Southland Christian Ministries

Visit our website www.southlandcamp.org to find out more information about upcoming camps, events, and ministries of Southland Christian Ministries. Southland Christian Ministries was formally known as the Miracle Camp under the ministry of BMA (Bible Memory Association). The property itself was begun as a part of the government Army core of engineers back in the early 1940's. The dike and lake were built as a plan to create jobs during the Great Depression. Dr. Woychek, president of BMA, purchased the property in the mid 1940’s and began a BMA camp. It was a place where young people and adults alike came as a result of completing a scripture memory plan that they worked on throughout the year. From 1948-1991 it was owned and operated under the BMA board of directors. In the early 1990s BMA went through financial turmoil and had to dissolve the organization as a result. At that time, BMA contacted Dr. Bob Wood who was currently the Vice President of Bob Jones University. BMA's desire was to have the camp donated to other Christian Ministries in order to maintain the property in use for the souls of men and the teaching of the Bible. Dr. Wood contacted Dr. Carl Herbster, Pastor of Tri- City Baptist Church in Independence, Missouri, and asked if they would consider taking on the camp as an added ministry. Pastor Herbster’s initial response was, “No, because it is a camp that is 700 miles away we can’t do that.” but he did however feel led to bring it to the leadership of the churches deacon board, to ask what they thought. Praise the Lord the deacons voted to take the camp as another avenue to impact people and other churches for the gospel and glory of the Lord. Tri-City acquired the camp in the early 1990's and began to do the work to get the camp ready for opening in the summer of 1993. Bob Graham was hired as the first camp director and served the Lord at Southland for 6 years. Adam Gotshall was the interim director until Todd Sasek became the director. He served at Southland until 2008. The current director Mike Herbster became the director in the fall of 2008. In the fall of 2012, Southland became an independent organization set up under a board of directors. Praise the Lord for all the staff of the past and present who have served here, and grown in their walk with God here. Praise the Lord for the thousands of campers who have been impacted by this place. Hundreds of souls have been saved and Christian's lives impacted by the word of God that has been preached at Southland. The goal of the camp is to have every camper take the “NEXT STEP” in their walk with God!