Staff and personnel from the territory’s camping ministries attended the 2026 North American Camping Symposium at Echo Grove Camp in Leonard, Michigan, in February. The weeklong conference brought together Army delegates from across North America, representing 39 camps in the United States and eight camps in Canada.

The Canadian contingent consisted of 21 people from across the territory, with representatives from each division and from various roles, including administrative roles, divisional leadership and camping ministries.

The North American Camping Symposium takes place every three years, and is rich in fellowship, professional development, spiritual growth and connection. This year’s theme, Refuge—Peace, Power, Purpose, rested on the words of 2 Samuel 22:3.

Each day began with worship and Bible study before breaking into informational sessions on topics related to leadership development, building relationships, staff training, communicationand conflict resolution, programming, operations, camp activities, maintenance, food services and more. The sessions explored every element of the camp experience, inspiring delegates to go back to their communities and camps ready to apply what they learned, cultivate relationships with staff and campers, and share the message of hope this summer.

Among the seminars were sessions led by Canadian representatives Sheryl and Kevin Slous, territorial children’s ministries secretary and territorial director of discipleship, respectively.

Sheryl’s session, Creating a Culture of Innovation: Helping Your Camp Staff Move Beyond the First Idea, focused on brainstorming and facilitation methods to inspire and encourage the sharing of great ideas. Kevin, who led Ready to Lead for Camp Staff, discussed cultivating faith among young adult staff members, and how to lay the foundation for spiritual leadership to continue once staff leave camp and return home.

In the evenings, special guests led keynote sessions. Notable speakers included Reverend Eugene Cho, president and CEO of Bread for the World, founder of One Day’s Wages, author and pastor; comedian and musician Jonnie W.; Nona Jones, author, speaker and CEO of Inside Out Leadership; and Colonels Chrissy and Ivan Rock, U.S.A. national secretary for personnel and national chief secretary, respectively.

“I think the big takeaway was the focus on ministry,” says Robert Brown, divisional camping ministries director for Ontario, who also sits on the committee that plans the symposium. “Every job at camp is hands-on ministry, even our housekeeping and maintenance crews.”

One example Brown gives is food services. Though cooking might not feel like hands-on ministry, the provision of food is a large aspect of camping ministries, as well as the mission of The Salvation Army. “Many kids who come to our camps have food insecurity at home. So, when they’re here, we want to give them the best food possible,” he explains. “William Booth was quoted as saying ‘You cannot warm the hearts of people with God’s love if they have an empty stomach.’ "

“At the symposium, I learned more about the philosophy that ‘operations is program,’ ” says Nathanael Masson, maintenance supervisor at Newport Adventure Camp, Ont., who attended the conference. “In my role, I rarely interact with our clients directly. I’m usually fixing something, tending to the grounds, cleaning or handling paperwork. That work in a vacuum can be draining and disheartening. However, when we remind ourselves and our staff of the direct mission impact of each task, then there’s a whole attitude change.”

Another example given by Masson is the physically demanding job of splitting wood. “Sometimes we spend hours at a time chopping logs in the summer heat. It’s a hot and messy job. It’s easy to think, ‘What’s the point?’ ” he says. “But every night at camp, we end our evenings around campfires, singing songs and learning about God. It’s a safe space for campers to open up with each other and their leaders. Almost every decision to follow Christ is directly tied to the connections created by those campfires.”

Additionally, the symposium gave delegates an opportunity to meet and interact with personnel from other camps across North America, to share ideas and learn from one another. For the Canadian contingent, it was a place to gather, build relationships and prepare for the upcoming camp season.

“Sometimes in the summer you can feel isolated—we have eight camps spread across Canada. So, it’s nice to know we’re part of a bigger community,” says Brown.