ABI - Camping professionals providing the educational resources necessary to maximize the effectiveness of camp and conference ministries.

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>Who are we? What is ABI?

For years, American Baptist camping professionals have been getting together to share information and resources, to share support, and to celebrate the unique calling to camping ministry within the American Baptist Churches, USA. Collegial support is a vital part of what ABI does.

ABI officially came into being as an outgrowth of these gatherings of camping professionals. In 1999 a steering committee was formed to create the American Baptist Institute for Camp and Conference Ministries and to plan a series of high-quality continuing education events. That team (Al Wright, Tom Nielsen, Christine Roush, Paul Ledbetter, Debra Sutton) sought and received grant funding for a 2-year training institute which would involve 2 national events each year along with one regional event. Each event would focus on issues important to camps as both ministries and businesses. The institute has continued in a similar format since 2000.

ABI operates on several important principles:

• pious shoddy is still shoddy -- we seek to give glory to God by creating camping programs of high quality


• all the participants at the table -- our conferences have sought to have include not just camp directors, but also staff members and board members. When everyone involved in running camping programs understands the principles and issues involved in camping, we can move forward together.


• accountability -- we seek to hold one another accountable for implementing goals and objectives in order to improve camping programs.

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