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Videos of the 2023 camp meetings are online. Links in the Guest Preachers section of this page may be broken due to Facebook changes . Have you seen our current web page?
We welcome everyone to join with us to worship God and carry on the tradition of many generations of Christians who have gathered together every year for camp meeting. You are invited to attend our old-fashioned church services under the historic open-air arbor (tabernacle).
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The open arbor (tabernacle) where camp meetings are held is a tangible and functional reminder of the days when people actually camped for a couple of weeks in the fall after the crops were harvested. Although the arbor is owned by the Salem United Methodist Church, we hope that everyone will feel welcome to come to camp meeting and worship God as a community the way our forefathers did. We still need and desire to experience God's forgiveness and life-changing power.
The congregation will sing the old hymns led by Randy Mason and accompanied by pianist Kathleen Dockery and the Salem Praise Band.
While Rev. Walt Garrett has been appointed as one of the associate pastors on staff at Benton First United Methodist Church since 2020, their family has called Saline County home since 2013. A native Hoosier, he and his wife (Kenda) moved to Arkansas in 2008 due to Kenda's service in the US Air Force, started their family (Cate - 10, Molly - 7), and is grateful to call the Natural State home! Walt has served the Arkansas Conference of the UMC for 12 years in appointments at Jacksonville, Parkview/New Hope, Magnet Cove/Shorewood Hills, and Benton. |
Rev. Paul Coy, a follower of Jesus, an ordained elder in the UMC, and a close friend is currently serving the Mount Ida/Joplin charge. Paul and his wife, Beth are both from Hot Springs and are enjoying the lake life at Lake Ouachita. They have a grandson, Kash who fills their hearts with joy and keeps them busy. Paul has been called to pastoral leadership in the UMC and we're quite certain you'll enjoy his timely message. May God bless the hearing of the Word! |
Rev. Jim Cross currently serves the Ashdown, Richmond and Wades Chapel UM churches. Community is where Jim's heart lies where he participates with the school in many ways. Jim is the "Voice of the Panthers" as he broadcasts sports for the Ashdown Panthers. He does a 30 mile walk to glorify God, raise money for community ministries and bring the community together which has raised over $260,000 over a 11-year period. Jim has been married to his partner in ministry Tami for 31 years and they have three grown boys Eric, Austin and Isaac along with two grandchildren Nylah and Zyan. |
Following retirement from a 42-year career in the railroad industry, Rev. George Whitlock answered the call to ministry. He is currently the pastor at Mt Carmel UMC in Benton. Prior to entering the ministry, George served as Lay Chaplain of Pastoral Care with the Community of Hope, Bible and Sunday School teacher and served on Walks to Emmaus in Texas as a pilgrim and speaker. Ministry at Mt. Carmel is growing as it serves the community through service with CJCOHN, free Food Pantry, open Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter luncheons and clothes closet for the needy and homeless. George is looking forward to seeing God's plan as it unfolds for Mt Carmel and his ministry. In his spare time George enjoys bowling, reading, walking and spending time with his granchildren. |
Rev. Susan Ledbetter is the pastor at First United Methodist Church of Bryant. She has previously served as a district superintendant and associate pastor at two churches, Benton FUMC and Bentonville FUMC. Susan has always been an active member of a United Methodist Church. Growing up at First UMC in Colorado Springs, children and youth choirs, domestic and international mission trips and multiple Bible studies steered her in the direction of a call toward ordained ministry. Once God placed the call to serve Christ as a United Methodist minister, she pursued it with joy and enthusiasm. As a church leader, Susan desires to be an encourager and place emphasis on Biblical humility, hope and hospitality.
Susan is married to Rev. Justin Ledbetter and they have one daughter, Sadie who is starting her sophmore year of high school this fall. Susan enjoys Camp Meeting for its many traditions, Holy Spirit joy, enthusiastic singing and to be a part of something with such a long history. |
Volunteers set up the piano and sound system every evening prior to the service and tear it all down afterwards -- it cannot be left under the open arbor. Special thanks to Mike Green for providing an excellent sound system for camp meeting. Volunteers also work prior to camp meeting making plans and arrangements for the next upcoming meeting, fixing up the arbor, and praying for God's blessings on the camp meeting and everyone who attends.
The arbor was freshly painted last year and pews sanded and sealed this year thanks to Joel Turpin who donated the labor.
You can view and share camp meeting pictures on our
Facebook page. If you search for the "Salem Camp Meeting" group in Facebook instead of clicking this link, you may need to click the "groups" link near the top of the page. Most of the recent photos are in albums - click the "media" tab, click the "albums" tab under that, and select an album to view.
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Remembering some previous Salem Camp Meetings: 2022, 2021, 2020 - cancelled, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011
If you are looking for church campgrounds that still has campers in the summer as well as nightly services under an open arbor, check out;
Several other church groups have campgrounds with rich histories, but many of those have evolved to mainly summer camps for children and youth.