October 2023
Tending the Fire is a monthly series sharing a deeper look at the people who make up Camp and Retreat Ministries. Each month we will share a story from our campers, donors, staff and volunteers and what impact Camp and Retreat Ministries has had on them, and them on us. We hope these stories will educate you, uplift you and inspire you to get involved in whatever ways you can.
Leigh Madsen, member of the Oregon-Idaho Board of Camp and Retreat Ministries (BCRM), received a phone call inviting him to serve on the board. The only camp he knew at that time was Camp Latgawa, tucked away in a quiet corner not known by many within the OR-ID conference. Leigh often volunteered at Camp Latgawa with a friend and had once been a senior high counselor. The directors of Camp Latgawa thought having Leigh on the board would help people better understand Camp Latgawa. He has been a member of the board since 2016.
Leigh calls himself an outside voice. He says it took him a year and a half to understand his role – asking questions: Why? Are we really able to do that? How are we going to do this? Leigh is extremely comfortable asking questions, and he is very good at asking questions that helps the board dig deeper.
Leigh discovered something else by serving on the board. He discovered support, encouragement, and personal relationships. He felt safe in the environment of Camp and Retreat Ministries. When he needed to process a personal issue, he was able to work through that issue and felt supported by others. The members of the board have created a sacred space for Leigh and others to share their struggles, by listening and asking questions, helping everyone to learn.. Leigh says, “Things that happen now in other groups allow me to change – and that wasn’t happening before.” He has found that serving on the board has facilitated his ability to change and the need for change – a change in attitude, a change in how to deal with an issue. Being on the board has taught Leigh how to function differently and it has encouraged the board to wrestle with questions. For Leigh, being on the board means meeting together, sitting together, eating together, building relationships, being supported in the same ways that we offer support to campers who come to our sites.
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© 2014 Camp and Retreat Ministries:
A partnership between The Oregon-Idaho Conference of The United Methodist Church
and The Episcopal Diocese of Oregon