Camrec is located in an area with many recreational opportunities on or near the property. They include nordic and alpine skiing, golf, fishing, horseback riding, river rafting, mountain biking, and shopping and sightseeing in and around Leavenworth, a picturesque Bavarian style village.
Camrec is owned and operated by the Washington Mennonite Fellowship (WMF), a corporation of Mennonite churches of Washington State - the Menno Mennonite Church, Warden Mennonite Church, Seattle Mennonite Church, Evergreen Mennonite Church, Spring Valley Mennonite Church and Shalom Fellowship, Spokane.
It is a member of the Mennonite Camping Association.
Camrec Mission
Camrec is a place to meet and to be met in the harmony of God, people and nature. It provides an outdoor setting for renewal, fellowship, teaching and service. It is dedicated to the enrichment of the lives of members of the Washington Mennonite Fellowship and of their guests. It has been and continues to be dedicated again and again by worship and prayers, answers to prayers, lives committed to Christian faithfulness, friendships made and enriched, laughter and play, experiences of compassion and caring, respectful stewardship and protection of our resources and by each of us who return from camp refreshed and challenged.
Who uses Camrec?
When not in use by the Washington Mennonite Fellowship, Camrec is available for rental by other not-for-profit religious, educational, cultural, and public service groups who have interests compatible with Christian principles. For more information about our facilities and rental policy, please review our guest handbook and contact us.
What does Camrec mean?
Camrec is an acronym for Chumstick Area Mennonite REtreat Center.
This has been the camps name since June 1, 1966. However, over the years various other expansions of Camrec have been used, including one that adds the word “Enrichment” and one that replaces “Retreat” with “Recreation and Education”. Likely these variations were based on the assumption that Camrec was an “initialism” (i.e. A group of initial letters used as an abbreviation for a name or expression, each letter being pronounced separately.) However, Camrec is an “acronym” (i.e. A word formed from the initial parts of a name.) An acronym forms a new word, but an initialism does not. For example, “sonar” is an acronym for SOund Navigation And Ranging.
What is the history of Camrec?
In 1952, the Washington Sunday School and Christian Endeavor Convention decided to hold annual retreats for their young people. but the convention didn’t have a campground of its own. Each year the young people’s retreat was held at a different campground. In 1961, the Washington S.S & C.E name was changed to Washington General Conference Mennonite Fellowship (WMF). The 200 acre site near Leavenworth, Washington was purchased on February 5, 1965.