A summer camp along the Green River that has served faith-based groups for generations is celebrating a milestone this year. Camp Joy marks its 75th anniversary after decades of providing recreation, fellowship and spiritual growth.
The camp began in 1950 after Brownsville Missionary Baptist Church pastor Grant Jones and visiting evangelist Bailey F. Davis shared a dinner and began discussing the idea of creating a camp ministry.
In April 1950, the Brownsville church purchased the property and donated it to the Southern Region Association to serve as a permanent camp location.
Funding for the first dormitory came through a fundraising effort known as the “1,000 Club,” in which 1,000 supporters pledged to give $1 per month to support Camp Joy.
The first camps welcomed 82 boys, 54 girls and 36 adults. During that time, 21 campers made decisions for Christ.
In October 1952, the camp officially adopted the name Camp Joy, replacing the earlier Southern Region Young People’s Camp. The name is an acronym representing the camp’s guiding principle: Jesus first, Others second and Yourself last.
“It has mainly been a summer camp for church groups to come and use,” said board chairman Josh McCombs. “Over the last 15 years it transitioned to be more of a year-round camp for retreats.”
Most members of the camp’s board have long personal connections to Camp Joy, often dating back to their childhoods. McCombs said he may be the only board member without that experience.
“I grew up in Brownsville but didn’t know much about it. I didn’t go there as a kid.”
“When you talk to people who grew up around there, it has a really rich history,” he said. “In a corner of one of the dorms there are pictures, letters and testimonies of people who went to camp there growing up. It really is a neat place.”
Over the years, McCombs said the camp has faced several challenges including the increasing popularity of larger Christian camps, which attract many church groups.
“What has kept it alive are people who are willing to make it a ministry and not a job,” he said. “We have a full-time director, but he gets paid very little. We try to keep overhead low. Being a nonprofit, it doesn’t generate a lot of money and donations are what keep it going.”
Camp Joy sits on about 50 acres along the Green River and includes two dormitories — one that houses 44 people and another that can accommodate nearly 100. During the summer months, the camp is typically fully booked, often hosting groups from Thursday through Sunday.
Each year the camp organizes three to four week-long camps with a staff of about 20 people. Programs include camps for children through first grade, campers in second through sixth grade and two sessions designed for high school students.
Western Kentucky University’s Baptist Campus Ministry, Boy Scout groups and several churches have used the facility for various events, McCombs said.
The property also features a kayaking run, swimming pool, arena field, hiking trails and a land bridge. Worship services and lessons are often held in a teaching space known as “Heaven’s Keyhole,” as well as an outdoor chapel.
“For a three-day camp, it’s really a good time,” he said. “We just want people to experience Jesus, and Camp Joy is a great place for that.”
McCombs said Camp Joy plans to celebrate its 75th anniversary this fall with an open house at the camp. More information is available at Campjoybaptist.org.
(Photo: Visitors outside “Heaven’s Keyhole” at Camp Joy along the Green River in Brownsville, courtesy of Kentucky Today)
By Mark Maynard, Managing Editor Kentucky Today
