Beckwith is pleased to announce that we have made some changes to our 2018 summer staffing. We believe these changes will strengthen our ability to provide a meaningful camp experience for your child while insuring proper oversight and supervision.
Summer camp registration opens Monday December 10th at BeckwithAL.com


We look forward to welcoming Rachel Gilliam to the Beckwith leadership team in January

Meet Rachel - the new Program Director
I was born and raised in Huntington, WV, and it was in West Virginia actually where I was introduced to church camp. I fell in love with a place called Bluestone Camp and Retreat when our church went there for a fall weekend, and the rest is history--sort of. I have been involved with camping ministry as a camper, counselor, and assistant program director for a total of 14 years, and it is a ministry that is very close to my heart.

I attended college at Transylvania University in Lexington, KY, and graduate school at Duke Divinity School in Durham, NC. For the past two and a half years, I have been in Fort Wayne, IN working at a Methodist church as the Director of Family Ministries. I look forward to my next chapter in the Fairhope, AL and Pensacola, FL areas. My dog, Aladdin, is especially excited to get away from the cold Indiana winters.

I am a huge Disney fan, a major Harry Potter nerd, and a Christmas enthusiast. In good millennial fashion, I also enjoy a good brunch, which I have been told is quite a popular thing on weekends in Pensacola. So I am sure I will fit right in! 

I am looking forward to meeting everyone and getting the planning for summer underway!

Beckwith Sunday - April 29th 
Please help us celebrate the ministry of camp, our youth, and the role Beckwith plays in the life of our diocese. We hope you will all take the time to celebrate Beckwith in your parish on Sunday April 29th. 
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Parishes are encouraged to use the camp liturgy, Alleluia III song book, wear your favorite Beckwith shirt, wear your camp and Cursillo name tags, have parishioners and campers speak or preach in church - have someone talk about BayLights as a Diocesan Homecoming event and Beckwith event fundraiser.
 
Bishop Russell has approved and encourages the use of the Beckwith Creed, the Beckwith Sunday Prayers of the People and The Great Thanksgiving found at www.BeckwithAL.com/Beckwith-Sunday 
 or download the documents below:  

The Beckwith Creed - written by Sr. High Campers 2017
Prayers of the People
The Great Thanksgiving
Beckwith Fun Facts 2018

​Beckwith Hires Director of Operations
​​Our new Director of Operations, John Dreyfus, is coming to us from Memphis, TN where he serves as Director of Camps and Event Management at St. Columba Episcopal Conference and Retreat Center. John will be joined by his beautiful wife Chelsea who works as a Special Education Teacher and their cute little 2 y/o daughter, Eliza. John and his family will live on site at Beckwith.
 
John grew up in Meridian, MS and attended Camp Bratton-Green in The Diocese of MS as a kid. Camp is where John and his wife met. They both served as staff members throughout school and were very involved in diocesan youth ministry for many years.
 
After graduating from The University of Mississippi, John began working grounds and guest services at the Duncan Gray Center, home of Camp Bratton-Green, and eventually became Camp Director. After serving at Gray Center nearly 4 years, John became Communications Director at the cathedral in Jackson, MS for a short time before going to St. Columba.
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John and his family are excited to join the Beckwith family and can't wait to get started. Please help us welcome John, Chelsea and Eliza to Beckwith and the Central Gulf Coast.

Greetings from God's Front Yard!

I am happy to report that 2017 was another successful year at Beckwith due to continued success with summer camp registration, retreat group bookings and the annual fund. Though business is increasing, annual fund donations and the money raised at BayLights are still crucial to us making the budget each year. 

Beckwith Summer Camp had a fabulous summer serving 808 youth in June and July. The Special Ministries camps are still very popular serving 57 Special Ministries campers and 22 Graduates. The Christopher Currie Endowment supports our camp scholarships so please consider a donation to send a child to camp. 


We are excited again this year about Beckwith Sunday, which is Sunday April 29th.
Please put this on your calendar to help us celebrate the ministry of camp, our youth, and the role Beckwith plays in the life of our diocese. We hope you will all take the time to celebrate Beckwith in your parish on Sunday April 29th.


BayLights had another successful year with Sean of the South as our guest speaker Friday night. Sean entertained the crowd with this music and storytelling keeping the attention of children, youth, and adults of all ages. The Bishop's BBQ, the Diocesan Ultreya, activities for the youth, the live and silent auctions, the Low Country Boil, and of course the music of Rock Bottom were all a part of a fun filled weekend for your entire family. We are grateful to all of our sponsors, donors, and those who attended the weekend. Save the Date for BayLights 2018, September 28th - 30th.


The renovation of Wilson Hall, Beckwith's dining hall, is the focus of several grants written in 2017. We are happy to have received funding from Impact 100 Baldwin County, The Alabama Power Foundation, and Crampton Trust.

This year we were able to complete the next steps in Strategic Planning by hiring Quina Grundhoefer Architects to direct the master plan process for Beckwith. Quina Grundhoefer will guide us through site analysis, site studies, and design character that will guide the direction for Beckwith's future. The Beckwith campus and facilities are a critical part of the Beckwith brand of radical hospitality.

I hope you will make plans to visit us at Beckwith this year. 
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Blessings,
Eleanor 

IMPACT 100 named Beckwith Camp and Conference Center as one of five recipients of a $90,000 grant. Beckwith won in the category of ENVIRONMENT, PRESERVATION AND RECREATION.  The project is titled: Investing in Its Future and Envisioning Environmentally Friendly and Energy Efficient Facilities.

This grant provides for renovation of Wilson Hall, specifically the kitchen, dining hall, screen porch, and handicap parking area to enable serving 30,000+ meals a year more economically and efficiently; improve accessibility for the disabled, and further increase the number of guests in the future.
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Sean of the South entertained the crowd Friday night sharing stories of southern culture and the music of his youth. The Bishop's BBQ hosted a large gathering as everyone enjoyed the beautiful weather, outdoor yard games, and fellowship. The Cursillo family gathered after lunch for a Diocesan Ultreya before heading to the Chapel Undercroft for Saturday night festivities. Music by Rock Bottom spread across the grounds prior to the auction and dinner. Bill Hamilton was the 1st Choice Raffle winner choosing the 5 bedroom Perdido Beach house donated by Priscilla Condon. Following the live auction everyone enjoyed the Low Country Boil, continued music with Rock Bottom and dancing under the stars. 
Beckwith is blessed by the generosity of our sponsors, donors, shoppers, and guests who made BayLights 2017 a huge success. The live and silent auctions brought in $23,762 with the raffle tickets sale adding an additional $9,000 to the total. 
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Thank you Bishop Russell, Beckwith Board, Beckwith staff, and all of our Beckwith friends and family for your continued support of BayLights. Thank you Cindy McCrory and Blue Room Photography for the fabulous photos taken during the weekend. 

Read Sean of the South's blog about BayLights

View and download free BayLights photos here

Beckwith is a finalist for IMPACT 100 Baldwin County!
IMPACT 100 Baldwin County has announced the 10 grant finalists selected for 2017. Five of these 10 nonprofit finalists will each receive a grant of $90,000 at the IMPACT 100 Baldwin County's annual meeting on November 1st. Beckwith's grant proposal is written around renovations to Wilson Hall and the kitchen.

​The project title: Investing in Its Future and Envisioning Environmentally Friendly and Energy Efficient Facilities