Heartland Campground

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Heartland Christian Camp, is a Free Methodist Christian camp located in the small town of Birmingham, Iowa. Birmingham is located in Van Buren County in the south eastern corner of Iowa. The campground sets on the west edge of Birmingham.

History

The Free Methodist first established themselves in Birmingham in 1871 by holding services in an old brick building. In 1873, the congregation was able to build the first church building with Rev. B.F. Doughty serving as the pastor. A parsonage was also built at the entrance to what is now the Heartland Christian Campgrounds.

The camp was originally used to hold camp meetings for the Fairfield District since 1887. Some sources suggest the grounds were being used even before this date. At this time the camp ground was known as Huffman Grove. In 1898, the decision was made after much consideration to permanently buy the grounds at a cost of $1125. A large portion of the cost was donated by residents of the Birmingham area through the efforts of J. Graham. The articles of incorporation were put in to place on December 24, 1898 to finalize the purchase of fifteen acres.

Major improvements were conducted on the grounds to accommodate the large crowds of people. In August of 1901, a large well was built on the actual grounds. Before this all the water supplied to the camp had to be transported to the grounds. In 1905, a large tabernacle was erected to hold services for the massive crowds that were in attendance. According to records the normal number of people attending a Sunday service during this time was around 7000. During this period the only form of travel was horse or wagon. Pictures from the camp document the large number of people and wagons lined up in the distance.

In 1942, the decision was made by the Fairfield District Conference to hand over the land to the Iowa Free Methodist Conference as the permanent conference camp ground. After this transaction there was an addition of a dining hall and missionary chapel to the grounds. Churches and Conference members were also given the opportunity to build their own personal cabins. In 1967, some adjoining land was purchased which grew the grounds to a total of 23 acres.

In 2001, the Camp was given the opportunity to lease another 13 acres of land connected to the south with the option to buy. This property has a small pond that provides the Camp with fishing, boating, and swimming. As of 2006, the remaining land has not been developed but will eventually be used for archery, paintball, and other new activities.

In 1998, the Free Methodist Church in Birmingham closed but the Heartland Christian Campground continues to be an important place for the Iowa Conference. Every summer the camp holds Family Camp and Junior Camp. The camp has also become available for groups outside the Iowa Conference to rent for camps, retreats, family events, etc. Throughout its history the Heartland Christian Camp has had the motto to be used to reach people with the Gospel.