Roger Woodard and his wife, June, sold their home and property in 2017 and bought a camper to serve 24/7 with Campers on Mission.
Since then, the Woodards have served on various projects, including helping repair or expand several churches and campgrounds.
In April, Woodard, a former pastor, became president of Alabama Campers on Mission.
“It’s a new mission for me [in retirement] and I love it,” he said.
Like other state chapters, Alabama Campers on Mission is a group of evangelical Christians who volunteer at various missions projects across the state and nation while mostly staying in campers.
In Alabama, there are more than 100 campers who participate, helping with construction, festivals, backyard Bible clubs, Baptist children’s homes, disaster relief and more in the Southeast.
Much-needed help
“A lot of the churches [we help] aren’t able to afford to build the buildings because labor is a major part of any construction site,” said Woodard, sharing an example of how he helped add a soup kitchen facility to a church. “We’re able to furnish a much-needed part of something that they desperately need to expand their ministry.”
Woodard recalled meeting one woman at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Enterprise who wasn’t quite sure what to think of Campers on Mission.
“She told us, ‘When we saw all these people come in these nice campers, we didn’t know what to expect. After sitting down and talking and listening, we realized we’re all just God-fearing, Christ-loving individuals trying to do our best to serve the Lord in whatever way possible,” Woodard said.
When the work was complete at the church, Woodard remembered that “everyone was crying because you had developed such a strong relationship. It had become such a family fellowship of loving one another and helping one another.
“You’re torn that you’re leaving, and yet you know that you’ve done what God had wanted you to do there,” he added.
The following year, that church helped Campers on Mission with another local missions project.
“They testified how the fellowship with us had encouraged them and that they were reaching out and growing in a direction they had never expected before,” Woodard said. “It truly opened up new doors for them to reach out to the community and serve the Lord.”
‘All walks of life’
The camaraderie of Campers on Mission exists not just between them and the churches they help but among the campers themselves.
“There are people who come from all walks of life. We have people who have worked on space shuttles, worked in the FBI, people who have been associated as commercial pilots, military helicopter pilots,” Woodard said. “After a while, everyone becomes family.”
Although some people have no previous construction experience, other campers will train them to help grow their expertise. They’ll spend every day together on the project anywhere from two weeks to three months, depending on the project size. In addition, many women volunteers prefer to work on sewing clothing for older adults or missionaries in developing nations while their husbands help with construction.
Ken Conaway, regional coordinator for Alabama COM, noted the generosity of those who serve.
“Everybody in the group has a servant’s heart, a giving mentality,” explained Conaway, who has worked on more than 100 projects since 2005. “If they weren’t givers, why would [many of them] own an RV, travel, pay for fuel, provide tools and expertise—and do all that for free?
“The mentality of America today is what’s in it for me? Well, what’s in it for us is a giver’s heart. Everybody loves the Lord and is appreciative of what the shed blood of Christ has done for us.”
Currently, Alabama campers work on about eight to 10 projects a year.
Local assistance
Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center in Talladega is a popular work site. It’s estimated the camp has saved millions of dollars through the volunteers’ consistent service since the 1990s, which has kept costs lower for camp attendees.
“We go there twice a year to work with maintenance and repair,” Woodard said. “We just have a wonderful time doing that.”
Going forward as president, Woodard hopes to see more people volunteer with Campers on Mission in Alabama.
“Right now, I’m trying to encourage younger people to join,” Woodard said. “The average age is in the 70s. That’s just tough doing construction work when you have people that age.
“We’re going to try our best to recruit people to come and develop a servant’s heart to try and reach out and serve others,” Woodard continued. “[Campers on Mission] is a necessary part of missions in local areas.”
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