of these camps will be provided to shed light on their origins and their

development to the present day. Effort will be spent in trying to assess the positive and effective results of

camp ministries, as well as their negative or less effective outcomes. This information will be obtained

through direct interaction with campers, staff members, and church leaders by means of interviews and

questionnaires. Written documents (e.g., articles in magazines and journals) will contribute in answering

the proposed questions.

Significance, Limitations and Anticipated Contribution of the Study

A systematic study of these Bible camps has never been undertaken at a master’s thesis level, or at

any academic level. It is therefore highly original and innovative, offering never before retrieved

information. It will provide a significant historical overview of the camps that can be used to inform the

Italian believers about the past and current fruitfulness of these camps and encourage them to make the

most of Bible camps and by investing time, money and energy to improve this ministry.

The thesis will be primarily limited to the study of the interaction between Poggio Ubertini, Bethel

and Pravernara and the Italian Brethren Assemblies. In doing so, it will assess the long-term spiritual impact

of camps on its young participants as an indicator of the effectiveness of camps. It is therefore not going to

offer scientific statistical research on camp attendance or a study of the sociological impact of these camps

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on the general life of the campers. Although doctrinal issues on the nature of the Church and of camps will

be taken in consideration, this study will not be a theological essay on these subjects.

Three major contributions are anticipated. First, it will strive to encourage and equip camp leaders

to improve their ministry. By sketching the history of the camps and by gathering first hand testimonies on

how these camps have been a positive spiritual influence in the life of the campers, it will show the

importance and value of Bible camps. Secondly, it will challenge church leaders and members to be more

aware of the great benefits that young campers can still reap today from attending these camps. Thirdly,

and most importantly, it will potentially raise the sensibility of churches and camps to their respective

responsibility in ministering to the youth. On the one hand, it will create awareness on the part of local

churches of the need of following up with campers once they come back from camp, especially if the

campers come from a non-Christian background and do not know any Christians in the area where they

live. On the other hand, it will show counselors and other staff members the importance of keeping contact

with campers during the rest of the year. It will therefore underline the necessity of teamwork between

local churches and camps in order to impact effectively the participants and obtain long term spiritual fruit.

Finally, this study will be useful to many other camps and church leaders of other denominations outside of

the Brethren Assemblies.

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CHAPTER 2

LOCAL CHURCHES AND BIBLE CAMPS: BIBLICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Before beginning the specific study of the three Italian Brethren Bible camps and their current

relationship with the local Italian Brethren Assemblies, it is necessary to take a step back and answer, in a

way that is biblically informed, some important and more generic questions about the nature of the

interaction between local churches and Bible camps. This chapter will provide some biblically informed

guidelines that will provide a theological framework for the analysis of the interaction of camps and

churches that will take place in chapter six.

Not much time will be spent in apologetic interaction with the various statements made, since the

ultimate goal is to inform the reader on the ideal interaction between camps and churches. This goal will be

attained by briefly analyzing what the Scriptures says about the nature of the Church, both in its universal

and local aspects, and what its goals and methodologies are. Then, parachurch associations, or

organizations, will be defined and described. At this point, the following question will be addressed: “What

should in theory the interaction between camps and local churches look like?” Finally, the nature and

purposes of Bible camps will be studied, answering questions such as: “Is a Bible camp an “arm” of the local

church that complements and enriches the ministry of a particular assembly, or is it an independent

ministry that serves the “Universal Church” with no ties and commitments to any particular local church? Is

it legitimate for a Bible camp to take on some aspects of ministry that the Church is not fulfilling, either

because of neglect or because of internal or external limitations?” The answers to these questions will

provide the guidelines that will assign an identity and a purpose to Bible camps in a way that, hopefully, will

allow for a more healthy interaction with local churches.

Definition and Purpose of a Local Church

The Church, ekklesia, is the community of believers– people who, trusting in Christ for salvation,

have been regenerated and indwelled by the Holy Spirit and have become Christ’s representatives on

earth. The Church began in Jerusalem at Pentecost, after Christ’s ascension: on that day the Holy Spirit was

first bestowed upon Christ’s disciples (Acts 2).1 The Church, intended as the body of all believers across

time and space, is often referred to as the “universal church.” When dealing with a particular group of

believers who meet regularly in an organized fashion, the term “local church” is used (e.g., Eph. 5:25; Acts

9:31; 1 Cor. 16:19).

The Bible uses various images to describe the Church.2 Among these, is the “body of Christ” (1 Cor.

12:12-27; Rom. 12:4-5; Eph. 1:22,23; 4:15-16; 5:23; Col. 1:18-24), the “temple of God” (1 Cor. 3:16,17; Eph.

1 Gordon R. Lewis and Bruce A. Demarest, Integrative Theology (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1996), vol. III, 263. 2 For an in-depth study of this topic, see Paul S. Minear, Images of the Church in the New Testament (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1960).

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2:19-24; 1 Pt. 2:5), the “bride of Christ” ( Eph. 5:25-32; 2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:7), the “family of God” (1 Tim.

5:1-2; Eph. 3:14; 1 Jn. 3:1-2, 14-18), the “nation” and the “people of God” (1 Pt. 2:9). These images

delineate the different aspects of the Church: the “body of Christ” underlines how the Church is dependent

on Christ as the head, and how diversity of gifts and unity of purpose coexist in the Church; the “temple of

God” underlines the holiness the Church must strive for; the “bride of Christ” shows the depth of Christ’s

love toward the Church; the “family of God” describes the importance and the intimacy of relationships

that Church members should have with one another and with God; the “nation” and the “people” of God

illustrate the corporate identity of every believer in the Church.

The local church is the God-ordained basic physical manifestation and expression of the universal

church.3 As Gordon R. Lewis and Bruce A. Demarest state, “in God’s wise purpose believers in Christ exist as

an ordered and purposeful community.” Furthermore, “a Church should be made up of people related

spiritually to God and organizationally to one another.” 4

The local church fulfills various purposes that can be summarized in three main categories. The

church exists to worship. This can be expressed through various means, such as music (Eph. 5:18-20), the

declaration of God’s acts (Ps. 105:1), prayer and by observing the sacred ordinances of baptism and

communion (Acts 2:42).5 The church also exists for the edification and growth of its members. This goal is

obtained by mutual prayer, by the teaching the Word of God, by providing practical help and material

sustenance, and by maintaining moral and doctrinal purity through admonition and discipline (Acts 5:1-11).

Finally, the church exists to reach out to the lost with the Gospel, making disciples (Mt. 28:19-20). This is

accomplished by evangelism: the proclamation, through words and deeds, of the Gospel.

The local church is also the principal venue through which all believers exercise their spiritual gifts

given by the Holy Spirit for the building of the Church (1 Cor. 12; Eph.4:7-13). While every believer is a

priest and an active part of the Body of Christ (Rom. 12:3-8, 1 Pt. 2:9), the Scriptures mention two

particular offices within the local body: Eldership and Deaconate. Elders oversee the church, pastoring the

believers and guarding the church from false teaching (1 Tim. 3:1-7, 5:17; Tit. 1:5-9; 1 Pt. 5:1-3). Deacons

serve the church in what appears to be a more practical way, but it does not exclude teaching (Acts 6: 1-10;

1 Tim. 3:8-13).6

Each local church should be self-governing and autonomous, not under the authority of a larger

organization, such as a denomination or a diocese (unless these exist simply to provide accountability and

to facilitate a networking between individual churches). Nevertheless, each local assembly must be inter-

3 Jerry E. White, The Church and the Parachurch: an Uneasy Marriage (Portland, Oreg.: Multnomah Press, 1983), 72. 4 Lewis and Demarest, 241, 273. 5 Wayne A. Grudem, Bible Doctrine (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1999), 373; Stanley Grenz, Theology for the Community of God (Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman & Holman, 1994), 638 ff; Lewis and Demarest, 275-6. 6 Lewis and Demarest, 277-81.

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dependent with other local assemblies from which they draw mutual support, encouragement, fellowship

and accountability.7

In conclusion, Bud Williams is correct when he states that “the church, and, in particular, the local

church, is the primarily institution where the benefits of Christ are mediated to the body of Christ and

where the message of salvation, the Gospel, is primarily proclaimed.”8 What, then, is the function of a

parachurch organization? What purposes can it fulfill? The following will explore this issue.

Definition and Purpose of a Parachurch Organization

The Dictionary of Christianity in America defines parachurch organizations as “voluntary, not-for-

profit associations of Christians working outside denominational control to achieve some specific ministry

or social service.”9 The etymology of the word parachurch itself shows that these organizations work

outside and next to the local church or denomination (para, from the Greek: beside, alongside).

These organizations are becoming more and more part of the daily life of the Christian believer in

the Western World, and are often essential in the spiritual and physical life of many individuals across the

world.10

While some argue that parachurch ministries have already appeared in the past in Christendom,11

others argue that parachurch organizations are a relatively new phenomenon (50 years old or so), caused

by the rising complexity of our society and by the availability of financial resources. In particular, Wesley

Kenneth Willmer, J. David Schmidt and Martin Smith argue that “as society becomes more complex, there

arise new niches and new specialties for parachurch groups to grasp.”12

Furthermore, the wealth present in

the western world also allows resources for the “luxury” of specialized ministries that are able to reach

these existing niches in a specific and effective way.

Whatever the exact history of parachurch organizations is, it can be safely affirmed that they have

been in existence far before the 1950’s, and have usually worked in a successful way next to local churches

in the pursuit of expanding God’s kingdom (See, for example, the many missionary agencies, such as the

Brethren Missionary Service Group “Echoes of Service” which saw its birth in 1872 by A.N. Groves’ son, or

the Bible societies such as the United Bible Societies (UBS), founded in 1946). Furthermore, these

7 Lewis and Demarest, 282-84. 8 Bud Williams, “Theological Perspectives on the Temporary Community/Camping and the Church”, http://www.cciworldwide.org/pdf/Christian-Camping-and-the-Church.pdf (accessed 11 April 2003), p. 2. 9 Bruce L. Shelley, “Parachurch Groups,” in Dictionary of Christianity in America, ed. Daniel G. Raid, et al. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1990), 863. 10 See Wesley Kenneth Willmer, J. David Schmidt and Martin Smith, The Prospering Parachurch: Enlarging the Boundaries of God’s Kingdom, (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998), 3-4. Furthermore, to verify the accuracy of this statement it is sufficient to consider missionary organizations (such as China Inland Mission or Team) that provide the sole exposure to the Gospel many individuals have, and to medical and humanitarian relief organizations (such as World Vision) that provide physical care for needy people. 11 See for example, Ralph Winter, The Warp and Woof: Organizing for Missions (Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 1970), 52-56, who argues that the Jesuite movement was a parachurch organization that worked alongside the Roman Catholic Church. 12 Wilmer, Schmidt and Smith, 25.

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organizations have provided “specialized ministries to fill the gap where the church does not have the

resources or has become weak or ineffective.”13

Nevertheless, tensions exist between local churches and parachurch organizations, starting with

diverging opinions about the nature and the role of the parachurch. Some argue “any structure outside the

local congregation as illegitimate.”14

Others believe that parachurch organizations must exist to fulfill

temporary mandates (either to correct some negative trend in the church or plant new churches), but must

disappear once they have reached their goal.15

Howard A. Snyder argues that the Church is not an

institutionalized organization, but a “charismatic organism.”16

Therefore, either in a local church or in a

parachurch organization, the Church can take the form it sees necessary for the current circumstances.

Jerry E. White defines parachurch ministries as “para-local churches,” therefore underlining the nature of

these organizations as an alternative to local churches.17

He then clearly states that “the para-local church

finds its theological legitimacy in the freedom of form given in the New Testament, in the necessary

expression of each believer-priest in his ministry, and in the examples of local and mobile functions of the

universal church.”18

Willmer, Schimdt and Smith also remain of the same line of thought, affirming that

“God’s work is not bound up with any one kind of organization. The traditional church on the corner is

important, but God is working through the parachurch as well.”19

Overall, the main thrust of these three last positions appears to be correct. It is important to

underline that although God has used parachurch organizations in a mighty way to expand His Kingdom,

these can never be a substitute for a local church. Due to their specialized nature and their focused

ministry, parachurch organizations are not able to minister to the daily needs of a believer in the same way

as a local congregation. White rightly affirms that “Every believer should be part of a local fellowship.”20

One cannot overlook that the New Testament gives clear directives as to the nature, purpose, and

organization of local churches (e.g., 1 Corinthians; 1, 2 Timothy; Titus) and does not directly address the

issue of parachurch organizations. We can conclude, agreeing with Williams, that “the church, not the

parachurch, is God’s ordained vehicle for growing the body of Christ, the church itself. And the church

ideally should be in the process of renewing itself from within.”21

The question then to be addressed is: “How can a parachurch assist the church in performing these

needed functions?”22

What should be the relationship of parachurch organizations to the ministry of a local

church? The following section will strive to provide some answers.

13 Williams, 8. 14 White, 65. 15 Ibid, 66. 16 Howard A. Snyder, The problem of wineskins (Downers Grove, Ill.: Intervarsity Press, 1975), 157. 17 White, 19. 18 Ibid. 85. 19 Wilmer, Schmidt and Smith, 25. 20 White, 85. 21 Williams, 12. 22 Ibid.

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The Relationship between Local Churches and Parachurch Organizations

Having underlined the indispensable presence of the local church, it appears clear that parachurch

ministries should complement the more holistic ministry of the local church, and act as catalyst for spiritual

growth within the local church. The statement of Alec Hill of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship offers an

example of this ideal relationship: “We partner with churches in campus ministry and equip students,

faculty and staff to be active lifelong members in local congregations.”23

Willmer, Schmidt and Smith

further state that:

The institutional church and the parachurch are not meant to be enemies but, ideally, to

occupy complementary places beside each other. One focuses on the general needs of the

people of God, whereas the other finds a specific goal and trains all its energy on

accomplishing it. Recognizing this difference between the church and the parachurch goes

a long way toward answering the question of how they can work together.24

The ability of parachurch ministries to focus on single needs can enable them to serve many

different congregations (of one denomination or of different denominations), and to reach out to non-

believers in a way that is very powerful and effective. They can serve as catalyst to see great improvement

in a certain aspect of the life of a believer and therefore spark a renewed desire for spiritual growth (see for

example the many counseling ministries that provide specialized help to struggling individuals and families

by well-equipped personnel). They can also serve as catalyst for spiritual birth, creating, as many

evangelistic outreach organizations do, a great environment to present the Gospel in a clear, unequivocal

and powerful way.

Too often, though, tension and conflicts arise between local churches and parachurch

organizations. When the roles of local churches and parachurch ministries are not clearly understood, and

when both local churches and parachurch organizations do not clearly state their relationship to one

anther, there are grounds for tense situations that can create serious conflicts. For example, Earl D.

Radmacher portrays the common phenomenon of what he calls “nonreciprocal interdenominational

groups.” If people of certain local churches have a vision, begin a parachurch ministry and receive support

from their congregations, but then slowly don’t reciprocate the support of the local churches by

maintaining contacts and being sensible to the needs of these churches, then a “needless duplication of

ministries” arises. This often causes a draining of resources from the ministry of the local churches (both

financial and human resources), and eventually a division of loyalties of those who work in the organization

between their local church and their parachurch ministry.25

As Frank Tillapaugh notes, ideally churches should incorporate, as much as possible, ministries that

are run by parachurch organizations. In that way, the problem of transitioning an unchurched individual

from a parachurch group to a local church would be solved, the individual being already part of a local

23 Alec Hill, “Church,” http://www.intervarsity.org/news/news.php?item_id=674 (accessed 13 January 2005). 24 Willmer, Schmidt and Smith, 27. 25 Earl D. Radmacher, as quoted by White, 71-72.

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church.26

In order to meet this objective, Lewis and Demarest suggest that there should be a greater

involvement of the laity, allowing different specialized ministries to be present within the church.27

Having said that, it is important to recognize that often parachurch groups, if composed by

individuals active in their local congregations and sensitive to the needs of local churches, can offer a highly

specialized ministry that can have a greater effectiveness than a single church’s program and that can

minister to a wider range of churches and denominations. Bible camps, as the following pages will show,

provide an apt example of this statement.

Definition, Purpose and Characteristics of Bible Camps

Bible camps can be defined as Christian, Bible-centered temporary communities with the purpose

of spiritual growth.28

This broad definition includes many different kinds of Christian camps and

conferences that exist today, from a wilderness camp that corresponds more closely to the traditional

“camping” concept, where the campers live in tents in isolated areas immersed in natural setting, to a day

camp in which participants go each day to the designated site for various activities and then return home,

to a resident camp – the most common type of camp – characterized by permanent facilities where

campers live usually for one or two weeks.29

Bible camps exist for the purpose of spiritual growth. As Richard L Love aptly states, “The basic and

unchanging purpose of Christian camps is to lead campers into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,

and help them grow in it.”30

Warner C. Graendorf, similarly, stresses the importance of disciple-making

when he affirms that “the overall purpose of Christian camping is to use as fully as possible the camp

experience as an opportunity for discipling individuals toward maturity in Christ.”31

At a closer look, camps can be instrumental in several goals. They create a learning environment

where campers gain a greater knowledge of God through His Word, His creation,32

and through the

examples of more mature Christians, such as counselors and camp leaders. While the direct teaching and

preaching of the Bible must always retain its fundamental presence (this aspect is particularly relevant for

the case of Italian Bible camps, as the next section will show), the extensive contacts campers have with

their Christian leaders is of great importance. Robert K. Bower states that “example, accompanied by

26 Frank Tillapaugh, The Church Unleashed (Ventura, Calif.: Regal, 1982), 24. 27 Lewis and Demarest, 292. 28 While the resources consulted for writing this paragraph are mainly north American, I proceed with the generic assumption that the principles described here are shared by the analyzed Italian Brethren Camps. Chapter 4 and 6 will test the legitimacy of this assumption. 29 Lloyd D. Mattson, Christian Camping Today (Wheaton, Ill.: Harold Shaw Publishers, 1998), 35-38. 30 Richard L. Love, “Christian Camps: Unique Opportunity,” Christianity Today, 5 December 1969, 36. 31 Warner C. Graendorf, “Camping Purpose,” in Introduction to Christian Camping, ed. Warner C. Graendorf, and Lloyd D. Mattson (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979), 25. 32 See Psalm 19; this aspect is particularly valid if camp is of the wilderness type.

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genuine personal concern, may teach young people and adults more about the love of God and the

practical application of Christian principles than would several years of lesson or lectures.”33

Bible camps also allow for a setting in which evangelization can be particularly effective.

Evangelism is defined as the proclamation of the Gospel with the goal of leading unregenerated individuals

to a personal and experiential knowledge of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. Indeed, often non-

believers “in a non-church situation…are stabbed, awakened, convicted, and converted.”34

This purpose is

also valid for nominal Christians who usually attend church but are indifferent to its message. At camp, they

are faced with the message of the cross in a new and deep way.

Furthermore, at camp the Gospel continues to speak also to believers, challenging them to grow in

their relationship with God: “Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Christian camp provides the setting

for growing disciples as well as for new ones.”35

In particular, camps allow for a believer to consecrate again

one’s life to serve God as the only legitimate response to His Gospel. Camps often allow young believers to

reflect on what their spiritual gifts are and to exercise and practically experiment with the use of these

gifts. This can and should lead the believers to exercise them once camp is over, primarily in the context of

their local church.

Finally, camps are a precious avenue where believers can increase their fellowship as they grow in a

deeper knowledge and understanding of God. The corporate aspect of Bible camps is essential to the life of

camps, since they are a temporary community. This aspect is of particular importance in places where

churches are often small and where youth groups are even smaller and sometimes nonexistent. The mutual

encouragement that can take place at a camp is therefore an invaluable element and can lead to significant

lifelong relationships.

Camps can be considered a particular type of parachurch organization (although it must be noted

that often local churches organize camps using various facilities to minister to their own congregation).

Therefore, they do not and should not exist independently from local churches but they must complement

the ministry of the local church. As Williams affirms “Camp/temporary community purposes are usually

focused on special needs of the church that cannot be met as well in the permanent community.”36

Camps, therefore, have several characteristics that together contribute in a unique way to the

ministry of the local church.37

One of these is the time factor. The nature of the temporary community

allows for an extended amount of time dedicated to the specific goal of spiritual growth – with the many

facets this could entail. Dedicating a week or more to camp frees the individual from daily routines and

33 Robert K. Bower, “Camps and Conferences,” in Baker’s Dictionary of Practical Theology, ed. Ralph G. Turnbull (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1967), 436. 34 F. Carlton Booth, “Retreat and Camp Evangelism,” in Baker’s Dictionary of Practical Theology, ed. Ralph G. Turnbull (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1967), 174. 35 Graendorf, 30. 36 Williams, 5. 37 For an extensive identification of these contributions, see Williams 5-8, 12-14.

18

previous commitments that considerably narrow down the time one can set apart for considering spiritual

issues.

Another significant factor is the absence of distractions that a camp provides. These distractions

(the most common being the media: television, radio, internet) frequently cause an individual to waste

time in meaningless and often unhealthy occupations. This lack of distractions, combined with a program

that leads the whole community to focus on the same matter and toward the same goal, allows for a

greater understanding of the urgency and importance of growing as a disciple of Christ.

The temporary nature of the camp and its radical difference from the routine of everyday life

therefore creates an ideal condition for change. In particular, “the camp/temporary community setting can

help free the person from routine reinforced habits so that new habits can be established and hopefully

become imbedded in routines at home.”38

The Christian-centered values around which a camp is built also allow individuals to gain or regain

God’s perspective on certain issues they might struggle with and push them toward making healthy

decisions. For example, a Christian teenager struggling with unhealthy friendships may realize, during a

camp, the importance of choosing wisely his or her friends and therefore will be able to make some

practical decisions in that direction. Furthermore, as mentioned above, at camp one can hear and realize in

a new way the importance and urgency of the message of the Gospel, allowing a positive response that can

determine the salvation and the growth of the individual.

It is very important to understand that camps, by definition, are a temporary community, and

therefore cannot substitute a local, permanent church. The unique contribution of camps can have

permanent and lifelong effect only if matched by the year long ministry of a local church. Follow-up, in

particular, is of significant importance when a camper does not regularly attend a local church:

When campers return to their homes they need to be transitioned to a local church to

continue their growth that took place at camp… Discipleship is a life-long, ongoing process

given to the local body of believers. It is not a short term, temporary community

experience that occurs once or twice a year.39

The camp experience can soon be swept away if there is no continuing input that keeps the vision

alive. A solid relationship and network between camps and churches is therefore essential if the local

congregations will enjoy the benefits of the successes of the weeklong camps.

On the other hand, camps can reap the fruit of a year long sowing that has been done at the local

church. Indeed, “the local church is the permanent instrument performing the main function of building

38 Ibid, 6. 39 Ibid, 12.

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disciples.”40

Therefore, local churches must invest in and support Bible camps. While a few individuals with

a vision can be sufficient to start a meaningful camp ministry, churches will see real benefits when they

support the ministry of camps in prayer, time, money and follow-up.

Conclusions

The study of the issues presented in this chapter has identified various generic principles that will

inform the analysis of the specific camps under examination. First, local churches are the primary milieu

that God uses for the growth of the Body of Christ. Second, parachurch organizations can have a

complementary and supportive role to the local church by specializing in particular ministries and by

functioning as catalyst for spiritual growth. Third, Bible camps, as parachurch organizations, can have a

unique and effective ministry that can serve the needs of the local churches. Finally, Bible camps and local

churches must act in partnership in order to obtain a greater expansion of God’s Kingdom.

The next chapter will inform the reader of a particular Italian context in which this interaction takes

place by painting a picture of the historical and doctrinal context of both the Brethren Assemblies and of

the three Brethren camps that are the focus of this study. By describing the road that led to the current

situation, a greater understanding of the issue at hand will be attained, and better solutions can be sought

to improve the interaction of these Italian camps and churches.

40 Ibid, 15.

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CHAPTER 3

BRETHREN ASSEMBLIES AND BIBLE CAMPS IN ITALY:

HISTORICAL ROOTS

For a correct analysis of the topic of study, it is important to understand the various historical

phenomena that set the stage for these camps. Knowledge of the history of the Brethren Assemblies and of

Bible camps will provide a better perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of today’s camps.

Furthermore, knowing the doctrinal convictions of the Brethren will aid in understanding the particular

spiritual and organizational emphases of the camps.

This chapter is divided in two sections. The first section will give a brief overview of the history and

doctrinal convictions of the Brethren Assemblies, with particular emphasis on the Italian Brethren and on

their presence among the greater landscape of Italian Evangelical Churches. The second section will give

another historical sketch, focusing this time on the history of camps, in particular the Italian Brethren Bible

camps.

The History and Convictions on the Italian Brethren

A knowledge of the characteristics of the birth of the Brethren movement in the United Kingdom

and its expansion to Italy will shed light on the historical and geographical context in which these camps

still operate today. Moreover, an overview of the doctrine of the Brethren will underline the ideas that

shaped and continue to shape the life of the camps.

Origins of the Brethren Assemblies and their Spread in Italy

The Brethren Movement started in the British Islands during the first half of the nineteenth

century. Its characteristics are similar to other movements and denominations that were birthed during the

first and second “awakenings” in Europe and North America. In particular, in the “Brethren” thought the

elements of biblical reflection, moral reform and personal conversion that are usually linked to the

“revivals” have a predominant position.41

The historical and spiritual context in which this movement was born was one of “spiritual

confusion that undermined the Anglo-Saxon world, where it appeared that bourgeoisie and Protestantism,

Christian mission and English Mission merged.”42

Therefore a small number of informal gatherings started

to appear throughout England and Ireland, constituted by Christians that were deeply disappointed with

41 Giorgio Bouchard, Chiese e movimenti evangelici del nostro tempo (Turin, Italy: Claudiana, 1992), 10-13. 42 Ibid, 83.

21

the state of the Protestant churches. They believed that in the Protestant churches, too much emphasis

was placed on efforts to improve the society and too little energy was focused on studying the Bible and on

living an upright moral life.43

The Brethren sought to return to these fundamental Christian values as they

waited the imminent return of Christ and the establishment of His Kingdom. The first group of Brethren

was born in Dublin in 1825, when a number of Christians from various denominations started to meet in a

simple fashion to meditate on the Word of God, viewed as the only source of a solution to the social and

ecclesiastical crisis, and to partake of the Lord’s Supper, in obedience to the Lord’s commandment and in

imitation of the apostolic church.44

The center of the movement soon shifted from Dublin to Plymouth, where there was the greatest

local gathering and from which the name “Plymouth Brethren” was given to the movement.45

Particularly

important for the worldwide expansion of the Brethren Movement was A. N. Groves, whose missionary

fervor brought him to Baghdad and to India, setting the example for the Brethren in the area of world

evangelization and promoting the Brethren ideology throughout the world.46

As mentioned, while this movement shares some common convictions with other “revivalist”

awakenings, some aspects differentiate the Brethren from any other denomination or movement that

started in that time frame. Their main characteristic was the constant referral to the Bible and to the

apostolic age as the guideline for the organization and the government of the Church.47

In particular, the

Brethren had a concept of the “local church” that was “refreshingly original” in their day – although it has

its root in the New Testament principles. They upheld the notion of the “priesthood of all believers,” in

which every believer has at least one spiritual gift to exercise in the local body, and refused ecclesiastical

ordination of any kind: “The removal of clericalism would be replaced by God’s design for ministry…

namely, the service of the entire believing congregation.”48

Therefore their meetings were and still are

characterized by absence of any kind of liturgy: all the believers are allowed to pray, speak or propose a

hymn for corporate singing in the “freedom of the Spirit.” The absence of official ecclesiastical structure is

reflected also among the movement as a whole: there is no higher body that supervises the various

assemblies, and each assembly is considered independent. Therefore, Bible conferences that serve as

network of interactions between the various local churches are of vital importance.49

43 Ibid. 44 Harold H. Rowdon, The Origins of the Brethren (London: Pickering & Inglis, 1967), 37. 45 Giorgio Bouchard, and R. Turinetto, L’ “Altra Chiesa” in Italia: gli evangelici (Turin, Italy: Claudiana, 1976), 69. 46 For a recent bibliography of A. N. Groves, see Robert Bernard Dann, Father of Faith Missions: The Life and Times of Anthony Norris Groves (Authentic Media, 2004). Furthermore, regarding the missionary endeavor of the early Brethren, it is interesting to notice Ken Newton’s statement: “The movement [of the Brethren] …exhibited, from the very beginning, a missionary bent. This, some might argue, would be, along with its rediscovery of the role of lay leaders, its most valuable contribution to the life of the universal church. All three of its foremost leaders, Groves, Darby and Muller were, at times during their ministries, itinerants and all three, albeit in different ways, “in their goings” discipled the nations.” Ken Newton, “Mission Past and Future” in New Horizons in Missions, ed. Fares Marzone (Fondi, Italy: UCEB, 1997). 47 James Patrick Callahan, Primitivist Piety: the Ecclesiology of the Early Plymouth Brethren (Lanham, Md.: The Scarecrow Press, 1996), 34-42. 48 Ibid, 58. 49 Bouchard, 86.

22

In Italy, the Brethren Movement is, apart from the Waldensian Church,50

the oldest evangelical

church that took root among the Italian population. Moreover, it is considered an indigenous movement,

initiated and sustained primarily by Italians,51

although deeply influenced by the English “Plymouth

Brethren.”52

The Italian Brethren Church traces its birth in Florence in 1833 to the meeting of a small group

of converts.53

In 1836 the distinguished figure of Count Piero Guicciardini came to a genuine conversion and

joined the group in Florence. Following the suppression of the 1848 revolution and persecutions against the

evangelical believers, the Count was arrested and exiled in 1851.

While in exile in London, he came in touch with the Plymouth Brethren and was deeply impressed

with their “simplicity and the coherence.” At that same time, he met Teodorico Pietrocola Rossetti (a poet,

nephew of the more famous Dante Gabriele Rossetti), who was a political exile from Naples, and led him to

a true Christian faith. Once the two were permitted back to Italy, they started a long and persistent work of

evangelization, and with the help of other preachers, planted churches in central and northern Italy

(Tuscany, Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy).54

The evangelistic work of the Brethren continues to this day, and

the Brethren are present in each Italian region, as the map on page 27 shows.

Current Status of Italian Evangelical Churches and of the Brethren Assemblies

The Evangelical Church in Italy has always been a minority. Since the downfall of the Roman

Empire, the Roman Catholic Church has been the dominant form of Christianity and it has held its

supremacy throughout the centuries with a rigid, centralized religious and state government that allowes

little or no reformation. An exemplary case of the suppression by the Roman Catholic Church of any

attempts of reform is the Waldensian Church. Originating in France in the 12th

century, it spread

throughout northwestern Italy and counted more than 100,000 members. During the Counter-

Reformation, though, the Waldensians were greatly persecuted and their number dropped to a mere

5,000.55

This approach toward non-Catholic expressions of faith remained throughout the centuries. In the

early days of the Brethren Movement in Italy, persecution was frequent, as the exile of Count Guicciardini

testifies. During the expansion of the movement in the latter half of the nineteenth century, Brethren

evangelists “experienced every difficulty: pressure from religious authorities, disregard of religious liberty,

persecution from those who attempted to deny their ‘right to propagate their faith’.”56

Later on, even after

World War 2, episodes of persecution and ostracism where relatively common, especially in central and

southern Italy, “where there was an expansion of the Brethren in a traditionally catholic environment.”57

50 For a brief description of the Waldensian Church, see p. 25. 51 “Italy,” World Christian Encyclopedia: a Comparative Survey of Churches and Religions in the Modern World, 2nd ed. 52 Roger E. Hedlund, The Protestant Movement in Italy; Its Progress, Problems, and Prospects (South Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 1970), 122. 53 World Christian Ecyclopedia, Ibid. 54 Bouchard, 86; Hedlund, 121. 55 World Christian Ecyclopedia, Ibid. 56 Vinay, as quoted by Hedlund, 121. 57 Domenico Maselli, Libertà della parola: storia delle chiese cristiane dei fratelli, 1886-1946 (Turin, Italy: Claudiana, 1978), 156.

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Today, state laws usually provide a great amount of freedom, and the kind of persecution previous

generations faced has almost disappeared. Nevertheless, Evangelical Christians are few, and their existence

is often unknown and misunderstood by the majority of the population. In the introduction to the book The

“Other Church” in Italy: the Evangelicals, the authors Bouchard and Turinetto give a poignant and strong

overview of the current spiritual state of the country:

For centuries Italy hosted the papacy and therefore should be privileged in religious

aspects; for a peculiar paradox, instead, it’s a peripheral and marginal country with

reference to the great religious experiences of the modern world. Its last spiritual season,

without doubt exceptional and glorious, is tied to Francis of Assisi; but it is now distant and

during the last centuries the presence of Italy in the religious field has been almost

irrelevant, so that it nowadays appears an underdeveloped land.58

Roberto Mazzeschi, president of the Italian Evangelical Alliance, affirms that the percentage of

evangelicals in Italy to this day is of 0.8 percent, or approximately of five hundred thousand believers.59

Local churches are relatively few, and many towns and districts have no evangelical witness. Today, only

2,500 of Italy’s 15,400 communities have an established evangelical witness.60

If in many of these

communities there are individual believers, they are isolated and their deep need of fellowship can only be

met by traveling to other towns where there are local churches, or by joining special events, such as Bible

camps or conferences, where they can spend an extended amount of time with other born-again

Christians.

The March 2002 edition of the National Directory of Local Brethren Assemblies61

lists 262

congregations. The map below shows the geographical distribution of these Brethren Assemblies.62

It is

interesting to notice that the greatest percentage of congregations is in Northwest Italy, were there has

been an historical presence of the

58 Bouchard and Turinetto, 5. 59 This information was given by Prof. Farez Marzone, president of the Italian Evangelical Bible Institute. 60 Ibid. 61 Prontuario Indirizzi Assemblee (Fondi (Latina), Italy: U.C.E.B., 2002). For the names of all the regions, see Appendix 1. 62 One must note that since 2001, a number of churches that were part of the Italian Brethren Assemblies are no longer part of the National Directory due to their stance on some Reformed doctrinal issues that diverge from the main historic position of the Brethren (Athough there is no official membership to the Brethren Assemblies since they do not comprise a formal denomination, the National Directory functions practically as a membership list).

24

Fig. 1. The number of Brethren Assemblies in Italy by region

Brethren Assemblies since the days of Guicciardini, and in the Southeast, thanks especially to the relentless

work of evangelization undertaken after World War 2.

Doctrinal Convictions of the Brethren

For the purposes of this work, it is important to analyze several of the many aspects of the doctrinal

convictions that characterize the Brethren Movement, since these doctrinal convictions are, generally

speaking, reflected in the leadership of Bible camps and therefore in the particular shape of the camps.63

The Centrality of Bible

The early Brethren Assemblies had an immensely high regard for the Scriptures. They studied them

with seriousness and devotion, guarding them as the sole source of authority, and strove to put into

practice all of their teachings. This approach to the Scriptures and the Brethren’s understanding of the New

Testament accounts of the Early Church sparked many decisions and convictions that deeply shaped the

practice of the Assemblies. Currently, the Brethren Assemblies are known for their sound doctrine and their

63 Some of these categories are taken and adapted from the 10 principles Robert Baylis lists in his book My People: the History of those Christians Sometimes Called Plymouth Brethren (Wheaton, Ill.: Harold Shaw Publishers, 1995), 22-25.

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devotion to studying the Word. The camps that were born by initiative of the Brethren Assemblies are all

unabashedly “Bible camps,” as a proof of the importance of the Word of God to this movement.

The Local Church as a Living Organism

One of the primary results of the diligent study of Scriptures is the Brethren understanding of the

visible, local church. They refuse any sort of institutionalized organization, but firmly believe that the local

church is a living organism, composed of a simple gathering of believers around the Lord’s Supper with no

hierarchy (although the offices of elder and deacon are recognized) and with no higher external

accountability. In other words, each congregation is autonomous and independent. At the same time, each

congregation must not be isolated, but mutual edification, instruction and fellowship must be sought. Thus,

Bible camps and various Bible conferences serve this purpose. They allow interaction, confrontation and

exchange of ideas between the congregations, and the gifted preachers and teachers that one assembly

might have are “shared” with the others.

Priesthood of all Believers and Spiritual Gifts

The Brethren Assemblies do not believe in the traditional church structures that determine the

existence of a clear division between clergy and laity, and they are convinced that all believers have equal

right to administer the Lord’s Supper and to preach the Gospel. Therefore, no sort of ordination is

necessary for a believer to teach or preach or perform any other particular duty in the church. “This

principle does not mean that the Brethren have no pastors, teachers, or evangelists, but rather that they

recognize the gift by its exercise rather than by a title conferred by some organization.”64

This view of the

Church, at the beginning of the movement, was tremendously positive because it allowed a rediscovery of

the simplicity and involvement that the New Testament believers enjoyed in their congregations (e.g., Eph.

5: 18-20; 1 Cor 14: 26). In the local context, the training of new leadership is usually left to the elders of the

congregation. 65

Due to the limited resources or giftedness one church might have, there is the real risk of

poor training, and this can significantly affect the long term future of the congregation.

Bible camps have been a milieu where qualified and prepared Bible teachers instruct the youth of

the churches in an orderly and systematic way, offering a positive contribution to the training of new

leaders and challenging all believers to more deeply consecrate themselves to a life of service. It must be

noted that the Assemblies take a complementarian stance on the gender role issue, although in different

degree and fashion. While all believers are equally valuable and important before God, the Brethren

believe that the practice of the gifts must be done in respect to the God-ordained differences between men

and women (1 Cor. 11: 3ff, 14: 34-5; 2 Tim. 2: 11-14).

64 Ibid, 24. 65 It must be noted that while upholding the priesthood of all believers, the Brethren Assemblies have also the conviction that the Scriptures point at two offices in the local church: Elder and Deacon. These are the only two offices, and there are no other “higher” offices than these (e.g., one senior pastor or a regional bishop).

26

Furthermore, often during camps young believers have the opportunity to investigate their own

gifts and start to put them in action. For example, opportunities are provided to lead certain programs, to

conduct devotional Bible studies, to assist other campers in practical needs or to encourage others with a

testimony of God’s work in their lives. In addition, believing campers often later return to camp as

counselors, developing their gifts as leaders, teachers, and servants. Camps often become a training ground

for work in the local assemblies.

Zeal for Evangelism

Since the beginning of the movement, the Brethren have felt a passion and a call to share the

Gospel with the people around them. This was manifest both at a local level and an international level, as

the earlier mentioned missionary endeavors of A. N. Groves reveal. To this day, according to Robert Baylis,

“the number of Brethren missionaries is far out of proportion to the size of the movement.”66

Bible camps

have been an incredible instrument in the hand of God for the salvation of many individuals. An

“evangelistic evening service” is usually held during the camp, offering a clear presentation of the Gospel

message, and one-on-one evangelistic efforts are ongoing by the camp leaders and counselors. As a result,

each summer many professions of faith are made at these camps.

Historical Roots of the Italian Brethren Bible camps

Along with the history and the doctrinal convictions of the Brethren, understanding the particular

history of Bible camps first, and of the Italian Brethren Camps then will shed light on the peculiarities of the

context and characteristics of the three camps being analyzed.

Biblical and Historical Roots of Modern Camps

While the birthday of modern Bible camps for youth can be traced back to sometime in the latter

half of the nineteenth century, elements of the basic philosophy that characterize these camps is very

ancient. Indeed, if Bible camps are understood as a particular form temporary community, one can see that

temporary communities also existed in biblical days and served a very important cause. Williams argues

that in Genesis we see how God called Abraham and Sarah out of their permanent dwellings in Ur to live in

temporary tents until the time to settle in the promised land would come. In this “transitory” time of

traveling, God revealed Himself to Abraham in an increasing manner, transforming Abraham and giving him

and Sarah a new identity: “He wanted them to separate from their family of origin and pagan

social/religious roots and become a part of His family.”67

Centuries later, the nation of Israel went through an extended time of “camping” when, in their trip

from Egypt to Canaan, they dwelt as a community in tents in the desert. Sadly, because of their rebellion,

66 Ibid, 25. 67 Williams, 3.

27

this temporary camping became the “longest of any in recorded history.” Nevertheless, God used this time

to isolate Israel from the surrounding pagan nations in order to instruct them not only in the knowledge of

basic theological truths, but also in the knowledge of the most practical aspects of life that were to reflect

these theological truths: “It was their time apart from pagan cultural influences that allowed them to be

free to establish a God-centered culture.”68

Jesus himself, in his three years of public ministry, adopted the model of temporary community

with his disciples. Not only did His itinerant teaching and preaching allow Him to reach a greater audience

than if He were to remain in one place, but during this time He was able to teach His disciples in an isolated

setting and in an intensive way by words and by actions.69

Williams further suggests that in the history of the church there examples of temporary community

in the monastic movement. Monasteries provided an isolated environment from a morally and culturally

decaying world, where “life was organized around biblical values.”70

Furthermore, such communities highly

regarded education and, at least for some time, kept Christianity alive despite a corrupt, institutionalized

church. While the aspect of an isolated community centered on solid Christian values is shared by

temporary communities like Bible camps, it seem evident that monasteries cannot be considered true

temporary communities simply because they were not temporary, but permanent. Thus, they often failed

to engage the “real world” and instead of being only a parenthesis in the life of their members with the

purpose of “recharging” them, they became the means of another way of life, creating a separation from

the world that, among many effects, increased the clergy/laity gap.

North American History of Modern Bible camps

The quest of tracing the origins of the modern Bible camps movement is not simple, especially

when considering the international landscape. While there is a great deal of literature that sketches the

birth and development of the North American Bible camps, it is more difficult to trace the history of various

other camps that exist in various nations throughout the world. Nevertheless, the North American history

of camps is probably the oldest and the most relevant in the international context.

While experts disagree on where and when the first modern camp took place,71

it appears that the

first historically recorded event that closely resembles the formation of a Bible camp occurred in 1663

along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. The occasion was the sojourn of an English itinerant preacher,

George Fox, who traveled from town to town to preach the Word of God. On one instance a huge crowd of

1,000 people gathered and “pitched 200 tents for at least one four-day preaching session according to one

68 Ibid. 69 Ibid. 70 Ibid, 4. 71 See Gerald P. Burns, “A Short History of Camping,” Camping Magazine, February 1949: 14-15, who states that the first camp took place in 1800, and, Clifford V. Anderson, “Camping History,” in Introduction to Christian Camping, ed. Lloyd D. Mattson, and Warner C. Graendorf (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979), 35, who affirms that the first camp took place in 1800.

28

account.”72

The reason behind these large gatherings was that in those days churches were few and

scattered around a vast territory. Since there was no electricity and traveling was a difficult task in such a

rural setting, the visitations by itinerant preachers would draw together crowds in temporary outdoor

dwellings to hear the teaching of the Word of God.73

In 1775-76 a minister named these outdoor

gatherings camp meetings. According to Clifford V. Anderson, only in 1800 did the “first recorded planned

camp meeting in America” take place at the Gasper River in Kentucky.74

Later in the nineteenth century, these camp meetings evolved as various initiatives offered new

ideas and opportunities. On a secular level, it is recorded that “the first time camping, as an organized,

educational-recreational project, was undertaken was in 1861.”75

On a Christian level, today’s Bible camp

for youth was born in 1880 by Rev. Geoge W. Hinkley, who organized a camping trip for seven boys of his

parish in Connecticut. “The camp took the form of an assembly with a daily program consisting of ‘sane and

sensible’ religious periods, an educational program; swimming, baseball, tennis in the afternoon, and sings,

talks and entertainment in the evening.”76

It appears that these descriptions match the basic aspects of

today’s Bible camps for youth. Similar incipient camping experiences grew across North American, and in

1914 an interdenominational summer program took place in Wisconsin and is recognized as “the origin of

church camping movement.”77

Christian Camping International, established in 1950, is today the largest

camping organization that has members from all continents.78

European Roots of Italian Brethren Bible camps

It is more difficult to trace the history of Bible camps in Europe. While it is clear that the North

American camp movement spread to Europe in the latter half of the twentieth century,79

it is hard to

determine the extent of the influence of North American camps in Europe at the end of the nineteenth

century and beginning of the twentieth century.

From the information available in the existing resources, it appears that the first, European camp

that took place in Littlehampton, England, in 1892. This camp resulted from the ministry of Scripture Union,

an organization born in 1868 and geared to spread the Christian faith by providing, among different kinds

of ministries, Bible reading aid material. This first camp appeared to be totally independent from any camp

that was taking place in the United States:

It was two students from Cambridge University, who came up with the idea for a camp.

They wrote: ‘Our plan is as follows: to collect together as many as possible in tents, to

72 Williams, 4. 73 Anderson, ibid. Williams, ibid. 74 Anderson, ibid. 75 Burns, 15. 76 Joseph T. Rothrock, as quoted by Anderson, 39. 77 Anderson, 45. 78 See http://www.cciworldwide.org 79 This spreading became somewhat official when England and the Netherlands joined CCI in the 1970s. Later Spain, Russia and Poland also joined CCI (http://www.cciworldwide.org).

29

provide for them all the sports and amusements dear to the heart of boys, and while in the

midst of these enjoyments, to influence them more by example than by words.’ It is

reported ‘that on the last night some of the most unlikely ones, who had come to camp as

a joke, told how they found Christ that week.’80

As Scripture Union began to spread at an international level, the growth of Bible camps did

likewise. In 1925, “La Ligue pour la Lecture de la Bible” was founded in the French speaking part of

Switzerland. Four years later, in 1929, the first Bible camps for children took place In Vennes, on the

outskirts of Lausanne. The camps are still running today in that location.81

Surprisingly, the importance of these Swiss camps is more essential in the history of the Italian

Brethren Bible camps than the camps that took place in England. Even though a Bible camp started in 1946

in Bristol (one of the historical sites of the origins of the Brethren movement, in addition to Dublin and

Plymouth), this camp did not influence the camps in Italy.82

Rather, it was while visiting a camp at Vennes in

Switzerland, that the founders of the first camp at Poggio Ubertini caught the vision for Italian Camps. In an

interview that took place in June 2003, in Rome, Maria Teresa de Giustina Standridge, a full time worker

within the Italian evangelical Church, recounts that after World War 2 many North American organizations

(e.g., Youth for Christ, Intervarsity, Navigators) saw Italy as a great mission field and began to promote their

ministries. In particular, Intervarsity became interested in starting a ministry in Italy through the initiative of

one of its United States founders, Stacey Woods. Stacey Woods was in contact with René Pache, who was

an active member of the Intervarsity group in French-speaking Switzerland (called GBEU). Together they

invited a few evangelical university students to attend a camp at Vennes, in Switzerland, in order to

investigate the work that was being done there and to see if it was possible to start a similar work in Italy.

These students were Giona and Elia Prencipe, Davide Valente and Maria Teresa de Giustina. Although

logistical reasons prevented from attending the GBEU camp, they saw at Vennes a children’s camp, and

were favorably impressed. In the words of Maria Teresa de Giustina,

We saw the first camp, and we were very impressed. Giona in particular was very

impressed. And the thing that impressed us the most was to see 10 or 12 years old children

that said they were converted believers - in those days in Italy nobody really believed in the

conversion of children. So we saw this and we thought that it would be great to be able to

start something similar in Italy.83

When they returned from Switzerland, they were enthusiastic about the idea of starting similar

camps in Italy, but they thought it was better to start with one camp for young adults (18 and up). And so,

80 As attested on the Scripture Union website, http://www.su-europe.org 81 Maurice Ray, Recontez les merveilles de Dieu (Lausanne, Switzerland: Ligue pour la Lecture de la Bible, 1967), 46-54. 82 Keith Linton, and Alan Linton, I will build my church (Bristol, UK: C. Hadler Ltd., 1982), 217-233. 83 Maria Teresa de Giustina Standridge, interview by author, electronic recording, Rome, Italy, June 2003.

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not without difficulties, in September of 1948, the first camp took place at Poggio Ubertini, as the next

chapter will show more in detail. A few years after this first camp was established, other camps began in

the southeastern region of Puglia (these camp efforts then became unified in the “Bethel” Bible camp), and

after a decade or so, the first camp at “Pravernara” took place.

Contribution of the Italian Brethren Bible Camps to the Ministry of the Assemblies

It is clear then that while inspired by the example of the camps in Switzerland, the Italian Brethren

Bible camps are essentially an Italian endeavor. Beside the generic contributions of camps to the ministry of

the local churches discussed in the section entitled “Definition, purpose and characteristics of Bible camps,”

two additional aspects emerge from the historical background of the Brethren in Italy to underline the

importance and effectiveness of these camps.

First of all, the contribution of the Bible camps to spread a greater knowledge of the Scriptures has

been immense. The systematic teaching of the Scriptures had not been a regular part of the life of the local

assemblies due to the ecclesiological convictions that characterized the early Brethren: “One of the

fundamental convictions of the Brethren Assemblies in relation to the Christian meetings is the submission

to the freedom of the Spirit, and therefore the rejection of any sort of pre-established liturgy.”84

This meant

that both in the assemblies throughout the country and in the first camps at Poggio Ubertini there was no

programmatic approach to the teaching of the Scriptures: the decision of the topic of the Bible study or

sermon was left to the discernment of the speaker, often only hours before the teaching session. Soon,

within the leaders of the camps at Poggio, “the conviction emerged that the freedom of the Spirit could be

manifested, in His grace, both at the moment of the choosing of the topic and at the moment of the

exposition.”85

Since then, Italian Bible camps have been a great tool to disciple young believers in an

orderly exposition of the Word of God, thanks to capable Italian and foreign teachers that have regularly

served at these camps throughout the years.

Another aspect of great historical importance is the aspect of fellowship. As mentioned at the end

of the section entitled “Current Status of Italian Evangelical Churches and of the Brethren Assemblies,” the

evangelical believers have always been a small minority of the Italian populations. While some areas have a

greater percentage of believers, often the churches are small and lack a formal youth group. The need of

teenagers and young adults to spend time with other believers their age has always been great. Camps

provide an incredible avenue for fellowship and encouragement to generations of campers. One of the

byproducts of this fellowship is the many couples that met during these camps and later married, as

attested in the celebratory article on the 50 years of camps at Poggio Ubertini that appeared in the

magazine Il Cristiano: “Among the many blessings, it was brought to mind the many couples that meet and

were formed at Poggio Ubertini.”86

Camps have been great instrument in God’s hands to bring together in

marriage many young believers and to form God-fearing families that would have not formed without the

presence of these camps.

84 Paolo Moretti, “Un Traguardo Storico,” Il Cristiano, October 1997, 318. 85 Ibid. 86 Ibid.

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Current Presence of Brethren Bible camps in Italy and across the World

Today there are about 16 camps organized by members of the Brethren Assemblies across the

country, although within these camps there is a great variety with regards to the campers (some cater only

to children; others mainly to adults) and to the frequency (some have many camps each year; others have

only one annually; others still are more occasional). A list of locations where these camps take place

moving north to south by region is identified below:

Piemonte: Vittorio Alfieri (Asti), Bardonecchia (Torino), Pravernara

(Alessandria)

Veneto: Bussolengo (Verona)

Emilia Romagna: Maranatha’ – Forlì

Liguria: Brugnato (La Spezia)

Toscana: Poggio Ubertini – Montespertoli (Firenze)

Lazio: IBEI – Finocchio (Roma)

Sardegna: Porto Torres (Sassari); Siniscola (Nuoro)

Campania: Agerola (Napoli), Lioni (Avellino)

Puglia: Bethel – Castelnuovo della Daunia (Foggia)

Basilicata: Palazzo San Gervasio (Potenza)

Sicilia: Ispica (Ragusa)

Beside these present camps, a number of other camps had been organized that are no longer

operating (e.g., G.E.C. in Toscana and Abruzzo and Mombercelli in Piemonte. The camp in Mombercelli was

32

replaced by Pravernara) and others are taking place that are not part of the Assemblies but closely linked to

them (IBEIsola at Isola del Gran Sasso in Abruzzo, Angrogna in Piemonte).

Across the world, it is difficult to find out exactly how many countries have one or more Brethren

Bible camps. Nevertheless, it is estimated that in every nation in which the Assemblies are present (about

130-135) there is at least some primitive form of Bible camp.87

It is interesting to notice though that these

camps do exist and are effective in various places across the world as Echoes of Service testifies. This

magazine, that spreads news of Brethren Missionaries from the UK, features various articles and news

reports that describe the work of different camps in Argentina, Brazil, Honduras, Pakistan and France. In

particular, the contribution of camps to evangelism is discussed by Dick and Irene Robertson, whose article

about camps in Argentina appears in the September 1991 issue of Echoes: “Most of the assemblies in this

area have been blessed as a direct result of the camps. Here in Oràn, almost 50% of the young lads in

fellowship decided for Christ at camps down through the years.”88

Similarly, Walter Alexander who

ministers in Brazil attests that “it is of special pleasure to look around and see so many in church fellowship

and in active service who were won to Christ or who dedicated their lives at Bethany Camp.”89

Francois-

Jean Martin affirms that in the ministry to children various camps throughout France “constitute one of the

most effectual doors for service which the Lord has opened for us.”90

Conclusions

The findings of this chapter highlight several crucial elements. First of all, the Brethren

Assemblies (as the other Evangelical Churches) are a minority in Italy, determining the presence of

many small or geographically isolated churches, as well as isolated individual believers. This

understanding is crucial in recognizing the urgency of a good pooling of resources between camps

and local assemblies in the effort of improving the ministry of the churches and of reaching isolated

churches or individuals.

Second, the doctrinal convictions of the Assemblies are important, since they are generally

shared by the camp leaders. This implies that aspects such as the centrality of the Bible, the

priesthood of all believers and the zeal of evangelism are central also for the analyzed camps and

therefore are elements of agreement with the local churches, creating a common ground for the

improvement of the synergy of camps and churches.

Third, history shows that the camps have deeply impacted the growth and development of

the Italian Assemblies, especially in the areas of providing solid teaching and fellowship for the

youth, both elements that are often lacking at local level. Furthermore, the worldwide spread of

87 Particularly significant is the fact that among the first strategic activities that the Italian Brethren Missionaries organized in Albania for the newly born Assemblies were those of Youth, Family and Sunday School Teacher’s camps in 1992. For more, see Fares Marzone, Dalle Tenebre alla Luce: Lo sviluppo dell’Evangelismo in Albania (Rome, Italy: IBEI, 2000) 92-93. 88 Dick and Irene Robertson, “Camps,” Echoes of Service, September 1991, 396. 89 Walter Alexander, “Camp and Prison Work,” Echoes of Service, May 1995, 232. 90 Francois-Jean Martin, “Camp and Children’s Work in France,” Echoes of Service, August 1994, 350.

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Bible camps in the Assemblies and more generically in the Evangelical Church show that this tool

has been used by God in an amazing way. This must not go unseen, especially in reflecting on the

role of local churches as supporters of the various camps.

Having analyzed the general Italian landscape of Assemblies and camps, the following

chapter will focus on three particular camps, explaining the criteria of the choice of these camps,

their history and their current status.

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CHAPTER 4

HISTORY AND CURRENT STATE OF BIBLE CAMPS AT POGGIO UBERTINI, BETHEL AND PRAVERNARA

This chapter will provide an overview of the history and current state of the three camps under

analysis. Poggio Ubertini, Bethel and Pravernara were chosen among the many camps mentioned in pp. 39-

40 for the following reasons:

• They are the oldest active camps in the country.

• They are the camps with the largest number of attendees.

• They are geographically spread throughout the country, making them a representative

sample of camps in northern, central and southern Italy.

The goal of this chapter is to shed light on the motivations that pushed the leaders to start the

camps, on the values upon which they were founded, and on the current state of the facilities as well as the

logistical aspects of the camps. As a consequence, it will be easier to understand the individual

characteristics of each camp, and it will set the stage for the thoughtful analysis of the current situation

that will take place in the next chapter.

POGGIO UBERTINI (Florence)

The property and villa of Poggio Ubertini are located in the southwestern province of Florence,

near the town of Montespertoli. The camp is surrounded by the beautiful Tuscan hills, full of vineyards and

olive trees. It is in sight of the Guicciardini Castle, home of Count Piero Guicciardini, one of promoters of

the Brethren Movement in the country.

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Fig. 2. The geographical location of the three Bible camps

History

The history of Poggio Ubertini as an Evangelical Center goes back almost a century. Countess Giulia

Baldelli, who owned the villa and the vast properties of Poggio Ubertini, became a Christian at the

beginning of the twentieth century and started to attend the Brethren Evangelical Church in Via della Vigna

Vecchia, Florence. Being a single woman and thus not having any heirs, she designated in her will that the

villa and the properties would go to the church of Florence at the moment of her death. Furthermore, she

desired that the villa and all the income from the work of the fields would serve the purpose of the

Brethren Churches in Italy, and in particular designated it to the “care of the youth, the progress of the

Gospel, the edification of the Church in Italy.”91

The countess passed away in 1934, and Poggio Ubertini

became property of the “Opera delle Chiese Cristiane dei Fratelli” (Endeavor of the Christian Churches of

the Brethren), the association that owned many of the buildings where the Brethren Assemblies gathered;

it has since been later replaced by the association called “Ente Morale.”92

While the small income from the

work of the fields was used to support the brothers in fulltime ministry that served the Italian Assemblies, it

91 Paolo Moretti, “Un Traguardo Storico,” Il Cristiano, October 1997, 318. 92 The “Ente Morale” was born in 1891 to manage exclusively the property of the assembly that gathered in Via della Vigna Vecchia, in Florence. Later on, in the early thirties, due to the increasingly strict laws of the fascist regime, the “Ente Morale” became a national entity that started to manage more and more properties that functioned as “worship halls.” For more informations, see Maselli, 20-24, 100-102, 159-161. The “Ente Morale” is comparable to the Stewards Co. in the UK.

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took fifteen years before the will of Giulia Baldelli was truly fulfilled: in 1948 the first camp took place at

Poggio Ubertini.

The prime initiator of the Bible camps at Poggio Ubertini was Giona Prencipe (1925-1997). As a

chemistry student at the University of Genova, Prencipe participated at a Bible camp at Vennes, in

Switzerland in the summer of 1947, under the invitation of Stacey Woods and René Pache (see the

“European Roots of Italian Brethren Bible camps” section in chapter three). Deeply touched by the

effectiveness of the Swiss Camps to reach the children and youth, Prencipe, along with the three other

students who participated at that camp (Elia Prencipe, Davide Valente and Mariateresa de Giustina), was

convicted by the Lord to start a similar work in Italy, beginning with a camp for young adults in 1948 and

then eventually starting camps for children.

His desire to begin Bible camps was not without difficulties. In particular, he faced three challenges.

The first and largest one was to find a place where these camps could take place. There was no place in

Italy that was prepared to host dozens of young people for an extended amount of days. Yet, through the

help of Valentino Carmignani, who was the president of the afore mentioned “Opera delle Chiese Cristiane

dei Fratelli,” and his wife Gina, Prencipe learned of the existence of the villa of Poggio Ubertini. The villa,

though, was a challenge in and of itself. It was more like a farm than a private residence, hosting all the

field workers with their families. While it had rooms accommodate the young people, there were “logistical

difficulties that appeared insurmountable.”93

With a lot of effort, some primitive sanitary solutions were

found, and the “garage” was transformed into the main meeting room. In the following years, further

renovations were made so that the villa would become more hospitable.

The second challenge was offering a camp to both young men and women. This idea was quite

innovative for those days. As Maria Teresa de Giustina Standridge recounts,94

the opposition of some

members of the Assemblies was fierce, objecting that it was immoral to have young men and women

“under the same roof” and that the young women only wanted to find a husband. The reaction was

understandable, since, as Paolo Moretti explains, mixed classes in public elementary schools did not start

until years later, in the 1950’s. Yet Prencipe, through patience and diplomatic efforts, was able to gain the

approval from the Church leaders at the Elders’ Conference95

in May of 1948: “The Elders shared Giona’s

vision but set forth the condition that the 1948 Camp would be only a test camp. The good behavior of the

young women and men that participated in this first experience allowed more camps to take place.”96

The third challenge was to determine who could participate at this camp: only believers, or

believers and non believers. At first, the Elders requested that only believers would be admitted at these

camps. Yet, at the first camp some of the young men and women (who must have somehow avoided the

admission screening) converted to Christ. This unexpected, yet positive result pushed the organizers to

93 Moretti, ibid. 94 de Giustina Standridge, ibid. 95 The Elders’ Conference consists to this day of a meeting of two or three days in which fellowship and bible study were accompanied by decisions of doctrinal and administrative matters that affected the Assemblies nationwide. 96 Moretti, ibid.

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accept non-believers at the following camps. The preaching of the Gospel and subsequent professions of

faith soon became a vital part of the camps.

The first camp at Poggio Ubertini took place from September 3-12, 1948. About one hundred young

men and women (eighteen years old and older) from northern Italy attended. The next year, some

believers from southern Italy also participated, and an additional camp for boys of elementary and middle

school also was organized. In 1951, a camp for girls was started, coordinated by Giona Prencipe and with

the crucial collaboration of Maria Teresa de Giustina, Dina Prencipe and Arturo and Olga Vigna.97

As Maria

Teresa de Giustina Standgridge recounts:

The first camp was fantastic; there were all these young girls…they were ready to

convert, but nobody ever told them that they could accept the Lord [as children], so after a

lesson or two I told them that if they wanted to be sure [of their salvation], come and see

me afterwards and we’ll talk about it. So, it was a “landslide” of conversion; it was the

greatest camp of my life… in general, these young girls kept following the Lord.98

After some years, even the camps for the children became “mixed” boys and girls camps. The camp

for young adults continued without interruptions for half a century. In 1997, a great celebration took place

at Poggio in honor of the fiftieth camp held. By God’s grace, Giona Prencipe was able to direct all fifty of

these camps. Later on that year, Prencipe went to be with the Lord. Carlo Cerrella was then appointed to

continue to organize the camps for young adults which continue to this day.

In 1970 a major change took place at Poggio Ubertini. Due to the low income of the farm and the

growing desire to have a better facility to host camps and conferences, fields that constituted the majority

of the vast property were sold and the income from the sale was used to restructure the villa. Between

1970 and 1971, the building was remodeled and restored: new rooms and sanitary facilities were added, a

new kitchen was built, the central courtyard became a beautiful lawn, and various other improvements

were undertaken. Through the years, many construction works have been undertaken to constantly

upgrade the center, all through the work of dozens of volunteers who have freely given their time and skills

to improve Poggio Ubertini.99

In 1978, under the request of the Elders of some churches in central Italy, Paolo Moretti and Otello

Becchetti started a “Kids Camp” for boys and girls, ages nine through sixteen. This camp has been going on

now for more than twenty five years, attracting kids from all over Italy and often also hosting international

campers.

97 Irma Prencipe and Laura Prencipe Tatriele, e-mail to the author, 5 August 2004. 98 de Giustina Standridge, ibid. 99 Maselli, 161.

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Current Status

Today, there are numerous events that take place at Poggio Ubertini. Since the early 1990’s, an

annual “New Year’s Camp” for families and single people takes place in the last days of December and the

first of January. During the Easter school break, Poggio is used for another conference for families and

singles, and at the end of April it hosts the national “Elders Conference”. In the summer there is a camp for

elderly people, the “Kids Camp” and the original “Bible camp” for young adults. During the fall, another

short conference is held for families and singles. Apart from these events, the facilities at Poggio Ubertini

hosts many other minor camps and conferences throughout the year, some organized by non-

denominational parachurch organizations (such as Operation Mobilization and Open Doors), as well as

others from individual assemblies or groups of assemblies.

Poggio Ubertini is run by an organization called A.C.E.P. (Associazione Centro Evangelico Poggio

Ubertini- Association for the Evangelical Center Poggio Ubertini). The board, composed by five members,

functions as steward of the facilities and gives permission to individuals, churches and organizations to use

the center. There is no temporary or permanent staff at Poggio Ubertini, with exception of the family that

lives at Poggio Ubertini in charge of the maintenance. Each camp must provide its own staff and is

independent in its organization.

Today, Poggio Ubertini is prepared to host up to 230 people. Its facilities include a main auditorium

that can fit all its guests, a soccer and volleyball field, ping pong, and football tables, a “bocce” ball lane, a

little “coffee house,” and a small park filled with trees. The access to Poggio Ubertini is relatively easy. It is

about thirty minutes by car into the countryside from the tollway exit to Florence, and by bus, it is a fifty

minute ride from the Florence central station.

Overall, Poggio Ubertini attracts campers from all over the country. While many of its camps

started at a local level (such as the “Kids Camp” in the month of July and the “New Year’s Camp” that

served mainly the youth of the regions of Tuscany and Umbria), the size of the facility offered the

possibility of welcoming many more young campers, creating a true multi-regional attendance. This

provides the great advantage of increasing the unity and fellowship of believers from different places that

otherwise would be impossible. The fact that evangelical Christians in Italy are a very small minority can be

a very disheartening factor. Thus, seeing firsthand representative believers from many regions of Italy

encourages the young participants to hold fast to their faith. This is particularly significant for young

campers that come from towns and cities where they and their family are the only believers.

The disadvantages of a “national” camp like Poggio are related to the relationships with the local

churches. Since the camp is not organized by a local or regional church for the people of the assembly or

group of assemblies (although this is how it started), there is the risk for campers to face a

disconnectedness with the life of the local churches. Counselors are usually not from a camper’s city or

church, and while this can be an enriching time, it can also isolate the camp experience from the rest of the

day to day life of the camper. In the next chapters, this topic will be addressed and researched more

directly.

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BETHEL (Foggia)

The Bible camps Center “Bethel” sits on the foothills of the Appennini Mountains, in the province of

Foggia in southeastern Italy. It is located on the outskirts of the small town Castelnuovo della Daunia, and it

overlooks the plane of the Tavoliere delle Puglie,. It is also in sight of the Adriatic sea and of the Gargano

mountain system.

History

The Bethel originated from various Bible camps that started in the province of Foggia in the early

1950’s. Energized from the experience of the first camps at Poggio Ubertini, some believers suggested that

similar camps for children should be organized in the South. Under such impulse, a camp for children was

set up in the town of Poggio Imperiale in 1952. About thirty kids participated, but it became clear that a

camp like this was logistically too hard to pursue. The province of Foggia was heavily hit by World War II, so

there was a lack of primary necessities such as running water.100

It was then decided that it would be better to have weeklong day camps in the various towns

where an Assembly existed (such as Poggio Imperiale, San Marco in Lamis, Manfredonia, San Nicandro, San

Gionvanni Rotondo, Monte Santangelo). In that way, the children could eat and sleep at home, and then

join the activities during the day, in the style of a Vacation Bible School. The primary initiators and

sustainers of these camps were, among the many, the Artinis, Erma Wiens, the Biginellis, and later Michele

Tancredi, Osvalda Biginelli, Tina D’Apote and Michele Vairo. The camps were organized every summer and

lasted about three months. Soon, camps started to take place even in towns where there was no

evangelical church. Many children and their families came to know the Lord through the camps, and

believers still remember those days as an “historic time.”101

In 1965, at the farm of a believer, Luigi Agnelli, near the village of Torretta (Foggia), the first

resident camp took place. It was a camp for young adults, on the same lines of the camps at Poggio. It was

a very rustic environment, but “good enough” to have a time of Bible study, prayer, evangelization and

fellowship.102

Four years later, the first camp for children was organized, hosting ninety kids. Even at this

camp, room and board were very primitive: “We had the dining room in the barn, the manger functioned

as our kitchen cabinets, there was no running water. . .”103

These camps occurred annually, and they were

the central event of the year for all the children that regularly attended Sunday school. Many non-believers

attended, invited by their Christian friends. The goal of these camps was to teach the Word of God and to

guide children to salvation.

100 de Giustina Standridge, ibid. 101 Osvalda Malcolm Biginelli, interview by author, electronic recording, Fondi (Latina), Italy, August 2003. 102 An article describing the third camp that took place at Torretta is present in the “Opera del Signore” section of the Il Cristiano, November 1967. 103 Malcolm Biginelli, ibid.

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In the mid 1970’s, the camp organizers decide to rent a more suitable facility in the province of

Foggia (first the “Villaggio dell’Arcangelo,” and then in 1977 the Hotel Lesina). In 1983 the camps moved to

Borgo Mezzanone. The believers purchased a small piece of land in that town, and used for lodging some

simple mobile homes that had previously been used by the families affected by the 1980 earthquake.104

This facility served the purpose of the camps for about ten years. In 1994, another and to date, the

final change of location took place. In an unexpected way a beautiful villa located in the town of

Castelnuovo della Daunia was purchased.105

Although the cost was relatively high, the committee saw the

sovereign hand of God in the whole purchasing process, and through the help of many churches and

individuals, the financial need was meet.

Current Status

The Bethel Center is used year round and hosts numerous camps and conferences. Each summer,

six camps take place between the months of July and August: one family camp, one camp for the elderly,

and four camps for youth. The camps for young people include two camps for youth (one for children, ages

six to nine, another for children ages ten to twelve), a camp for teenagers (ages thirteen to sixteen) and a

camp for young adults (ages seventeen and up). Two winter camps take place over the Christmas/New

Year’s break, and one spring camp during Easter week. During the rest of the year many weekends are filled

with conferences and mini-camps that attract believers mainly from the local Assemblies. Like Poggio

Ubertini, the camp facilities are also used by other groups.

The Bethel Center is directed by a committee of ten brothers, and all the camps are supervised by a

year-round director (currently, Eliseo Santangelo). Usually, all the volunteer staff members are believers

from the province of Foggia, although volunteers from various places across the country are also frequently

present. Often speakers from different European countries are also invited to teach at the camp.

Currently, the Bethel Center can host up to one hundred campers. While the main building, a large

villa, is used to its capacity, the other facility present on the property has some structural damage and is

not operational, thus limiting the maximum number of guest. Plans are under way to restore or rebuild this

structure, which would include a big meeting room which is lacking in the current villa. Other facilities

include a swimming pool with adjacent changing room and showers, a tennis/soccer court, foosball and

ping pong tables, and a “bocce” ball lane. The Bethel Center is a thirty minute car ride from the main city of

Foggia and a fifty minute bus ride to the Foggia central station.

Given the same historical roots, the Bethel Center camps have many similarities with the camps of

Poggio Ubertini. The main function of the camp is the same: a place to study the Bible and renew one’s

commitment to the Lord. Therefore the programs are very similar, and teachers and preachers often serve

at both camps camps. Yet, the particular historical development of the camps in the province of Foggia and

104 “Costistuzione Centro Bethel,” Il Cristiano, 1 May 1985, 135. 105 Michele Vairo, “Progetto Centro Bethel,” Il Cristiano, 1 June 1994, 207-8.

41

the high concentration of Assemblies in that area give to the Bethel Center a unique flavor. The camp is

deeply connected with the local churches: Bethel is “their” camp. Their children attend, and their youth

and adults regularly serve there. While campers from every region are starting to attend the Bethel Center,

the vast majority of campers is from the province of Foggia. The committee is comprised only of local

believers, and the director and staff members are mainly from the area. This creates a different background

situation that must be kept in mind as the central thesis is researched and developed.

PRAVERNARA (Alessandria)

The property and villa of Pravernara are located in the hilly country side of the province of

Alessandria, in the northwestern region of Piemonte. The villa is a few minutes away from the town of

Valenza Po and Italy’s longest river, the Po. The villa and property are owned by the Lenti family, who

graciously open the doors of their house and allow camps to take place there every summer and host

conferences all year round.

History

The birth of Pravernara is due mainly to the efforts of two godly couples, the Barbanottis and the

Lentis. To the first couple God gave the vision and the motivation to pursue the idea of a camp in northern

Italy, while through the second couple He provided the location and the facilities needed for the camp.106

In 1966, Giuseppe and Valentina Barbanotti organized a young girls’ camp in their home in Spinetta

Marengo (Alessandria). As Giuseppe Barbanotti states, “Forty-five girls attended this first camp. Their great

enthusiasm encouraged us to continue with this experiment.”107

The success of the camp and the need for

an adequate facility pushed the Barbanottis to pray fervently for a place to host future camps. Their goal

was to “present to the young lives the precious teaching that the Word of God offers us.”108

In the

meantime, Mr. and Mrs. Lenti, who had recently purchased the villa of Pravernara, a seventeenth century

Spanish hunting lodge, heard about the need for a place to host Bible camps. After some time of reflection

and prayer, they decided to make their newly purchased villa available for camps. Like Poggio Ubertini,

some serious reconstruction was nevertheless necessary, involving primarily bathroom and dorm facilities.

In the time span of several months, Pravernara was transformed and was able to host the first girls’ camp

the following year (1967), with a total of 72 participants. “For us, it was a fantastic experience,

…miraculous,” states Barbanotti.109

At first, the local assemblies were a little hesitant, but soon they became convinced of the

usefulness of this camp. As for the purpose of the camp, Barbanotti leaves no uncertainty: “Of course, the

106 Unless otherwise noticed, all the historic information relative to Pravernara has been retrieved from the article by Dino and Lois Turello, “Spanish Hunting Lodge Becomes Christian Camp in Northern Italy,” in Christian Missions in Many Lands, November 1975, 13-16. 107 Giuseppe Barbanotti, letter to the author, August 2004. 108 “Pravernara compie dodici anni,” Il Cristiano, October 1978, 239. 109 Barbanotti, ibid.

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main goal was the proclamation of the Gospel. The fact that we hosted boys and girls for ten days allowed

for a teaching program that was difficult to accomplish in different settings.”110

Furthermore, camp

provided the opportunity to talk and sing about the God the campers had heard of in their local assemblies,

in a way that was pleasant and fun.

Through the generosity of the Lenti family, who provided much of the financial resources for the

reconstruction of the villa and offered the locals free of rent every summer, as well as from the financial

help of many other believers, the Pravernara facility has slowly improved, allowing for camps to take place

in a more comfortable environment. Since 1968, camps for boys and girls have been organized, as well as

camps for teenagers, young adults and families.

Current Status

Like Poggio Ubertini and Bethel, Pravernara’s main period of activity is in the summer. From mid-

June to the beginning of August, six camps take place, from a camp for elementary school children to a

young adults camp in their early twenties. During the year, more camps and conferences take place,

including a camp for elderly people.

While the facility is taken care of by Luigi Lenti, the Pravernara Camps are run by a group of

believers that attend various different assemblies in Northern Italy. This “committee” is composed of

leaders for each camp and meets three or four times a year. At the beginning of May, a special meeting is

held with all the staff personnel that will volunteer through the summer.

Pravernara can host up to ninety people (campers and staff). Usually, the participants come from

northern Italy, but guests from other parts of the country and other parts of the world are not uncommon.

Historically, Piemonte is one of the strongholds of the Italian Brethren Movement. Many assemblies are

present in this region to this day, and Pravernara offers a place to reunite and strengthen the young

believers and to reach out to the youth that does not know the Lord. Indeed, the majority of the campers

come from evangelical families, with a minority of 5-7 percent that is not from an evangelical

background.111

According to Barbanotti, the number of campers that come from non-evangelical families is

constantly growing. These campers attend Pravernara with their evangelical friends that attend each

year.112

Barbanotti sees the camp ministry aiming at different goals (besides the already mentioned one of

proclaiming the Gospel and teaching the Word): “Younger and older campers discover that they are not

alone… because often they come from a small evangelical gathering. Camp is therefore a meeting place.”

With regards to teenagers and young adults, he further affirms that

110 Ibid. 111 Gioele Corradini, e-mail to the author, August 2004. 112 Barbanotti, ibid.

43

camp has an almost irreplaceable role, that of creating friendships and therefore creating

liaisons with other evangelical groups. It is also a place where one can feel more free. If the

camp is led in a certain [opportune] way, the teens can also be stimulated to express

themselves freely. They learn to dialogue, and, if helped, even debate ideas.113

Pravernara’s facilities are relatively modest. In the back of the villa there is a small park with a

beloved volleyball court and some swings and other attractions for young children. Plans are underway to

use every section of the villa to the fullest, and to create more sport facilities in the property adjacent to

the villa.

Conclusions

The three camps presented have many similarities. First of all, their ministry was born and is

sustained by the desire to reach the Italian youth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The main elements that

characterize them are providing Christian fellowship and the study of the Word of God. These main goals

are shared by all three camps, determining a common foundation for the analysis that will follow.

Secondly, all three camps were founded by believers belonging to the Brethren Assemblies, having

received the approval and support of their local churches. This is significant because it shows that, at least

in theory, their endeavors were closely linked to the life of the Assemblies.

Thirdly, all three camps are run by volunteers, believers who devote their time and energy to the

cause of the camps. The presence of volunteers in all levels of leadership implies that there is not a

professional category at work within the camps. On the one hand, this has the advantage of maintaining a

strong vocational element to the sacrificial service offered by the volunteers, ensuring a commitment and

passion that only non-paid work can guarantee. On the other hand, this creates a less than efficient

organization and pooling of resources especially in the area of follow-up. Both aspects must be considered

when analyzing the findings presented in chapter six.

Fourthly, the majority of campers come from an evangelical background. This determines that

there is at least some sort of continuity for the campers in their spiritual development between camp and

church. Yet, since the size of the local church can vary (and therefore the size of the youth group), and since

there is a significant percentage of campers from non-evangelical backgrounds, the need of follow-up is

crucial in all three situations.

The three camps have also unique characteristics. Poggio Ubertini, for example, is more of a

“national” camp because it attracts campers from every Italian region. This determines the great advantage

of uniting believers from all over the country, and thus increasing the role fellowship. Yet it has the

113 Ibid.

44

disadvantage of losing the strengths of a local camp, which include stronger follow-up efforts and

interaction between with the local churches.

Bethel and Pravernara, conversely, are historically more “regional” camps, the first one serving

mainly the province of Foggia, the second one focusing on the regions of Piemonte, Liguria and Lombardia.

Therefore, they have, from an historical point of view, a stronger element of synergy with the local

churches.

The next two chapters will provide more precise and up-to-date information of the current status

of the interaction of the camps with the local assemblies by means of interviews, questionnaires and

written documents.

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CHAPTER 5

SOURCES AND TOOLS OF ANALISIS: WRITTEN DOCUMENTS, QUESTIONNAIRES AND INTERVIEWS

This chapter serves mainly as a description of the sources and tools used to retrieve the

information that will be later analyzed. It will explain how written documents about the analyzed camps

have been collected, how original questionnaires were created and then distributed, and how the

interviews were performed. In particular, it will show in more detail the criteria used to craft the

questionnaires and to formulate the questions for the interviews.

Written Documents

Written information relative to Poggio Ubertini, Bethel and Pravernara has been difficult to find.

This is mainly because there is a lack of documents that describe the history and current state of these

camps. Indeed, no monograph exists on this topic.114

Only a few magazine articles have been found that

describe the camps.

The main source of information comes form Il Cristiano (The Christian), a monthly magazine of

“edification and information” of the Brethren Assemblies (Il Cristiano has been produced and distributed

for the past 117 years. With only one 1916 issue missing, it is the oldest Italian periodic in print). Alongside

theological and biblical articles, Il Cristiano presents numerous articles that report activities and endeavors

undertaken in the Assemblies. Bible camps have been mentioned and reports of camps have been

published ever since camps started in Italy back in the late 1940’s. The focus of the research has been to

identify articles that give a qualitative report on the camps, describing the outcome of the camps through

the words of the writer and through the more direct witness of campers.

Unfortunately, no index exists that categorizes the articles. Therefore, a slow and patient research

of many issues of Il Cristiano has been made at the Italian Evangelical Bible Institute (I.B.E.I.) in Rome. The

I.B.E.I. collection contains issues from 1950 till today, with only a few missing copies. About a dozen

significant articles have been found consisting of camp reports written by camp organizers and campers

themselves. Il Cristiano has also been helpful in the retrieval of data (such as dates and places) that has

been used to reconstruct the history of these camps, as the footnotes in the third chapter show.

Only two other articles beside Il Cristiano were found. These two articles appeared in 1975 and in

1996 in the monthly magazine Missions, a publication by the Brethren missionary agency “Christian

Missions in Many Lands” that provides information regarding the ministry of Brethren American

missionaries around the world. These two articles give a glimpse on the camp ministry at Pravernara.

114 The only existing work that is dedicated to the camps at Poggio Ubertini is a collection of lecture notes from the Bible Studies that took place there during the 50 years of camps organized by Giona Prencipe. This work, consisting of two volumes, has been printed in limited quantity and send out as a gift to all the Italian Assemblies.

46

Questionnaires

In order to obtain the most objective information possible on the analyzed camps, original

questionnaires have been created and then distributed across the Italian peninsula. The Survey Handbook,

by Arlene Fink, served as a guideline for the creation of these questionnaires. Various aspects from this

book have been taken in consideration in order to obtain well-crafted surveys.

Survey Objectives

What is the goal of the questionnaire? What is the anticipated outcome?115

The overall goal of the

questionnaires is to determine if there is a lack of interaction between camps and churches that reduces the

effectiveness of the ministry of the camps to its youth participants. In addition, the surveys attempt to

answer questions like: Is camp a positive experience for the majority of the campers? Is there any follow-up

for campers once they return home from camp? Do campers have a church to attend? Are church leaders

somewhat involved in the ministry of camps? Are camp staff members in touch with campers once they

return at home?

Target Groups and Survey Design

Whom do the questionnaires address? What kind of information do they produce? Because of the

survey’s goals, the main survey design adopted was the Descriptive Design, which produces “information

on groups and phenomena that already exist.”116

More specifically, the questionnaires focused on the

recent and the more remote history of the analyzed groups. The design is therefore of the Cohort

Retrospective type. Since the groups under examination in the survey include the campers, camp staff and

church leaders, a questionnaire for each group was created.

These questionnaires, besides having a main body in common, display specific questions pertaining

to the group under examination. The common questions address generic and church background

information of the individual. The questionnaires given to the campers provide information about their

camp experience and post-camp follow-up. In particular, the surveys ask the campers to compare their

time at camp with their experience at church. The questionnaires given to camp leaders and staff members

shed light on issues concerning both their experience as campers, if any, and their relationship with

campers once camp is finished. Finally, those given to church leaders give information on their local

assembly and their opinion on the existing state of the interaction between churches and camps. In the

Brethren Assemblies, the church leaders are the elders of the local communities. Therefore, the elders of

the assemblies provide an additional sample for the survey.

115 Arlene Fink, The Survey Handbook (Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage, 1995), 6-9. 116 Ibid., 25.

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Types of Questions and Responses

What kinds of questions are asked? What kind of answers do they demand? In order to obtain

measurable responses, all of the questions asked are closed questions (with the exception of a couple of

open ended questions in the church leaders’ survey). They are concrete questions shaped in complete

sentences. The type of response depends on the nature of the question. If the question deals with

straightforward facts, then the choice of response will be in the form of a categorical response (e.g., How

many camps do you attend each year? 0; 1; 2 or 3; more than 3.) If the question deals with subjective

opinion, then it allows for an ordinal response (e.g., Did you develop friendships at camp? None; one or

two; more than two; many.) 117

Finally, attention has been given to diminish exterior factors that create a biased response and to

formulate non threatening questions that allow the respondent to offer his or her genuine opinion.118

In

particular, the absence of the interviewer for any of the questionnaires has helped to reduce any threat.

The questionnaires have been distributed at the camps to every camper and staff member with no

individual being singled out. A statement at the top of the questionnaire explains the anonymous nature of

the survey and therefore asks for full honesty, reducing any possible perceived threat. The fact that the

surveys have been distributed at camp might push the camper to exaggerate or emphasize his or her

opinion of the camp. Yet this emphasis might be either positive or negative, leaving the overall picture

relatively unbiased.

Sampling methods

Which individuals in the various groups have been surveyed? This survey has attempted to include

the whole population under examination (all the elders of the Italian Assemblies, all the staff members and

campers of the three camps.) Nevertheless, this goal was not totally obtainable. Regarding the church

elders, it would have been extremely difficult to send and receive questionnaires by mail to all the elders of

the country. Therefore, a representative sample of the population present at the 2004 Elders’ Conference

was surveyed (this conference took place at Poggio Ubertini from April 29 - May 1, 2004). The church

leaders’ survey has therefore a Probability Cluster Sampling.119

Regarding the questionnaires for staff and campers, it can be considered that the whole population

has been surveyed, since the questionnaires were distributed to all the 2004 summer camps that took

place in all three camp sites. Yet, this kind of survey is limited to the campers and staff members that were

present at the particular 2004 summer camp. It does not include campers or staff of other years, or those

from the winter camps. Nevertheless, even considering these limitations, the results should be

representative since summer camps are the most significant ones of the year, due to the high number of

117 Ibid., 12-18. 118 Norman M. Bradburn, and Seymour Sudman, Improving Interview Method and Questionnaire Design (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1979), 163-174. 119 Fink, 32.

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campers and the duration of the camp. Furthermore, most of the campers and staff members go to camp

every year, rendering the questionnaires very representative also on a time scale.

Survey Analysis and Interpretation

The questionnaires were subjected to a statistical analysis that provides various types of data

related to different subjects. The first type is related to the camp experience of campers and ex-campers.

Through various direct questions in the surveys posed to campers and staff, it is possible to determine

whether camp has been a positive or negative experience. Furthermore, some questions focus on the camp

experience as compared to the church experience, in order to investigate the possible positive

contributions of camp to the local assemblies. This will provide insight to camp and church leaders

regarding the areas camp has been meeting the needs of the young church goers and the areas where

more work needs to be done.

The second type of data is related to the follow-up campers receive once back home. Direct

questions to all three target groups show the degree to which a follow-up is present or absent. An

additional question addressed to the campers underscores if there is a need for regional “intra-camp”

meetings for the campers.

The third type of data, closely linked to the second, reveals the perspective of church leaders on

the relationship between camps and local assemblies. Through direct questions and a couple of open-

ended questions some precious insights have been gained in the dynamics of this relationship and in

possible improvements.

Interviews

In order to understand better the history of Poggio Ubertini, Bethel and Pravernara and to gain a

more qualitative insight in the problems, struggles and successes of the ministry of these camps, a series of

interviews has been executed with various camp leaders. These interviews used the same criteria that

guided the survey questions, focusing though on specific issues relevant for camp leaders. Some of these

interviews were conducted in person in Italy during the summer of 2003 and have been recorded through

portable audio devices, while others have been obtained in written form during the summer and fall of

2004 and the winter of 2005.120

Interviews related to the history of the camps have been obtained with the following individuals:

Maria Teresa de Giustina Standridge (about the beginning of the camps of Poggio Ubertini and of the

Bethel Center); Irma and Laura Prencipe and Ciro Tatriele (Poggio Ubertini); Tina D’Apote and Osvalda

Biginelli Malcolm (Bethel); and Giuseppe Barbanotti (Pravernara).

120 Guidelines to develop meaningful interviews have been sought in John W. Creswell, Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design (Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage, 1998), 15-25.

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To assess the current state of the various camps, the following camp leaders were interviewed:

Paolo Moretti (Poggio Ubertini); Eliseo Santangelo (Bethel); Giuseppe Barbanotti, Gioele Corradini

(Pravernara); and Osvalda Biginelli Malcolm and Tina d’Apote (Poggio Ubertini and Bethel). The questions

asked in these interviews regarding the current state of the individual camps included various topics that

can be grouped in five categories:

Generic Background Information on the Camper

• Who currently attends the camp?

• Are the campers usually believers or non-believers?

• Where do the campers come from (geographically)?

Follow-up

• Are campers that do not attend a church (either because they are not believers or because there is

no church in their area) in some way followed-up once back at home?

• If yes, who performs the follow-up, the local church or the camp staff members?

Current Contribution of the Camp

• What do you believe is the task of a camp compared to the task of a local church?

• What do you think are the major contributions of the camp to the work of the Italian Assemblies?

Interaction Church-Camps

• How much interaction/cooperation exists between the camp and the local assemblies?

• Do the local churches sustain the camp financially, in prayer, in practical jobs, etc?

• Is the camp aware of the needs of the local churches?

Possible Improvements in the Interaction with Local Assemblies

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• In what aspects do you think the camp can improve cooperation with the local churches in their

ministry towards children, teenagers and young adults?

• In what way can a local assembly help the camp improve its service toward the campers?

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CHAPTER 6

ANALYSIS OF THE WRITTEN DOCUMENTS, QUESTIONNAIRES AND INTERVIEWS

Since the previous chapters have provided the necessary background of the camps that are the

object of study, and have described the tools used to gain information regarding the current relationship

between the camps and the churches, this chapter seeks to analyze the data collected, highlighting the

elements that are crucial in the development of the research.

The first section will deal with a summary of the findings from written documents. The second

section will analyze the questionnaires handed out at the 2004 elders’ conference and at the 2004 summer

camps. The third section will present the results from the interviews conducted with various camp leaders.

Each section will end with a “Conclusions” paragraph that summarizes the findings of that particular

section. Finally a concluding section will provide the overall summary of the data discussed in the chapter.

Written Documents

Written documents, while not providing any quantitative information giving the big picture on the

issue under analysis, provide qualitative snapshots that give insights and color as to how some individuals

in the recent past have understood their experience at camp. Therefore, these documents can only be

considered as partial indicators of the real situation. Furthermore, with the exception of some articles in

POGGIONOTIZIE and BETHELNOTIZIE, the examined articles are dated and offer mainly a retrospective look

on how camps have interacted with churches in the past fifty years or so.

Magazine Articles

The total number of articles found in Il Cristiano (from 1958 to 2003) directly dealing with the topic

of Bible camps is seventeen: eight articles for Poggio Ubertini, seven for Bethel and two for Pravernara.

Many other “flash news” and advertisements of the various camps were also found, but with no significant

content.

The majority of relevant articles consists of reports on camps and focus on the impact these camps

had on the campers. These articles show how camps have been important in the life of many believers in

the areas of Bible knowledge and fellowship, as already mentioned in chapter three.121

Furthermore, some

121 “Campo Biblico per ragazzi,” in Il Cristiano, December 1969, 262; “Tre giovani parlano di Poggio Ubertini,” in Il Cristiano, October 1975, 17-19; “Poggio Ubertini,” in Il Cristiano, November 1976, 14-17; “Pravernara compie dodici anni,” in Il Cristiano, October 1978, 238-9; “Il Campo di Lesina: Echi e commenti,” in Il Cristiano, November 1979, 255-6; Claudio and Marco Ratti, “I campi biblici a Poggio Ubertini,” in Il Cristiano, October 1985, 254. See also Lois Turello, “Thirty years of Ministry at Camp Pravernara,” in Christian Missions in Many Lands, October 1996, 11-14, and the articles mentioned in pp. 45 and 55.

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articles witness the importance of other areas impacted by camps, such as evangelism/conversions,

consecration and growth. 122

Only few passages touch briefly on the topic central to this thesis (i.e., the interaction of local

churches and camps). Two articles that describe the “day camps” that took place in the province of Foggia

in the 1960’s (and that set the stage for the Bethel Center) highlight how the need of follow-up was in the

forefront of the thought of the believers, and how the help of the churches was invoked. The first article,

published in 1965, describes the itinerant “day camps” that took place in many towns of the province and

how they produced great fruit. After one week of permanence in a particular town, the missionaries

needed to move on, amidst the sadness of the new-born believers (children and adults), who would have

liked to learn more from them and enjoy more fellowship. Even in those days, the lack of follow-up was a

real problem, and solutions were sought:

In front of the limitless possibilities of work we felt more than ever the need of a

center for camps in the South. To this point, we did not do much to follow-up the children

reached during the summer, but we believe that through a camp-center we will be able to

do much more following up with mail correspondence, visits etc.123

Another article published four years later presents the same problem:

Only two or three counselors can remain [in the region] for the rest of the year and

undertake a blessed work visiting the various groups; but two or three only cannot do it all

because of the great distances between the different towns and there are the groups are

large… Our prayer is that the Lord would push some of you to help us in this work.124

Besides the need of follow-up, it is interesting to note how these two articles show that there was a

great cooperation between the churches and this “itinerant camp”: “We deeply thank all the brothers and

sisters of the different Assemblies that kindly received us and assisted us in every thing;” . . . “[Thanks to

the] Assemblies that kindly received us and assisted us during our stay with them. Our thanks goes out to

all those who in one way or the other make this work possible.”125

The interaction between the local assemblies of the Foggia province and the camp ministry

continued through time, as the article announcing the creation of the “Bethel Center” in 1985 testifies.

Listed among the many individuals and organizations that were thanked, were “the assemblies themselves

of the province, who manifested practical fellowship and commitment in prayer.”126

Similarly, in the 2004

122 See for example, Antonio di Nunzio and Michele Tancredi, “L’evangelo tra i ragazzi. Campi nel Sud,” in Il Cristiano, June 1965, 247-9; Michele Tancredi, “Campi nel Sud: L’evangelo tra i ragazzi” in Il Cristiano, November 1969, 227-30. See also many of the articles mentioned in the previous footnote. 123 Antonio di Nunzio and Michele Tancredi, 249. 124 Michele Tancredi, 230. 125 Antonio di Nunzio and Michele Tancredi, ibid. Michele Tancredi, ibid. 126 “Costistuzione Centro Bethel,” Il Cristiano, May 1985, 135.

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edition of BETHELNOTIZIE (an annual bulletin produced by the Secretary of the Administrative Committee

of the Bethel Center) there is a summary of the events and maintenance operations that took place at

Bethel during 2005, as well as an explicit “thank you” to all those who helped practically and financially to

the needs of the Camp. Unlike a bulletin for Poggio Ubertini (see page 75), no statement is made that

indicates any lack of financial involvement with the camp by the churches. It appears that the interaction

between the local churches and the camps is still at a healthy level.

A couple of articles from the 1970’s highlight the place of Poggio Ubertini in the life of young

believers, and shows how it fills a gap present in the local churches. An article from 1976, which consisted

of interviews with several campers that attended the summer camp, states that, among other reasons, the

camp was useful because it provided “fellowship and opportunity to know other believing youth (a reason

underlined especially by youth coming from small assemblies).” Furthermore, “the need was presented to

have more camps during the year,” underscoring the usefulness of these camps.127

In the concluding

section of the article, the young author emphasizes again the important role camps play in helping out local

churches to minister to the youth:

There is a great need and desire to listen to truly spiritual messages given by

believers that have something to say from God because they truly live with God and

because their spirituality is manifested both in their messages and their daily life. The lack

of such preachers in our assemblies influences the spiritual level of believers and deepens

their need to listen, through the preacher, to the voice of God.

Another aspect that was underlined is the desire to have more fellowship with

other youth. This is one of the greatest motivations that lead many at Poggio Ubertini.

Many are isolated because in their town the Assembly has a very limited number of

believing youth, others live in big cities where they cannot see other young people because

of the great distances that separate them. Therefore, for many reasons, the majority of the

young people of our Assemblies sense a great need to be together with other believing

youth to share together any sort of thought or feeling they face, both in victory and in

difficulties…

We must encourage all intentions and helpful ideas to intensify brotherly

fellowship. When we see a desire in our Churches, we must try to satisfy this need and not

simply move on ignoring the issue.128

The fact that camps can fill the lack of youth fellowship in many churches is mentioned also in the

articles that celebrates forty-five years of camps at Poggio Ubertini:

127 “Poggio Ubertini,” Il Cristiano, November 1976, 16. 128 Ibid.

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It is positive that young people spend some days together and devote themselves

to the study of the Word of God. Camps and conferences, when organized with submission

to the Lord, are a blessing and an enrichment to the local churches, especially for those in

which there are few and isolated young believers…. Yes, camps are a good instrument of

fellowship and growth!129

This quote underlines, from the perspective of a church elder and camp organizer,130

how camps

are viewed as beneficial both to the individual campers and to the local churches. While not describing

directly the state of the interaction between assemblies and camps, it shows indirectly how a positive

interaction with local churches can be beneficial for everyone. This aspect surfaces again as the author

reflects on the birth of the camps at Poggio: “Any vision we have to serve must seek for the fellowship and

the approval of the elders and of the churches in order to be realized in a peaceful and blessed way.”131

Furthermore, in the article reporting the celebration for the 50th

year of camps at Poggio, the same

author describes how “some… underlined how the Camps at Poggio have been a real Bible school:

attending such school, they received the necessary education to live out a concrete life of service and

ministry in their assembly.”132

Again, the benefits received from the local assemblies, seen as the primary

center of the believers’ growth and service, are emphasized.

A more recent publication and of more relevance to this thesis is the annual bulletin

POGGIONOTIZIE produced by the A.C.E.P.,133

the association that manages Poggio Ubertini. This bulletin

contains the annual report of various logistical aspects of the camp center, along with identifying the

program of camps that take place during the year and the overall status of attendance. It is interesting to

note that in every recent issue of POGGIONOTIZIE, while thanks are given to those who supported the

ministry, there is a statement that encourages the local assemblies to have more financial involvement with

the camp. Furthermore, the lack of support from the assemblies is denounced: “We cannot avoid noticing

that the percentage of Assemblies that are concerned with donating [money] to Poggio Ubertini is still very

low.”134

In the 2004 edition, page 2, this issue is brought up more forcefully.

Poggio Ubertini is a place the Lord donated to the Assemblies, not to single

individuals. Therefore, it is evident that all the Assemblies should feel the responsibility of

the preservation, the improvement and the management of this gift.

129 Paol o Moretti, “Festa per il 45o campo,” Il Cristiano, October 1992, 312. 130 Paolo Moretti has been involved in Bible Camps first as camper, than as teacher and camp organizer, co-directing with other brothers camps since the late seventies. He is also elder of the assembly of Anghiari, AR. See also interview in the “Interviews” section. 131 Moretti, “Festa per il 45o campo,” ibid. 132 Moretti, “Un Traguardo Storico,”320. 133 Associazione Centro Evangelico Poggio Ubertini, Poggio Ubertini Evangelical Center Association. 134 “POGGIONOTIZIE,” 1998 edition, p. 5. Supplement to Il Cristiano, April 1999. See a similar statement in the 2000 edition, p. 5, the 2002 edition, p.2-3, and the 2003 edition, p.2.

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For this reason we will never get tired of underlining and remembering that the

fellowship of the Assemblies, their freedom to give and their service are essential to

guarantee the continuation of the activities of the Lord’s Work at Poggio Ubertini.

This need does not correspond to the reality which consists, unfortunately, of

Assemblies that are little committed. It is desirable that the Assemblies that particularly

love the ministry of Poggio might find, in their midst, brothers and sisters that are

qualified to contribute to the management of the Center, and that they would pass us

their names. Likewise, it is desirable for a greater sensitivity in giving…

Certainly it is not very encouraging to think that, while dozens of assemblies

receive indirectly the blessings received from the participation of some of its members to

the Camps at Poggio Ubertini, only few, very few felt from the Lord the desire to express in

a concrete way their fellowship.

Conclusions

Although little written documentation has been found that is directly related to the issue at hand,

the most important findings are related to Poggio Ubertini. Some articles have shown that over the years

this camp has been important in complementing the local churches by meeting some of its needs. Yet,

some more recent articles have scolded the local churches for their low level of participation in the

financial needs that this center has, providing the first indicator that the level of interaction between

Poggio Ubertini and churches is low. More indicators will be found in the following two sections.

Regarding the Bethel Center, a few older articles confirm the fact that this camp has been

historically the camp of the Foggia Assemblies. While the need for follow-up has surfaced, it appears that

the local churches have historically taken ownership and leadership of this camp. This indicator is

nevertheless limited, since these articles are dated. The results from the questionnaires and the interviews

will aid in determining if this good level of interaction between the churches and Bethel is still evident

today.

Of the three camps, Pravernara is the one less mentioned in written documents: it appears in

magazine articles only a few times, with no relevant information. Thus, the other means of surveys and

interviews must be analyzed to ascertain the current status of the interaction between Pravernara and the

local assemblies.

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Questionnaires

During the 2004 summer camps a total of 639 questionnaires were filled out: 392 were filled out by

the campers, 99 by staff and 79 by church elders.135

Twelve questionnaires by the campers were not

included in the analysis because of lack of thorough answers. The following chart displayes the number of

questionnaires divided by camp and by target group.

Table 1. Number of questionnaires filled out, by camp and by target group

Poggio Ubertini Bethel Pravernara Total

Campers 238 88 136 462

Staff 26 30 43 99

Elders - - - 78

The specific camps that contributed to this research are the following: Poggio Ubertini: Kid’s Camp,

ages 9-16; Youth Camp, ages 16 and older. Bethel: Kid’s Camp, ages 9-12; Teenagers Camp, ages 13-16;

Youth Camp, ages 17 and older. Pravernara: Third Camp, ages 10-11; Fourth Camp, ages 12-14; Fifth camp,

ages 15-16.

The annual “Formation Camp” that takes place at Poggio Ubertini for youth ages 17 and older was

cancelled for the summer of 2004, so some anticipated data was not retrieved. Furthermore, at the Sixth

Camp at Pravernara (ages 17-22), the campers mistakenly received the questionnaires designed for the

staff, so this camp, unfortunately, was not taken into account. While this reduces the amount of

information from the older campers, the questionnaires of the staff (of age 15 and older) include some

information regarding their camp experience, providing valuable data for this age group.

The following section will display generic information related to the geographical region of origin of

the elders and campers, to the family and church background of the campers, and to the camp experience

of campers and staff members. The section entitled “Follow-up” will focus on the specific issue of follow-up

of campers by churches and campers, and will also provide the specific findings for each camp. The section

entitled “Interaction between Camp and Churches” will show the results of questions regarding the state of

135 To view the three samples of the questionnaires handed out, see Appendix 1.

57

the relationship between camps and churches as they reach out to the campers. The final section will

summarize the findings of the questionnaires.

Generic Information

The church leaders that filled out the questionnaires at the Elders’ Conference represent almost

every region in the country, as following map shows.136

It must be noted that regions that which have a

great number of Assemblies (see map on page 27), had a relatively low representation (e.g., Puglia and

Piemonte). This must be taken in consideration when analyzing the data from the elders’ questionnaires.

Fig. 3. Region of origin of elders that filled out the questionnaires

136 About 40% of elders present at the conference filled out these questionnaires. Three questionnaires, filled out by elders living and serving abroad, were not taken in consideration in order to keep the analysis pertaining to the Italian situation. Furthermore, due to the separation in the Assemblies that took place a few year ago (mentioned in footnote 61, p. 27), a number of elders and churches that are involved in camps were not represented in this conference, somewhat limiting the accuracy of the research.

58

Regarding the campers, their region of origin reflects the considerations made in chapter four. As

the maps in the following page show, Poggio Ubertini is the camp that attracts mainly campers from

different regions, while Bethel and Pravernara are, generally speaking, more local. More than fifty percent

of campers that attend the Bethel Camps are from the same region of the camp (Puglia). Similarly,

Pravernara attracts campers from the surrounding regions. These considerations are important in

understanding the dynamics of follow-up of campers by camps and by local churches, as will be discussed

later.

Regarding campers’ family backgrounds, about 10 percent of the campers have no believing

parent, and about 15 percent have only one believing parent. Of those with no believing parent, almost half

of them attend church two or three times a year at the most. This means that roughly 5 percent of the

campers have their only exposure to the Christian community and probably to the Gospel itself at camp.

This is a small but significant percentage. It shows that of all the youth that attends camps, at least these

campers need a special focus in follow-up by camp staff and local churches.

As for the general church attendance, 90 percent of the campers go to church at least once a week.

This value is approximately the same for all three camps. Therefore, for the great majority of the campers,

the summer camps are not the sole spiritual experience they have during the year. Moreover, the great

majority of the campers have been at camp before: only 11.5 percent were first time campers (about 45

percent attend two or more camps each year). That means that only one camper out of ten is exposed for

the first time to the camp experience.

Poggio Ubertini Bethel

59

Pravernara

Fig. 4. Above left, Number of campers per region represented at Poggio Ubertini. Above right, Number of

campers per region represented at Bethel. Below, Number of campers per region represented at

Pravernara.

All this data confirms the fact that these camps are mainly a tool to reach the youth within the

church, and new campers are a relatively small minority. The fact that 30 percent of campers and 41

percent of staff members affirm that camp was a fundamental factor in their conversion reinstates the fact

that God uses camps to reap the work done in local churches during the rest of the year.137

Camps should

therefore be geared to enhance and build upon the work that is undertaken by the local assembly. A closer

networking of the camps with the local churches will enable the camp organizers and church leaders to

bring continuity in the life of this youth. Yet, as already mentioned, the presence of unchurched young

people and first-time campers cannot be overlooked, and must gain the attention of camp staff and church

members.

With regards to the number of peers a camper has in his or her church, it is striking to notice that in

average almost 40 percent of the campers have two or less persons their age in their church. In particular,

for the campers that attend Poggio Ubertini the value rises to 45 percent, while for the Pravernara and

Bethel campers it is closer to 30 percent. This lack of relationship sets the stage for a need of friendships

137 Even 67% of the elders, reflecting on the impact of camps in the lives of the participants, affirm that conversion is a crucial factor. For areas of impact of camps, see fig. 8.

60

and fellowships for many campers that, while unmet at church, can be satisfied at camp. This truth is

confirmed by what campers stated when answering questions concerning their friendships at camp.

Did you build some good friendships at camp?

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

none one or two more than two many blank answer

Campers

Staff

Fig. 5. Friendships built at camp

Seventy-two percent of campers affirmed that they build many friendships at camp. Also 64

percent of the staff members, reflecting on their past experience as campers, acknowledged that they

developed many friendships through camp. Furthermore, when asked to compare these friendships with

the ones they have at church, campers and staff members gave similar responses as figure 6 shows. It must

be noted that while the greatest percentage of both campers and staff members reveals that the quality of

friendships they have with other campers is similar to ones they have with other church friends, the data is

slightly in favor for better friendships with other campers. Once again, it is shown that camps can fill the

gap that is present in local churches when it comes to fellowship with peers. At the same time, though, one

must notice that church elders believe that the youth of their church meet at times with the

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Do you have a better friendship with other campers compared to other people at church?

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

absolutely no generally no similar generally yes absolutelyyes

blank answer

Campers

Staff

Fig. 6. Friendships with other campers vs. friendships with other church members

Do the teenagers and young adults of your church meet with the youth of other churches?

some times69%

often27%

I don't know3%

never1%

Fig. 7. Elders’ response to the interaction of their youth with the youth of other churches

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youth of other churches (see fig. 7). We can deduce from this that camp is not the only viable option for

increasing fellowship among the youth. This can also be obtained locally. In the next chapter, an option for

practically increasing this fellowship will be described.

One final aspect to consider is the spiritual impact camp had and still has on its campers. The

following chart compares the responses on this topic by the campers, by staff members who attended

camps as campers, and by elders who view the effects of camp on a broad scale.138

More than one answer

was allowed; thus, the sum of the percentages per group surpasses one hundred.

In which of the following aspects would you say tha t camp played or plays a key role in your life?

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

conversion consecration bible knowledge fellowship edification

campers

staff

elders

Fig. 8. Areas of camp’s spiritual impact

It is interesting to note that overall, all three groups agree that the greatest contribution of camps

has been that of Bible knowledge (62 percent). It is encouraging to see that camps have met their initial

goal, and stand true to their label of “Bible camps”! Furthermore, more than half show that edification is

another key element (it is the highest category for staff members). Fellowship and conversion are also

aspects that rate high in important for many, an average of 36 percent. (It is interesting to note that 65

percent of the elders think this aspect is a vital element of camp ministry.)

138 Elders answered a slightly different question: “In which of the following aspects would you say that camps give a positive contribution?”

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Follow-up

The previous section has shown, among other things, that while the majority of campers attend a

church, almost half of these do not have many friends their age in their local church. Furthermore, campers

affirmed that camp provides a vital place for the development of friendships and for spiritual growth, at

times more effective in this than local churches.139

Another question remains: Does the camp experience

continue to be part of the life of the campers once they return home, both for those who have a church

and youth group to attend and for those who are more isolated? This section will show the results of

questions geared to find out if campers are followed-up by camp staff and by church members once they

go back home, and to identify how much interaction there is among campers themselves during the year.

Finally, it will present the responses to one possible option for increasing this camp-church interaction.

Overall situation

The questions regarding the interaction of campers with other campers and of campers with staff are

somewhat contrasting. As fig. 9-11 show, staff members attest interacting with campers much more than

campers say. It is striking to notice that while only seventeen percent of the staff answered that they never

get in touch with campers during the year (the same percentage affirms that they never spend time directly

with the campers), 44 percent of the campers state that they never hear from their counselor or other staff

members during the year.140

During the year, how often do you spend time with campers that do not attend your church?

never17%

once a year30%

more than once a year46%

blank answer7%

Fig. 9. Frequency of direct interaction of staff members with campers during the year

139 60% of campers affirm that the spiritual encouragement they receive at camp is slightly better or much better than that received at church. 140 These values do not include the 70 questionnaires filled out at the Youth Camp of Poggio Ubertini, since this answer was not filled out (presumably because there are no counselors at that camp, being a Young Adults Camp).

64

During the year, do you keep in touch with your counselor or other staff members through phone

calls, letters or e-mails?

never44%

once a year13%

more than once a year39%

blank answer4%

Fig. 10. Frequency of long distance interaction of campers with staff during the year

Do you stay in touch with kids from camp through phone calls, e-mail or letters?

never17%

once a year11%

more than once a year63%

blank answer9%

Fig. 11. Frequency of long distance interaction of staff members with campers during the year

65

This contrast is probably due to the fact that staff member are indeed in touch with some campers,

but not all of them. While the effort of staff members is commendable, the fact that contact is not done in

a systematic way with all campers reveals that almost half of the campers do not receive any follow-up

from camp staff.

This situation is also identified by the answer given from church elders (see fig. 12). One elder out of three

believes that staff members are never in touch with campers during the year. A similar percentage affirms

that this happens only a little. This finding is important and calls for greater responsibility of staff members

to make an effort to maintain at least some sort of relationship with the all of the campers.

Are the counselors, the staff people and the directors of camps involved in the life of the

campers during the rest of the year?

not at all34%

a little 27%

some18%

a lot3%

I don't know18%

Fig. 12. Elders’ opinion on interaction between staff members and campers

66

Do you think that there is after camp a good follow-up of new kids that don’t attend a Church?

at times52%

absolutely no4%

blank answer5%

generally no23%

generally yes15%

absolutely yes1%

Fig. 13. Staff’s opinion on church’s follow-up

As for the local churches responsibilities in follow-up, the majority of staff (52 percent) members

indicate that this happens only at times, while only 15 percent states that it happens most of the time. It is

thus safe to infer that the follow-up of campers by churches is somewhat present, yet also not

accomplished in a systematic way.

Finally, interaction among campers themselves is somewhat limited, as fig. 14 points out.

Considering that campers indicate that the friendships they make at camp are very important ones, their

interaction with other campers seems to be weak during the year, probably due to the geographical

distance between churches.

67

During the year, how often do you spend time with campers that do not attend your church?

never33%

once a year22%

more than once a year41%

blank answer4%

Fig. 14. Frequency of direct interaction among campers during the year

These somewhat anticipated results required the presence of a question that addresses the

possibility of having bi-annual regional meetings for campers. The campers responded enthusiastically to

this question, as fig. 15 shows. The elders also had a

Would you like to meet during the year with other campers of the region were you live?

YES86%

NO1%

MAYBE11%

blank answer2%

Fig. 15 Campers’ response to the possibility of regional meetings for campers

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Would the children/teenagers/young adults of your church benifit from meeting with other campers and counselors/staff of your region during times of the year in which there are no

camps (e.g, october/november, february/march)?

NO6%

YES50%

MAYBE30%

blank answer14%

Fig. 16. Elders’ response to the possibility of regional meetings for campers

positive response, yet with more caution. Chapter seven will expand on the possibility of realizing this type

of event in the different regions and using it as a tool for better follow-up and interaction between

campers, staff members and churches.

Having drawn a broad picture of the general reality of the three camps, it is now necessary to focus

on the individual camps in order to understand the particular elements that characterize Poggio Ubertini,

Bethel and Pravernara.

Poggio Ubertini

Poggio Ubertini’s specific case does not differ too much from the average findings of the three

camps, although there are some unique characteristics. More campers (37 percent vs. the average 33

percent) spend no time with other campers, probably due to the geographical distance that separates the

campers. The same is valid for the results regarding the direct interaction of staff members with other

campers (23 percent vs. the average 17 percent). Regarding long distance interaction, the results from

Poggio’s campers interaction with staff members matches the overall average, while the percentage of

staff members that do not interact at all with campers decreases a few points (12 percent vs. the average

17 percent). Again, these values are probably due to the geographical dispersion of campers that attend

Poggio. These results also show that interaction by mail or phone is even more important because of the

distances that separate campers and staff members.

As for follow-up by churches, staff members are a little more optimistic; the values are higher on

each category except for the one that affirms that there is absolutely no follow-up by local believers (the

value here is 0 percent).

69

Bethel

The case of the Bethel Camp Center is slightly different from the average. Campers interact more

with other campers from different churches compared to the average, while the long distance interaction

of campers with counselors is about the same. As for the staff and counselor’s interaction with campers,

there is a stark increase of about 15 percent in both the direct and the long distance interaction that takes

place more than once a year. Again, the local nature of this camp can be seen as the reason for these

findings. Interestingly, though, the staff members are a little more pessimistic in their view of follow-up by

churches: 90 percent of them indicate that follow-up is, at best, done only sometimes, versus the 79

percent of the average. This finding shows a more critical view of the follow-up being accomplished by the

churches.

Pravernara

The noticeable deviation from the average for Pravernara is under the category of “staff follow-up

of campers” (figures 9 and 11 ). While the results of the direct interaction are close to the average, their

long distance interaction is generally inferior: 26 percent never get in touch with campers during the year

(vs. the average 17%), 14 percent do so only once a year (a slight increase compared to the 11 percent

average), and 53 percent are in touch with the campers more than once a year (vs. the average 63 percent).

These values call for an increased commitment of the Pravernara staff to follow-up with their campers. This

call also extends to the churches, since the Pravernara staff sees the local assemblies’ follow-up slightly

worse than the average.

Interaction between Camp and Churches

The previous section highlighted the current status on the follow-up of campers by churches and

camps. This section will seek to answer the issue of interaction in service between camps and churches: Are

camps promoting service in the local churches? Are churches contributing to the ministry of camps? In

other words, are churches and camps serving each other as they seek to expand the kingdom of God?

In response to the question: “Did camp encourage you to serve the Lord in your local church?”, the

answers by campers fifteen years and older141

and staff members are shown in the following chart.

141 While this question was asked to all campers, it appeared necessary in the analysis to exclude the answers of the younger campers, since service in local churches generally does not occur before the mid-teen years.

70

Did camp encourage you to serve the Lord in your lo cal church?

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

not at all a little some a lot blank answer

Campers

Staff

Fig. 17. The impact of camp for service in the local church for campers 15 and older and for staff members

This chart indicates that the vast majority of the campers (71 percent) have been at least

encouraged “some” to serve in the local church, and one out of four campers has been encouraged “a lot.”

As for staff members reflecting on their camp experience, 81 percent affirm that camp has encouraged

them at least “some,” while one staff member out of three has been encouraged a lot. The overall

responses obtained for each camp do not differ significantly.

While these numbers are indicators of a good effort (either direct or indirect) by camp leaders to

encourage the campers to become active in their local churches, there is a wide margin indicating the need

for improvement. Indeed, church elders have, overall, a more negative view of this topic, as the following

chart shows.

71

Are the teenagers and young adults more active in t heir service in the church thanks to camps?

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

not at all a little some a lot blank answer

Elders

Fig. 18. Elders’ opinion on the impact camp has on campers for service in the local church

Based on the church elders’ responses, almost half of the elders affirm that the youth of their

church who attend camp have been challenged to serve in the church “some;” yet, one elder out of three

affirms that this has happened only “a little,” and a mere 9 percent states that their youth have been

encouraged “a lot.” This data confirms that there is the need by camp leaders to raise the awareness in

campers to the need of service in the local churches. The situation is not totally negative, but some

improvement needs to take place.142

Conversely, are churches helping out the ministry of camps? When asked the question: “Are there

people in your church that serve regularly at camp as counselors, staff members or organizers?”, almost 60

percent of the elders answered “someone,” while 22 percent said “no one.” Only 9 percent said “many.”

This means that about two elders out of three have somebody in their congregation helping in the camp.

This is an encouraging piece of data, considering that it is not possible for everyone to take an entire week

or more to be present at camp. Yet even here there is plenty of room of improvement.

142 It is interesting at this point to notice the opinion of three elders who filled out questionnaires at the Elder’s Conference. At the question “What aspects of the camps can be improved?” one of them answered: “It would be good after the camp to organize some meetings where [the campers] can meet and perhaps continue the [Bible] studies that are taking place in the churches/youth groups.” On the same question, another elder, among other things, stated: “Participation to church life,” underlining the need of camps to push the campers to be involved in their local churches. Finally, at the question “Are there aspects of camps that give “distructive” instead of a “contructive” contribution?” one elder affirmed: “Opinions regarding the worship service that the youth brings back in the churches disagreeing with the elders’s opinions.” This indicates the concern some elders have regarding the contrasts that can arise between camps and church.

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The primary aspect of church involvement in the ministry of camps that needs greater growth is the

financial one. As figure 19 shows, not many churches are involved in supporting the work of camps. Only 16

percent of the elders acknowledge that their church is involved in a significant manner (“some” or “a lot”)

in financially supporting the local camps. While one must notice that this lack of support is often due to the

fact that many churches are very limited in their financial resources,143

it appears that these values are far

lower than they should be. It would be wrong, however, to generalize this statement to apply to all of the

Italian Assemblies, since data from all churches of the country has not been analyzed.

Does your church contribute financially to camps?

a little 36%

some15%

a lot1%

blank answer10%

not at all38%

Fig. 19. Financial involvement of churches in camp ministry

Indeed, churches from Puglia and Piemonte, for example, had relatively small representation at the

Elders’ Conference. Therefore, the data only reveals that this lack of

143 While some preachers and elders are supported by the “central fund” of the Assemblies, the majority of the Italian Brethren Assemblies do not have paid staff in their churches. This is an indicator that financial struggle is a constant factor in the lives on many assemblies.

73

Overall, would you say that Bible Camps give an important contribution to the Italian Brethren

Assembiles?

a little 4%

some38%

a lot48%

blank answer10%

not at all0%

Fig. 20. Elders’ opinion on the impact of camps in the life of the Assemblies

financial support is a trend at the national level, but local realities might be different. Nevertheless, this fact

is particularly striking when one considers that the majority of the elders realize the impact Bible camps

have in the ministry of the Brethren Assemblies, as illustrated in fig. 20.

Great benefits are not without costs. Local assemblies must realize that the benefits they receive

from the camps must push them to a greater commitment to practical supporting the ministry of the camps

with financial donations.

Conclusions

The questionnaires have shown how many young campers and ex-campers find camp to be a place

of great spiritual input. In particular, camps offer great contributions such as bible knowledge, edification

and fellowship - many friendships have been born through camp. Furthermore, camp is often a crucial

element for the conversion of many. Yet both camps and local churches, while supporting each other to

some degree, need to improve their service to one another in order to create a better synergy and

therefore a better impact for the Gospel in the life of many. In particular, follow-up of campers by local

churches and by staff members, while present to some extent, needs to be done in a more systematic way.

Furthermore, the networking between camps and churches also needs improvement: churches must

improve their financial support to camps, and camps should push their campers to a greater involvement in

the local churches. All of these considerations are valid for the three camps analyzed, with little variations

for the individual camps.

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Interviews

Six interviews have been performed with representative leaders of the various camps: Paolo Moretti

(Poggio Ubertini), Eliseo Santangelo (Bethel), Giuseppe Barbanotti and Gioele Corradini (Pravernara),

Osvalda Biginelli Malcolm and Tina d’Apote (Poggio Ubertini and Bethel). Some of these interviews have

been performed orally and recorded on electric devices; others were accomplished in a written form via

postal and electronic mail. The questions focused on the topics of follow-up with the campers, the

interaction between camps and churches, and methods to improve this interaction.144

Conclusions

This section provided valuable thoughts on the current situation of Poggio Ubertini, Bethel and

Pravernara by some of their leaders. Most of them (except Gioele Corradini of Pravernara) argue that camp

is not the sole spiritual experience in the life of the camper, therefore refuting a basic assumption with

which this research started. In any case, all agree that camp is a tool used by God to complement the

ministry of the local church, and that it is valuable and unique in the way it reaches the youth.

Every camp has some plan to follow-up on its campers, although every person interviewed agrees

that this area can be improved. Poggio Ubertini’s Kids’ Camp has a systematic program to at least inform

the churches of the spiritual decisions made by some campers. At the Bethel camps, primarily through the

Camp Director, but also through special events, the awareness of the needs of the camp is raised, and an

informal follow-up is attempted. For Pravernara, the follow-up is totally left in the hands of the counselors

and to personal initiative. All the individuals interviewed agree that the counselors and other staff

members are the key factors in creating an effective follow-up. Yet, no systematic way exists do define how

this is done.

As for the follow-up by the churches, there appears to be a general lack of interest or commitment

from the churches to follow up on the campers. With the exception of the Bethel Center and the

Assemblies in the province of Foggia, who are closely knit to Bethel, it seems that, overall, the churches do

not respond to the needs and the challenges of camp as much as the camp leaders would like. It is

generally recognized that this is often due to the difficult circumstances in which the churches find

themselves (low financial availability and scarce human resources), yet more effort in this area is required.

There are many ways in which the interaction of camps and churches can be improved: regional

inter-camp meetings for campers, organized by churches and camp leaders; counselors’ commitment to

follow up on the campers; church leaders’ involvement in the kids’ camp experience; increase of the

churches’ awareness of camp ministry by presenting the work of the camps to the local assemblies;

creation of a website that hosts camp and church material and information. In the following chapter, these

aspects will be further explored and discussed.

144 For the transcripts of the interviews, see Appendix three.

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Summary of Findings

This chapter has provided important information on the current state of camp ministry in light of its

interaction with local churches. Overall, it can be said that camp is recognized as a means to

complement the needs of a local church by providing the campers with solid Bible knowledge, by creating

an environment in which edification and fellowship are enhanced, and by evangelizing and therefore

offering the opportunity of conversion. Furthermore, for the great majority of the campers, camp is not the

sole spiritual experience they receive during the year, although it is recognized as offering a unique and

often crucial spiritual experience.

At the same time, there is a general awareness that a greater synergy between camps and churches

is needed. The follow-up of campers, although present to a limited degree in two camps (Poggio Ubertini

and Bethel), needs to be done in a more systematic way, by all three camps (especially the counselors) and

by the local churches. The interaction between local churches and camps can also improve. A greater

commitment is required of the local churches’ financial contribution to camps (this is particularly valid for

Poggio Ubertini and Pravernara). Likewise, camps should motivate the believing campers to a greater

commitment of service in their local church.

76

CHAPTER 7

FINAL COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS

The goal of this chapter is to summarize and comment on the findings from the written documents,

questionnaires and interviews, and to offer suggestions on how to solve some of the problems identified

throughout the research.

Comments

The findings of the research can be summarized in two main points. First, Bible camps complement

the ministry of local churches.145

In particular, camps are effective in the areas of Bible knowledge,

edification, fellowship and conversion.146

This statement is true for all the three Bible camps analyzed, and

it is particularly consistent with the historical background described in chapter three: the fact that for the

Brethren the study of the Word of God is of primary importance is reflected in the way camps have proven

an incredible means to achieve greater Bible knowledge.147

Furthermore, they provide an edifying spiritual

fervor that is consistent with the piety and simplicity of the Brethren.148

In light of the Italian religious

situation, where there are few believers, where the churches are often small and with small youth

groups,149

the aspect of fellowship is invaluable, and Bible camps provide an environment where this

fellowship can thrive. Finally, the zeal for evangelism of the Brethren150

is also seen in the camps, where

many campers convert to Christ and therefore reap the fruit of the work done in the local assemblies.

Additionally, the research shows that the camps serve mainly the youth of these churches.151

It is therefore

not the only exposure to the Gospel or the sole spiritual experience for the majority of the campers. Yet,

while not the sole spiritual input, it has been shown that it fulfills many needs that are unmet in local

churches. Therefore, camps are not the sole spiritual experience, but a unique and extremely valuable

spiritual experience.

Second, the interaction between camps and churches is less than optimal, determining a reduced

effectiveness of the ministry of camps. This lack on interaction surfaces primarily in the areas of follow-up

and of reciprocal service.152

Campers are not followed-up by staff members, in particular by the counselors,

in a systematic way, and often churches do not pursue the youth upon their return from camp, including

those coming from an evangelical family or from a non-believing background. Similarly, churches often do

not contribute financially to the needs of camps (especially for Poggio Ubertini and Pravernara), and

campers do not always get involved in service in their local churches as their leaders would like.

Furthermore, two main doctrinal convictions contribute indirectly to these unmet needs: the priesthood of

145 See pp. 76-78, 85-89, 103, 105-6, 111, 113. 146 P. 89. 147 P. 31. 148 Pp. 25-26. 149 Pp. 29-30. 150 P. 34. 151 P.85. 152 Pp. 78-79, 90-95, 97-101, 104-105, 106-107, 111-112, 114-115.

77

all believers and the autonomy of local churches.153

While these elements are in and of themselves positive,

they can create negative impacts if the respective responsibilities of individual believers and churches go

unmet. The fact that there are almost no full time church ministers and paid camp staff causes the

responsibility of ministry to fall on the shoulders of all believers and staff volunteers, led and guided by the

Elders and by the camp organizers. But if the individual believers do not rise up to meet the challenge that

faces it, no one else will. If the ideal simplicity of grass root Christianity of the Brethren must be kept, then

it is essential that every believer must come to understand his or her responsibility before God to serve

Him. Furthermore, the fact that there is not strict supervision of the individual churches by a

denominational organization determines a lack of resources and coordination between churches and

camps. Therefore, on one hand, churches must realize that the benefits they receive from camp require

some financial costs and investments in service. On the other hand, a ministry that serves the churches and

the camps by coordinating efforts and pooling resources should be sought in order to render more effective

the service to the Italian youth. The following suggestions are the result of this research, and offer ideas to

better coordinate church and camp efforts in order to minister effectively to the Italian youth.

On a final note, all of those who volunteer at camp and in local churches must be praised, honored

and respected because they do not receive any financial compensation or worldly popularity. Rather, they

serve out of love for God and for their brothers and sisters. The findings of this research therefore highlight

a need that probably was simply never tackled in a systematic and conscious way, and these findings are

not intended in any way to overlook the sacrificial service of so many brothers and sisters.

Suggestions

In chapter two it was asserted that while the local church is the place where Gospel is primarily

proclaimed and its benefits received, and is the natural milieu for growth and service, Bible camps, as

parachurch organizations, offer a unique opportunity to complement the ministry of the local congregation

by meeting needs that cannot usually be met at a local level, as the findings of this research further

demonstrate. In order for camps to be effective, it is essential that a healthy cooperation between the

camps and the churches exists. The following suggestions provide some ideas to enhance this camp-church

synergy in the effort to better serve the campers.154

Suggested Camp Efforts

One of the problems highlighted by this research is the fact that campers are often not followed up

in a systematic way by staff members once the campers return home. This observation is valid for all three

camps. While the organizers of the Kid’s Camp at Poggio Ubertini have been proactive in at least minimal

communication with the local churches and the campers, all three camps need to improve on this aspect.

As the counselor is the key factor for a successful camp, the counselor is also the key factor in following up

153 P. 32-33. 154 Many of these ideas, while already mentioned throughout the thesis, are also found in the booklet by Lloyd D. Mattson, Foul-up or Follow-up? (Wheaton, Ill.: Scripture Press, 1974). This booklet provides also many more in depth strategies and ideas to enhance the campers’ follow-up.

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with the camper. Counselors who are serious about their service to the campers must be taught to

understand that their work does not end after camp is over. Counselors should keep in touch with the

campers through various means:

• Send at least one card or letter during the year, refreshing the memory of the camper to the

experience he or she recently had and showing opennes to further correspondence. It is

preferable that this would be sent no later than two or three months after camp, while the

memories are still vivid.

• Call the camper at least once a year, maybe on the occasion of the camper’s birthday.

• Send a picture of the cabin members to the campers. While the picture can be developed and

given to the campers by the end of the camp, sending the photo by mail can provide an

occasion to show the counselor’s care even after the camp is over.

• Write the parents of the camper an encouraging note. If the camper displayed positive

behavior throughout the camp and/or if a visible change occurred in the camper, the parents

could be encouraged by knowing how camp has been beneficial for their son or daughter, and

how he or she contributed to the well-being of the camp.

• Write a note to the church leaders summarizing the significant positive experiences and

attitudes of the child or teenager who attends their church had during camp. In doing this, it is

important that the confidence of the camper is not betrayed!

• Visit the camper if time and resources allow it.

Of course, in order to reach these goals, it is essential that the counselor exchanges contact

information at camp directly with the camper. This way, the camper also has the counselor’s contact

information and can feel free to directly reach him or her. Finally, as Lloyd D. Mattson has stated, it is

crucial to understand that “counselor’s follow-up is more an attitude than a program.” Therefore, above all

things, the counselor should pray in a systematic way for the campers, asking God to keep and grow the

seed that has been planted at camp, as Tina d’Apote suggested.155

While the counselor’s effort in follow-up is crucial, this effort must be encouraged and directed. As

Mattson states, “Follow-up is a team effort, but the best team needs leadership and strategy.”156

As camp

leaders prepare the camp, they must include in the curriculum and programs some training and

preparation for the campers’ follow-up. Like many aspects of ministry, a lot can be done in order to

155 See p.103. 156 Mattson, Foul-up or Follow-up, 10.

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enhance this area. Yet, a few simple steps can be taken in order to ensure at least a sufficient amount of

follow-up:

• Provide, in the camp’s notebook, a section for the exchange of contact information.

• Dedicate time in one or two counselor’s meetings to explain the need of follow-up and

encouraging each counselor to be proactive in pursuing some of the above suggested ideas.

• Asking the counselor to inform (possibly in a written form) the camp leaders regarding

particularly needy situations that some campers exhibit and that may require a special follow-

up effort.

In addition to these suggestions, it would be beneficial to provide some itinerant presentations

about the camp ministry within the various local churches in order to enhance the network between camps

and churches. These presentations can be given by selected individuals, who, representing the camp in

their region of origin, are equipped with information that displays the work and the needs of camps. Since

there is no paid camp staff, though, this goal could be very hard to accomplish. It might be easier and more

feasible to present the ministry of camps at special meetings where more than one local church gathers

together. In particular, church conferences or the Elder’s conference might be ideal places to provide

updates on the status of the camps.

Another way camps can spread the awareness of its needs and of the benefits it produces is

through newsletters. While these exist to some extent (see for example POGGIONOTIZIE and

BETHELNOTIZIE), a newsletter that goes beyond the practical and logistical information, with more

testimonies, description of events and spiritually encouraging articles can give greater depth and

importance to the simple informational bulletin.

Finally, the camp must be aware of the church needs and tackle “hot” topics that are surfacing in

the local churches (as later mentioned, it is also the responsibility of local churches to inform camp leaders

of such issues). Furthermore, the interaction with the churches can be increased by inviting a variety of

speakers from different assemblies to teach and by encouraging mature campers to be actively involved in

their assemblies. A seminar or a lesson on this topic could increase the campers’ awareness on the need of

serving in their local assembly.157

157 It is very possible that many of these suggestions already take place in the various camps. These suggestions are simply trying to reinforce these practices and offer an encouragement to pursue them.

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Suggested Church Efforts

Because the local church is primarily responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of its members, it must

keep an active role in caring for their youth and supporting their spiritual growth. Therefore, the church has

a primary role in following up their youth’s camp experience, and in being involved in the ministry of camps

as it ministers to their youth. Again, this could be accomplished in many ways, some more energy and time

consuming than others. Yet, a few simple actions can be taken to increase the effectiveness of this youth

ministry:

• Ask the children and teenagers to report on their time at camp during a Sunday morning

church service. This could be done by way of testimonies, songs, reports on the teaching

received and on the fun activities that took place at camp. These presentations will inform the

rest of the congregation on the camp’s impact on some of its young members, recreating, at

least to some extent, the enthusiasm and the atmosphere that was present at camp directly

into the local congregations. Furthermore, this will fix in the minds of the campers themselves

the events that transpire at camp, and will make them accountable before their own church on

decisions and resolutions made at camp. This is probably the single most important activity the

local church can implement in order to support and enhance the ministry of camps.

• Inform the camp leaders and staff members of some individual needs that the child or teenager

is bringing to camp.

• Inform the camp leaders of particular topics that their youth struggles with and could be taught

and discussed at camp.

• Contribute financially to the needs of the camp. While it is evident that many local churches

struggle financially, it would be very encouraging to the camp organizers to see even small

donations come from a multitude of churches. This will not only increase the camp funds, but it

will also show the church’s commitment to fellowship and support of the camp ministry.

• Pray for the campers, the counselors and the camp organizers. This is the most crucial activity

that, all others failing, can still contribute to the work of the camps and the growth of the

campers.

Suggested Combined Efforts

Two particular efforts can be undertaken in strict cooperation between the camps and the local

churches. On of these is “Inter-camp Meetings,” or as Mattson calls them, “Camp-sponsored rallies.”158

158 Mattson, Foul-up or Follow-up, 25.

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These meetings would take place at a regional level twice a year, during periods in which there is usually no

or little camp activity, generally October-November and/or February-March. These meetings, “serving a

cluster of Churches, help recreate the camp atmosphere and can reinforce spiritual experiences.” They

should be organized by camp staff members and those in charge of the youth groups in the various cities.

Lasting a day (all day Saturday or Sunday) or a whole weekend if the necessary facilities and resources exist,

these inter-camp meetings would be hosted by a local church, and it would extend the invitation to all the

youth groups that have children, teenagers or young adults that attend a particular camp. Part of the

activities could be a slide show or Power Point presentation with pictures from the latest camp, games, a

time of worship and prayer, and a dynamic sermon or teaching that will rekindle the fire sparked at camp

or that will tackle one particular “hot” topic for the campers. A time of sharing in which the campers can

witness to the Lord’s work in their hearts would also be appropriate. The speaker (or speakers) could be

one of the camp teachers, and the activities could be organized by camp staff members that live in the

region. Local believers who are not staff members should be present and be actively involved in the

organization and the development of the meeting. Of particular importance for this meeting is the

coordination between the various churches and the camp representatives. The meeting must be planned

early in the year so that the local churches can put the event in their programs, and can prepare their youth

to participate in the event, by asking them to perform a skit, a song, or simply by bringing their pictures and

their enthusiasm!

Of the three camps analyzed, Poggio Ubertini is the one that could most easily implement this idea

by promoting the meetings through the various region from which campers come from. At the Bethel

Center similar events already occur every spring called “Bethel Youth Friendship” and “Bethel Kids

Friendship.” These meetings are simply a day long youth conferences with Bible study and sport activities,

one for young adults and the other for teens and pre-teens. The local nature of Bethel and the close

interaction with the local churches allows this event to take place successfully each year. Pravernara could

adopt this same idea, since most of its campers are within a relatively short car ride from the camp site.

Nevertheless, hosting the meetings in local churches will be a factor in and of itself that could enhance the

camp-church interaction.

The second combined effort that can be pursued is the creation of a website that would serve

various purposes relevant for campers, staff members and youth leaders. First, it would provide virtual

meeting place for the campers. On this website, pictures can be posted, thoughts can be shared, and

information can be stored that can be a source of interaction between the campers themselves and

between campers and staff members. Possibly, it could also host a chat room. All of these services must be

monitored by one or more “webmasters” to ensure a peaceful and “clean” environment, where the

Christian values that characterize camp can still be upheld. Second, this website can be a place where youth

workers can share resources. They could find Sunday school material, outlines of lessons and sermons,

ideas for youth events, lessons taught at camp and so on. This way, it could serve as a link between the

work done at one of the local assemblies and the ministry of the camp. Camps can get ideas of what the

various Sunday schools and youth groups are doing, and can help to fill in the gaps that are perceived to

exist. Finally, the website could provide a calendar of the events of camp and of the inter-camp meetings,

as well as the camp’s newsletter.

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Depending on the availability and vision of each camp, this website could focus only on one camp,

could host various sections dedicated to specific camps, or it could be a gateway to various websites

specific to individual camps. In order to ensure maximum usage, it must be extremely user friendly, so that

anyone would be able to post and download information and resources.

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APPENDIX 1

ITALIAN REGIONS

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APPENDIX 2

QUESTIONNAIRES DISTRIBUTED TO CHURCH ELDERS, CAMPERS AND STAFF MEMBERS

Questionnaires for Church Elders

Questionnaire on Bible camps!

This questionnaire is trying to assess the quality and the effectiveness

of Evangelical Bible camps.

It is absolutely anonymous, so please write what is really in your mind.

Your sincerity will help to make camp a better place to be!

Thank you so much for your help.

In what region is your church? _______________________________

Did you attend camp when you where younger? � Never � less than one per year � one per year � more than

one per year

If you did not attend camp, what would you say is the reason? � time � money � don’t like the crowded

environment � had bad experiences at camp � other___________________________________________

How many children (less than 13 years old) are in your church? � 0 � 1-5 � 5-10 � 10-20 � 20-30 � >30

What percentage of these children attend at least one camp per year?

� <25% � 25-50% � 50-75% � >75%

How many teenagers (between 13 and 19 years old) are in your church? � 0 � 1-5 � 5-10 � 10-20 � 20-30

� >30

What percentage of these teenagers attend at least one camp per year?

� <25% � 25-50% � 50-75% � >75%

How many yound adults (more than 19 years old) are in your church? � 0 � 1-5 � 5-10 � 10-20 � 20-30 �

>3030

What percentage of these young adults attend at least one camp per year?

� <25% � 25-50% � 50-75% � >75%

What camps do the children/teenagers/young adults of your church usually go to? � Poggio � Bethel

� Pravernara � other (if necessary, mark more than one)

Do the teenagers and young adults of your church meet with the youth of other churches? � never � once in a

while � often � I don’t know

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Did the children/teenagers/young adults of your church receive from a camps a postive influence in their

spiritual lives? � not at all � a little � some � a lot � I don’t know

Are the teenagers and young adults more active in their service in the church thanks to camps? � not at all � a

little bit � some � a lot

Are the counselors, the staff people and the directors of camps involved in the life of the campers during the

rest of the year? � not at all � a little � some � a lot � I don’t know

Are there people in your church that serve regularly at camp as counselors, staff members or organizers?

� nobody � some � many

Does your church contribute financially to camps? � not at all � a little � some � a lot

Would the children/teenagers/young adults of your church benifit from meeting with other campers and

counselors/staff of your region during times of the year in which there are no camps (e.g, october/november,

february/march)? � no � maybe � yes

In which of the following aspects would you say that camps give a positive contribution?(if needed, mark more

than one) � conversion � consecration � bible knowledge � fellowship � encouragement/edification

� other__________________________

What aspects of camps could be improved?____________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Are there aspects of camps that give “distructive” instead of a “contructive” contribution? � no � yes. If yes,

what aspects?__________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Overall, would you say that Bible camps give an important contribution to the Italian Brethren Assembiles?

� not at all � a little � some � a lot

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Questionnaires for Campers

C Questionnaire on Bible camps!

filled out at ___[name of camp]_____

This questionnaire is trying to assess the quality and the effectiveness

of the Bible camp you are attending.

It is absolutely anonymous, so please write what is really in your mind.

Your sincerity will help to make camp a better place to be!

If you are not sure of an answer, please leave it blank.

You will need only 5-10 minutes to fill this out!

Thank you so much for your help.

How old are you? � 9-10 � 11-12 � 13-14 � 15-16 � 17-19 � 20-25 � >26

Gender: � M � F

In which region do you live? ___________________________

Is this the first time at a Bible camp? � yes � no

If yes, how did you hear about this camp? � Church � Family � Friend

� other_________________

If no, how many camps do you usually attend each year? � None � 1 � 2 or 3 � more than 3

Does an Evangelical Church exist in the city/town were you live? � yes � no

Are your parents Evangelical Christians? � yes � no � only one parent

Do you attend an Evangelical Church? � never � 2-3 times a year � once a month � every Sunday � more than

once a week

How many people of your age group are present at your church? (for “your age”, refer to the age groups in the

first question) � None � 1-2 � 3-5 � 6-10 � more than 10

Compared to the spiritual challenge you receive at church, would you say that the spiritual challenge you

receive at camp is: � much worst � worst � similar � better � much better

Do you feel more free to talk about some issues at camp rather that at church?

� never � rarely � sometimes � most of the time � always

Did you build some good friendships at camp? � none � one or two � a few � many

Do you have a better friendship with other campers compared to other people at church?

� absolutely no � generally no � the same � generally yes � absolutely yes

Did you grow in the knowledge of the Word of God at Camp (through the lessons, quiet time, conversations

etc…) � not at all � a little � some � a lot

Did going to camp encourage you to read the Bible more often? � not at all � a little � some � a lot

Did going to camp encourage you to share the Gospel with non-Christians friends?

� not at all � a little � some � a lot

Did camp encourage you to serve the Lord in your local church? � not at all � a little � some � a lot

In which of the following aspects would you say that camp played or plays a key role in your life? (if needed,

mark more than one) � conversion � consecration � Bible knowledge

� fellowship � encouragement/edification � other______________________

During the year, how often do you spend time with campers that do not attend your church? � never � once a

year � more than once a year

During the year, do you keep in touch with your counselor or other staff members through phone calls, letters

or e-mails? � never � once a year � more than once a year

Would you like to meet during the year with other campers of the region were you live?

� no � yes � maybe

What camps do you usually go to? � Poggio � Bethel � Pravernara � other___________

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Questionnaires for Camp Staff

S Questionnaire on Bible camps!

filled out at ___________[name of camp]________

This questionnaire is trying to assess the quality and the effectiveness

of the Bible camp you are attending.

It is absolutely anonimous, so please write what is really in your mind.

Your sincerity will help to make camp a better place to be!

If you are not sure of an answer, please leave it blank.

You will need only 5-10 minutes to fill this out!

Thank you so much for your help.

How old are you? � 15-16 � 17-19 � 20-25 � >26

Gender: � M � F

In which region do you live? ______________________________________

Is this the first time serving at a Bible camp? � yes � no

If you are in a < 26 category:

How many Bible camps do you usually attend each year? � None � 1 � 2or3 � more than 3

If you do not attend camps, what would you say is the reason? � time � money � don’t like the

crowded environment � had bad experiences at camp

� other___________________________________

If you do attend camps, would you say that going at camp plays an important role in bringing you back

to serve at camp? � absolutely no � probably no

� probably yes � absolutely yes

If you are in the >26 category:

How many camps per year did you attend when you where younger? � None � 1 � 2or3 � more than 3

If you did not attend camp, what would you say is the reason? � time � money � don’t like the crowded

environment � had bad experiences at camp � other___________________________________

If you did attend camp, would you say that going at camp played an important role in bringing you back

to serve at camp? � absolutely no � probably no � probably yes � absolutely yes

During the year, how often do you spend time with campers that do not attend your same church? � never

� once a year � more than once a year

Do you stay in touch with kids from camp through phone calls, e-mail or letters? � never � once a year

� more than once a year

Do you think that there is after camp a good follow-up of new kids that don’t attend a Church? � absolutely no

� generally no � at times � generally yes � absolutely yes

If you attend or attended camp, the following questions will focus on your experience at camp.

Compared to the spiritual challenge you receive at church, would you say that the spiritual challenge you

receive or received at camp is: � much worst � worst � similar � better � much better

Do you or did you feel more free to talk about some issues at camp rather that at church?

� never � rarely � sometimes � most of the time � always

Did you build some good friendships at camp? � None � 1 or 2 � a few � many

Do you or did you have a better friendship with other campers compared to other people at church?

� absolutely no � generally no � the same � generally yes � absolutely yes

Did you grow in the knowledge of the Word of God at camp (through the lessons, quiet time, conversations

etc…) � not at all � a little � some � a lot

Did camp encourage you to read the Bible more often?� not at all � a little � some � a lot

Does or did camp encourage you to share the Gospel to non-Christian friends?

� not at all � a little � some � a lot

Did camp encourage you to serve the Lord in your local church? � not at all � a little � some � a lot

In which of the following aspects would you say that camp played or plays a key role in your life? (if needed,

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mark more than one) � conversion � consecration � Bible knowledge � fellowship � encouragement/edification

� other______________________

What camps do you usually go to? � Poggio � Bethel � Pravernara � other __________

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APPENDIX 3

TRANSCRIPTS OF INTERVIEWS

Paolo Moretti

Paolo is, together with Otello Becchetti, in charge of organizing the ten day summer camp for kids

ages 9 through 16 (Kids’ Camp) at Poggio Ubertini.159

This camp has been running since 1979, and is the

largest camp among the Brethren Assemblies. Paolo is also an elder in the Assembly of Anghiari (Arezzo).

This interview was performed in a written form via e-mail, during the month of January 2005.

Q: Would you say that the statement “Bible camps are often the only spiritual experience that a young

camper receive during the year” is true regarding Poggio Ubertini?

A: The statement is definitely not true, at least for the camps organized by Otello and me. It is possible that

camp is an experience that has priority, but not that it is exclusive!

Q: What do you believe is the task of a camp compared to the task of a local church?

A: A camp must never be a substitute to the commitment for care of children, teenagers and young adults

that the Lord entrusts to each local church. The ministry of camps, therefore, is never replacing but always

complementing [the local church]. In other words, camp gives a help that often, by God’s grace, reveals

itself determining for conversion and consecration of the kids (like in my personal case!). The people that

organize the camps and those that serve the Lord there must never lose sight of the reality of the local

churches. The most motivated and committed campers [who serve at camp] must be given back to the

local churches, because it is to the local churches that these kids must transfer their motivations and

commitment.

Q: Are campers that do not attend a church (either because they are not believers or because there is no

church in their area) in someway followed-up once back at home? If yes, by the local church or by the camp

staff members?

A: Usually we [camp organizers] take action in one of the following ways:

a. in the case the children belong to families with non believing parents, we communicate the name

to the elders of the nearest church so that they can follow-up on them (truth be said, though, that

this happened only two times, because it is obvious, if a child comes to Poggio Ubertini, he or she

159 Paolo Moretti also organized for about a decade the “Formation Camp” for young adults, and is one of the organizers of the annual “New Year’s Camp” for youth and families.

90

does so because a friend who is a believer invited him or her: therefore, the norm is that the

children of non believing parents are already known in some way by the church of the town where

they live);

b. in the case of children whose parents are believers that live isolated, far from an assembly, we try

to encourage (reciprocal!) visits from the brothers of the nearest church, and , in any case, we try

to keep the relationship with these kids during the year (during the first camps we had the time to

write one or more personal letters to each of these kids, and this way it was possible, for example,

that a girl from a Catholic family persevered in her walk with the Lord to the point that now she

cooperates with Wycliffe in the translation of the Bible).

Q: How much interaction/cooperation exists between Poggio and the local assemblies? How can this

interaction improve?

Regarding the camps organized by Otello and me, we can confidently say that this interaction has always

existed (at least from our part!). For example, at the end of each Camp we inform the elders of the

churches from which the campers come from the names of the campers that have taken a decision for

Christ and the journey they traveled to come to that decision during the Camp. Like for every aspect of our

service for the Lord, it is clear that we can better this interaction. For example, for many years we have

been trying (truth be said, without much success) to have as staff members elders of assemblies from

which the campers come from, and we try to gather information on the kids themselves during the year.

Sadly, though, we noticed that we did not receive the cooperation from the elders we desire, maybe

because they are already too busy.

Osvalda Biginelli Malcolm

Osvalda has been a teacher at the camps in the province of Foggia and at the Bethel Center from

the early sixties to the nineties, and has cooperated at the “Kids’ Camp” organized by Paolo Moretti and

Otello Becchetti at Poggio Ubertini since it started.160

She and her husband are missionaries and serve in

the Assembly of Fondi (Latina). The interviewed was performed orally at Fondi, Latina, during the month of

August 2003. The transcript rendered here has been edited for readability and does not follow the

chronological order of the interview, but rearranges the interview according to the topic discussed.

Q: What do you think are the major contributions of Pravernara and of Bible camps in general to the work

of the Italian Assemblies?

A: Certainly, camp can determine one or more landmarks in the spiritual life of the campers. Often the

conversion, other times the consecration. I know of young people that consecrated themselves, that came

back to the Lord, that solved their doubts. . . These are landmarks. I think that camp is fundamental, one of

160 Osvalda, along with Tina d’Apote, is now also involved in organizing a kids camp at Lioni, in Campania.

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the best inventions that was ever made! . . . The youth is looking for spiritual things. It is rare that in one of

my classes you find somebody who just does not care. I see the kids receptive. Even if afterwards one does

not have a church that follows up, at least we planted a seed. My husband always says to our congregation:

‘Sending your sons and daughters at camp is an investment!’

Q: Are campers that do not attend a church (either because they are not believers or because there is no

church in their area) in someway followed-up once back at home? If yes, by the local church or by the camp

staff members?

Between one year and the other, there is nobody that follows many of the campers. Many convert at camp,

but afterwards there is no one that follows... For example, at this past camp two girls who were in my class

the previous year came to me all sad and told me: ‘We were here last year, and we decided to become

disciples of the Lord. Then we went back home and we did not do anything, we did not read, we did not

pray.’ But of course, if there is nobody to help them, to follow up on them!

Q: How much interaction/cooperation exists between the Camp and the local assemblies? Do you think

Camps and Churches are not connected?

Yes, certainly, because of lack of information, because churches don’t think about it, they don’t understand

the importance. On behalf of the churches there is always more and more lack of interest and I think you

can see it even in the fact that there are always less donations for Poggio, when the churches have received

so much from Poggio. One does not understand that the spiritual help that is given [at camp] determines

also some monetary expenses. . . Often it is the families that send their kids at camp, not the churches.

Q: How can the interaction between camps and churches improve?

If we could create a network so that the staff would talk about camp at church and keep in touch with the

campers, it would be an important help. . . We could make a little magazine that helps in reading the Bible,

so that the kids would have a reading plan and so read the Word of God every day. . . Now that I think

about it… I have been thinking for a long time to do something for the Sunday school via internet that could

also be used for camp. That’s my dream. It would help Sunday School teachers to interact among

themselves and also for the kids and the staff. We could combine a website for the camp with the one for

the Sunday School. A website might be the only way to keep in touch. The camp teachers could interact

with the campers through the site, as well as the counselors and the campers… This could be a way to knit

together the work of the Sunday School, in such a way that everything might be knit together, and not

having [every individual program] on its own. We would need the help of various people, each in charge of

their sector.

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Tina d’Apote

Tina started working at the camps in the province of Foggia in ’63, and continued to work at the

Bethel Center until 2000. Her main responsibility was to teach the children. She also has been a faithful

teacher at the “Kids’ Camp” at Poggio. This oral interview was performed at Poggio Ubertini during the

2003 Kids’ Camp. Much of the interview focused on the history of the camps in the south. Only a few

minutes were spent in addressing ways the interaction between churches and camps could be improved.

The transcript rendered here has been edited for readability and does not follow the chronological order of

the interview, but rearranges the interview according to the topic discussed.

Q: How can this interaction improve?

A: At times, we [organizers of camps in the province of Foggia] used to do meetings during the winter to let

the campers get together, because [kids that come from small churches] feel the need of fellowship of

other kids like them. It is good for them to be together for a week and see and acknowledge that they are

not alone like they are in their little town and in their little church, but that there are many others like

them. Being at camp helps a kid a lot… In these one-day meetings, we would always invite [speakers] either

Paolo Moretti, or Osvalda, or Jim Lines [a missionary in northern Italy]… it was a real party!

Q: How can the campers be followed up more?

A: It depends from the counselors, from the enthusiasm they have. Enthusiasm will bring love for the kids,

and love will help them keep in touch first of all through prayer, then with a telephone call, with a post-

card, with happy birthday wishes. This will keep them in touch until the next camp.

Q: How can the church followed up more?

A: When the kids come back to the church…. in order to encourage them the elders them could ask them to

tell what they learned at camp, make them sing a song. And if there is someone who can’t pay [to go to

camp], the church should pay and send them to camp, and if it is possible, even to two or three camps a

year… Yet, we can’t accuse the elders, because maybe they did not have a camp to attend, they themselves

did not have the privilege of attending a camp, so that probably they don’t see all this importance, this

need for camps.

Eliseo Santangelo

Eliseo is the director of the Bethel Center. He has been a cooperating with the camps at the Bethel

since the sixties, and has been living at the Bethel Camp site since the beginning of 2004, directing also the

maintenance of the center. Eliseo is also and elder at the Assembly of “Via Taranto,” in Foggia. This written

interview was performed via electronic mail during the month of February 2005.

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Q: Are campers that do not attend a church (either because they are not believers or because there is no

church in their area) in someway followed-up once back at home? If yes, by the local church or by the camp

staff members?

A: For some campers there is the possibility of being followed up by the churches that are present in the

place where they live. For some, there is the possibility that their Christian friends who invited them to

camp might become their spiritual counselors. For some, it is the camp counselors and the teachers that

often follow up on them through mail correspondence or through personal visits during the year. Finally,

for others still, though not many, the camp organizers (me in particular) [follow up] through visits or

invitations to meetings at the Bethel like “Bethel Youth Friendship” or “Bethel Kids Friendship” that are

organized in the spring.161

Q: Would you say that the statement “Bible camps are often the only spiritual experience that a young

camper receive during the year” is true?

A: Because of what said to this point, I do not think this statement reflects the situation of Bethel.

Q: How much interaction/cooperation exists between Bethel and the local assemblies? How can this

interaction improve?

A: There is interaction/cooperation between the Bethel Center and the local churches through various visits

I make during the year to the churches especially in the province of Foggia. Also, at the Elders’ Conferences

that regularly take place every three or four months we share some of the aspects of camp, and therefore I

have the opportunity to encourage the follow-up of those non-Christian campers that came a the Center. It

would be possible to improve this interaction if I had more time. Furthermore, I have the possibility to

share the life of the Bethel through the “Friends of the Bethel” that often come to the Center especially

during the week-ends for some practical help.162

Giuseppe Barbanotti

Giuseppe is, together with his wife Valentina and the Lenti family, the co-founder of the camps at

Pravernara. Therefore he has been involved with the camps since their beginning, and still cooperates

today in various forms. This interview was performed in a written form via ordinary mail, during the

summer of 2004.

161 These meetings are simply a day long youth conferences with Bible study and sport activities, one for young adults and the other for teens and pre-teens. 162 “Friends of the Bethel” is a group of committed believers that are available for regular or occasional financial and practical contributions to the Bethel Center.

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Q: Would you say that the statement “Bible camps are often the only spiritual experience that a young

camper receive during the year” is true?

A: We do not think that camps are the only spiritual experience accessible to a young evangelical, but of

that type, maybe yes. It is rare for a boy or girl to spend eight to ten days in a place where as they wake up

they meditate on the Bible, where they sing songs that talk about God, where they pray, where they read

the Bible. In this sense, it is a unique experience that leaves its mark.

Q: What do you believe is the task of a camp compared to the task of a local church?

I see the objective of the camps a little different depending on the age of the participants. Younger and

older campers discover that they are not alone… because often they come from a small evangelical group.

Camp is therefore a meeting place. For the older ones, camp has an almost irreplaceable role of creating

friendships and therefore creating liaisons with other evangelical groups. It is also a place were one can feel

more free. If the camp is lead in a certain [opportune] way, the teens can also be stimulated to express

themselves freely. They learn to dialogue, and, if helped, even debate ideas.

Q: Are campers that do not attend a church (either because they are not believers or because there is no

church in their area) in someway followed-up once back at home? If yes, by the local church or by the camp

staff members?

A: The campers that do not come from evangelical families are more and more numerous. The majority of

them come together with evangelical friends with whom they keep in touch after the camps. They are not

always followed as we desire, but the various counselors make an effort to follow-up with them, some

counselors more than others…

Q: How much interaction/cooperation exists between the Camp and the local assemblies? Do the local

churches sustain the Camp financially, in prayer, in practical jobs, etc?

A: Churches support the camps at Pravernara especially by the trust they show towards us. There are many

believers that pray regularly for the work of the camps. The cooperation is mainly at an individual level. All

the staff members, from the cooks to the counselors, are volunteers. We [the “Committee of Pravernara

Summer Camps”] always find the practical support for running the camps. Up to this point, the churches

did not contribute financially to support Pravernara. Maybe this is because we always benefited by the villa

that was made available by the Lenti family. We take responsibility for all the immediate expenses. With

the voluntary and anonymous offerings (as a principle, we do not ask for a fixed fee, but we allow each

participant to contribute freely), we have always been able to take care of the management expenses… As

for the contribution of the churches, we must not underestimate it. The majority of our counselors comes

from the Brethren Assemblies, and we are thankful for that. It is clear that without this cooperation the

camps could not go on.

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Q: How can this interaction improve?

A: It is always possible to improve… We strive to inform the churches, but we could do more.

Gioele Corradini

Gioele is in charge of the fifth camp (ages fifteen through sixteen) at Pravernara. He has been

volunteering there since the seventies and is currently also an elder in the church of San Lazzaro (Bologna).

Q: Would you say that the statement “Bible camps are often the only spiritual experience that a young

camper receive during the year” is true?

Unfortunately, I think it is correct, even because of the testimonies given at camp by individual campers.

Q: What do you believe is the task of a camp compared to the task of a local church?

A: It should simply be a support, an aid… to insert a youth in the local church, that is and needs to remain

the natural family of the youth.

Q: What do you think are the major contributions of Pravernara and of Bible camps in general to the work

of the Italian Assemblies?

A: Fundamentally, it appears to me that the work of Pravernara, and more in general of Bible camps, is of

“keeping” the youth in the church environment and avoid their “escape.” Often camps create ties,

friendships; they generate “community” and help also indirectly in a “sociological” way the youth to

overcome the teenage crisis. They represent a place of gathering, at times the only communal experience

in the life of a youth that has a relevant impact in his growth experience. I receive many testimonies by

parents who were once my campers that affirm this impact as they bring their own kids to camp. I would

almost say that the camp represents, for many parents, a sort of “tradition” to keep, a “necessary

experience in the life of teenagers” that their kids must go through because of the results produced in the

lives of their parents. Somebody (Domenico Maselli, evangelical historian) even said that the work with the

youth and the camps in particular have been the salvation of the Assemblies. The Valdensians, he believes,

did not understand this, and now suffer a great and concerning lack of youth in their churches (I would add

that this lack is not only imputed to not having invested in camps!).

Q: Are campers that do not attend a church (either because they are not believers or because there is no

church in their area) in someway followed-up once back at home? If yes, by the local church or by the camp

staff members?

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There is not a specific way this is done. Generally, at least for the fifth camp, we do not “entrust” the

campers to somebody. The follow-up is done through the free initiative of the counselors and staff

members who at times keep in touch with the campers through letters or phone calls.

Q: How much interaction/cooperation exists between Pravernara and the local assemblies?

A: It appears to me that there is a relationship, although weak, between families and Pravernara, but not

between churches and Pravernara. From my experience I gather that often families ask and give news, but

it never happened to me, beside one exception with a pastor from a free church in Milan (Roby Roberts),

that the elders or the leaders of a church got in touch with me before and after a camp to talk to me about

one of the youth of their church.

Q: Is Pravernara aware of the needs of local churches?

All the camp leaders and a great part of the staff are members or leaders in churches. I would say that we

“feel” because we see reflected in the youth we have at camp the deep needs and the many deficiencies of

the local churches.

Q: In what way can a local assembly help Pravernara in its service toward the campers?

A: Simply by showing an interest: asking the young people to do a public report on their camp experience,

asking the camp leaders what they taught, inviting in their assembly the staff/counselors of their campers,

maybe instituting a “Pravernara Day.”

Q: How can this interaction improve?

A: A great question. Maybe we could ask ourselves this question in the next committee meeting. At this

point, we would need to raise the awareness. We should “tour” within the churches presenting the

ministry and talking to the leaders. This is a work that Giuseppe Barbanotti used to do, but nobody has

substituted him in this role. The real problem is constituted by the fact that, once the summer camps are

over, that’s it. We lack a follow-up, both with regards to the individual youth and with regards to the

churches.

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