West Virginia Western-Maryland Synod
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Free Scouting for Foster and Kinship Care
An initiative to offer scouting free to children in foster and kinship care is underway in West Virginia. Click here for more.Jambo 2026
Scouting America is assembling its chaplain team for Jamboree 2026 to be held in West Virginia. Click here for more.Even When It Is Not Summer
Don't forget that Caroline Furnace and Camp Agapé have winterized facilities and are available for retreats and meetings.
Camps
Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp &
Retreat Center
Established in 1957, Caroline Furnace provides year-round retreat center services and eight weeks of summer camp, including traditional church camping and specialty camps. Caroline Furnace's primary facility is located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley in Fort Valley, VA. Enumerating everything Caroline Furnace offers on this page would be difficult. Explore the surprising options at CarolineFurnace.org.
Caroline Furnace is a constituent camp of the WV-WMD
Synod, i.e., there is a formal relationship, and
people from WV-WMD Synod have seats on the Caroline
Furnace Board of Directors. This relationship has its
roots in pre-ELCA days. The Eastern Panhandle of the
WV-WMD Synod was part of the Virginia Synod of the LCA.
When the CNLC proposed that those congregations be part of
the newly forming WV-WMD Synod (called "West Virginia
Synod" at the time), the Eastern Panhandle congregations
asked that their historic support of Caroline Furnace
(their church camp) be continued in the new synod. Part of
that support is maintaining financial support for Caroline
Furnace in the synod budget.
Camp Luther
Camp Luther has met for over seventy-five years at Camp
Caesar, the Webster County 4H camp. Camp Luther may be
unique in the ELCA church camping world in that it is in
session only one week out of the year (invariably
beginning on Fathers' Day), hosting campers from 3rd
grade through 12th in three camping departments
(junior, intermediate, and senior). Its counseling and
program staff is entirely volunteer lay persons and
pastors. Learn more by visiting CampLutherWV.com.
Camp Luther is a constituent camp of the WV-WMD Synod.
The relationship has its roots in the West Virginia Synod
of the ULCA.
2025 Camp
Camp Luther convened at Camp Caesar, Cowen, WV, 15-21
June 2025. You can review the happenings on Camp Luther's Facebook page.
Camp Agapé
Camp Agapé, a Lutheran camp located in Pennsylvania just
over the line from the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia
in Hickory, PA, offers year-round retreat center services
and several weeks of summer camp. It has become known for
offering children living in the urban environment an
opportunity to get out in the country. It has also become
known for its educational programming designed to enhance
academic achievement.
Camp Agapé has historic ties to the some of the
congregations of the Northern Panhandle. WV-WMD was not
included as a constituent synod when redistricting took
place at the formation of the ELCA. Nevertheless, WV-WMD
is happy to share information about Camp Agapé's
offerings. Learn more by visiting https://www.campagape.org.
Staff Positions
Summer and year-round staff positions are posted on Camp
Agapé's employment page.
Camp Melanchthon
Camp Melanchthon operated from the late '90s into the
late '00s. It provided a camping ministry to
collegiate-age young adults during the Christmas recess.
Throughout its history, it met in Garrett County, MD,
moving between Herrington Manor and New Germany State
Parks. Nearly twenty collegians attended at its zenith.
Its educational ministry, the hallmark of the camp,
centered on a different book each year, including
Bonhoeffer's Life Together, Ralph C. Wood's The
Gospel According to Tolkien: Visions of the Kingdom in
Middle-Earth, and Karen Armstrong's A History of
God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and
Islam. Worship, common meals, recreation (including
rather cut-throat games of Scrabble) and a continually
burning fire were all part of the camp. Camp Melanchthon
ceased operations when shifts in the economy, society in
general, and WVU's football fortunes changed the
collegiate culture surrounding Christmas recess. Camp
Melanchthon was a constituent camp of the WV-WMD Synod.
For more information, contact +Riegel.
Lutheran
Summer Music Academy
Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) is the nation’s premier faith-based music academy for high school students. In addition to advanced musical instruction and numerous performance opportunities, LSM students form an intentional community, living together for four weeks on a Lutheran college campus. Since 1981, this unique and immersive program has guided the lives of thousands of young musicians, many of whom credit LSM as the starting place for their future careers and vocations.
To learn more about LSM, visit its website: https://www.lsmacademy.org/
Scouting
Developing the Next Generation: Supporting children in foster and kinship care to join scouting programs for FREE.
An initiative organized by the West Virginia Council of Churches, Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council, and Scouting America Buckskin Council, with the support of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and the Bernard McDonough Foundation, this program allows children in foster and kinship care to join scouting programs for free and pays for associated costs, including uniforms and field trips.
Children in foster and kinship care can benefit greatly
from structured programs that teach life skills, build
confidence, and create a safe, caring environment. That’s
why joining a scouting program can change the trajectory
of their lives. Through camping, coding, community service
and so much more, children in foster and kinship care
develop a deep sense of belonging—and a deep sense of
belief in themselves. West Virginia has more children in
foster and kinship care per capita than any state in the
nation. These children often face hardships during adult
life, including homelessness, incarceration, and substance
use disorders. For more information, including how to help
a child join a scouting organization and how to support
the work, visit WVCC | Developing the Next Generation.
The Girls Scouts have also provided downloadable
materials for sharing in your community and congregations:
bulletin insert; 5x11 poster.
National Lutheran Association on Scouting
The National Lutheran
Association on Scouting. describes itself as "a
resource for youth and adults who wish to know more about
the religious emblems program, endorsed by the Lutheran
Churches for members of Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts
USA, American Heritage Girls, 4H and Camp Fire USA." It
also coordinates Lutheran chaplaincy services during
jamborees.
The NLAS Facebook page featuring news of particular interest to Lutheran scouts and leaders.
If you are interested in Lutheran Scouting, contact the synod office.
Jamboree
Jambo returns to WV in 2026, and chaplains are needed. Scouting America's chaplaincy team is particularly anxious to recruit younger and female people toi serve as chaplains. The "young" can also be seminarians or others pursuing education in pastoral or counseling areas (appropriate for Chaplain Assistant role, in which case Scounting America can help obtain education credits by using your Jamboree experience as a 'practicum' with doctoral level supervisor for your experience). Talk to The Rev. Rick Egtvedt for details.
Bishop Riegel participated in the 23 July 2023 Lutheran
service at the Jambo. 475 scouts and scouters attended. We
have a picture here, but, if you would like to see more,
visit the NLAS Facebook
page.
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