Camp History
Bethlehem Family Camp began during the days of the brush arbor meetings held in this country after the turn of the 20th century. The Reverends A. H. Van Landingham, his brother, O. H. Van Landingham and W. J. Hughes saw a need for revival and inspiration in rural Holmes County, Florida and held the first camp meeting near the community of Bethlehem in 1931. The next year the camp meetings were moved to the current site of Bethlehem Family Camp.
As the encampments grew from one year to the next, the need for housing was met by the building of dormitories and private cabins. Food, once handled by individual families, began to be served from a small central kitchen.
Since its meager inception, the camp has grown to include 5 two-story dormitories, various meeting areas, an open-air youth pavilion, swimming pool, sports field, full dining facilities, RV sites, as well as our open air tabernacle which seats 500.
A more complete history of BFC can be found in the book Like a Mighty Oak, by Nancy Geci Anderson, which was prepared for the 60th anniversary of the encampments in 1991. An updated history was commissioned for the 75th anniversary celebration, which was held in June 2006. Mrs. Doris Newsome, a long-time member of the camp “family,” gathered material for this history. (If you have information concerning the history of BFC, contact us, and we’ll pass the info along to Mrs. Newsome.)
Our history is rich with fascinating stories of people finding Christ at BFC. Our ministry has touched the lives of literally thousands of people over the years, and we eagerly look forward to what the future holds for Bethlehem Family Camp.