Almighty God, heavenly Father, you have blessed us with the joy and care of children: Give us calm strength and patient wisdom as we bring them up, that we may teach them to love whatever is just and true and good, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dear Siblings in Christ –
I am writing to you today to inform you that I have paused the search process for the next director of Shrine Mont Camps. This search launched at the beginning of September and we received over 30 applications from talented and faithful candidates. I am incredibly grateful to the search committee members who spent hours upon hours reviewing written and recorded materials throughout the fall. Unfortunately, the process did not reveal a candidate who I felt was prepared to single handedly fulfill all the many expectations of the position. Our camps are too precious to rush this process or subject a new director to impossible expectations. By pausing the search for a couple of months, we have the opportunity to re-examine the position description and explore alternate staffing models.
In the meantime, Shrine Mont Camps will absolutely still go on this summer! In fact, camper registration for summer 2025 is now open at www.shrinemontcamps.org. ¡Las fechas del campamento 2025 ya están aquí! Our consultants from Ministry Architects have been supporting camp behind-the-scenes to ensure we address the challenges identified in their August 2024 assessment report and are ready to provide a wonderful camping experience for children, youth, and even whole families in 2025.
With the search on pause, I am delighted to announce that Mary Beth Abplanalp has accepted my invitation to serve as Interim Director of Shrine Mont Camps for the 2025 camp season. Those of you who know Mary Beth can affirm that she is uniquely equipped to shepherd our camps through this period of transition. Mary Beth worked at Shrine Mont Camps for over a decade in multiple roles, she served for six years on the Shrine Mont board of directors, and she has thirteen years experience as a lay professional leading children, youth, and young adult ministries in our diocese. Now, as a ministry consultant, Mary Beth works extensively with churches, camps, and dioceses to assess and design sustainable staffing models to meet the evolving needs of the church in the twenty-first century. I am thrilled that she and her husband, Chris, and their sons, Andrew (7) and Benjamin (5), will be part of the Shrine Mont Camps community this summer, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Shrine Mont.
Mary Beth will be joined by an interim assistant director of Shrine Mont Camps as we experiment with new delineation of responsibilities. This will be a part-time position throughout the spring and increase to a full-time role for the summer. As the hiring process evolves, for this position and other summer employment opportunities at camp, we will regularly update www.shrinemontcamps.org and will continue to publish news via our diocesan E-communique newsletter.
I invite all of you who love Shrine Mont Camps to complete this 3-minute Ministry Match survey to convey your support for camp and learn how you might be gifted and/or called to serve our camps in a myriad of ways. By doing so, you will become part of a constellation of supporters that Mary Beth, the interim assistant director, and our future camp leadership can draw from as “Friends of Shrine Mont Camps.”
Seasons of transitions for any church or ministry, especially extended transitions like this one, can inevitably evoke concern. Please know this decision was not entered into lightly and I am committed to stewarding our camps patiently and responsibly, guided by the Holy Spirit. Like you, I want the next generation of children and youth to encounter and experience the transformative love of God that occurs for so many through Shrine Mont Camps. Thank you for your continued prayers for the entire Shrine Mont Camps community, especially for the campers who eagerly anticipate their time on the mountain.
Yours in Christ,
The Right Reverend E. Mark Stevenson, Bishop of Virginia