news article
2025 Casowasco Sabbath
January 6, 2025 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Editor's Note: The following message was shared with United Methodists of Upper New York on Monday, January 6, 2025 on behalf of Bishop Héctor A. Burgos Núñez, Rev. Bill Mudge, and Rev. Dr. Pam Harris.
Dear siblings in Christ,
Today, we share with you an important update regarding Casowasco Camp & Retreat Center.
Starting this month, all programming and hosting at Casowasco will be suspended. Minimal staffing will be maintained to ensure the site's safety. This sabbath is foreseen to last through the fall of this year.
This is an extremely difficult decision. As it was shared with the conference last month, the ministry at Casowasco is facing a mounting number of significant challenges, including, but not limited to:
- A decade of declining numbers of campers and guests. In 2015 we had 1,120 campers which declined to 158 in 2024. The number of guests declined from a high of 3,860 in 2017 to 1,483 in 2024. The number of participants in other programs (not summer camp) declined from 301 in 2015 to 151 in 2024. Click here to see participation numbers from 2015-2024.
- $1.2 million operating deficit over the past four years funded by United Methodists of Upper New York.
- More than $2 million in deferred maintenance.
- Negative impact on UNY’s other four camp & retreat centers due to the disproportionate needs of Casowasco.
Any of these realities may lead leaders to evaluate a ministry's health. However, facing all these challenges simultaneously demands bold action rooted in our commitment to making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, our love for camp and retreat ministry, and the sober realization that “doing ministry as usual” is no longer possible.
While it may be tempting to speculate on what could have been done differently, no single person or group is responsible for the current situation. Casowasco has had exceptional site directors, staff, and dedicated, passionate volunteers. Both young campers and adult guests have cherished it, and it has received consistent financial support from local churches across UNY for decades.
The challenges we face are not a result of failed efforts but rather a rapidly changing mission field. The landscape of camp and retreat ministry has changed dramatically over the past 15 years. We must meet the current challenges and adapt to these changes.
Next Steps
The UNY Camp & Retreat Ministries (CRM) Committee will diligently explore a faithful and fruitful future for the site. There is no plan or intention to permanently close or sell any part of the ministry or the property. This sabbath is not a mere postponement of an inevitable decision or a mechanism to implement a decision already made.
In the next six to nine months, the Camp & Retreat Ministries Committee will consider several possible futures for the site, in consultation with the Conference Leadership Team. All options are on the table. With guidance from an external consultant, the committee will engage various stakeholders from Casowasco, including campers and their families, UNY pastors and congregations, former staff and volunteers, and other CRM and UNY leaders. The aim is to gather their hopes, dreams, and ideas for the next faithful steps for the site and the UNY Camping & Retreat Ministry.
Though we are hopeful about where God might lead us during this sabbath for Casowasco, we understand and share any concern and anxiety you might be feeling. We are committed to keeping United Methodists of Upper New York updated as this process progresses. Updates will be posted frequently on the conference website here.
We thank God for the transformational ministry of Casowasco over the 77 years UNY has been a steward of the program and property. Many lives have been forever positively changed through this ministry, which has led individuals to discover their relationship with Jesus, respond to a call to ministry, find life partners, gain a greater appreciation for nature, and form a lifelong community.
Please join us in praying for all impacted by this difficult decision and for the exploration process ahead as we seek to envision an UNY camp and retreat ministry that connects people with God, nature, and community for years to come.
Together in the journey,
Bishop Héctor A. Burgos Núñez
Resident Bishop
Susquehanna and Upper New York Episcopal Area
Rev. Bill Mudge
Chair, Upper New York
Camp & Retreat Committee
Rev. Dr. Pam Harris
Interim Executive
Director of Camp & Retreat Ministries