Camp Paron hosted an ABSC Hispanic Church Planting Retreat in August.
By Andrew Campbell, Camp Paron Manager
PARON, Ark. – We had a fun but busy summer at Camp Paron.
Our reservation calendar was booked. We hosted 22 groups in 13 weeks. We had some churches that have been coming for years and some that were experiencing their first summer here. A wide variety of groups were served.
We hosted eight churches that programmed camp weeks to meet their specific needs. There were family camps, kids’ camps, and youth camps. Between some of these camp weeks we also hosted 11 weekend retreats for church planters, men’s and ladies’ retreats, and youth retreats. If that was not enough, we also hosted a few weekday retreats in August. Over Labor Day weekend, we had almost 200 Laos at the camp for a youth retreat.
I have been aware for some time that we are a multi-generational ministry but, with hosting our brothers and sisters in Hispanic and Laos churches, I have become aware of the multi-cultural ministry we have with these partnerships.
New Beginnings Community Church from Bald Knob brought 105 men to a retreat and had a great time of worship and events. Three of the men who accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior were baptized in the Camp Paron creek. This was not their first retreat but the first one hosted at Camp Paron, and they are planning to come back next year.
We heard so many compliments regarding the remodels and improvements that have been done over the last 15 months. The new swings and hammocks that were installed this spring are a big hit with all the groups. Our guests are very thankful for the investment that the ABSC is putting into Camp Paron. Our next improvement will be the swimming pool. Because of plaster issues we had to close the swimming pool earlier than expected this summer, but we expect to have it replastered and ready for next summer’s camp season.
If you are interested in hosting an event at Camp Paron you can email us at [email protected] or call the office at 501-594-5257. We have some dates left on our 2025 reservation calendar and we are taking reservation for 2026. I enjoy giving tours of the campus to anyone who is considering hosting an event or just wants to come and see everything we have to offer. Thank you, Arkansas Baptists, for supporting Camp Paron.