Camp Gunnison welcomes non-members for first time

[Belle]

The Way International campus opens to Air Force Academy

Five miles north of town, the cottonwood-speckled banks of the Gunnison River give way to white-rock lettering on the hillside. Similar to the white “W” atop Tenderfoot Mountain to the east, its northern relative is visible to the keen eye along Hwy. 135. The hill — which reads “Camp Gunnison” — marks an 150-acre campus, a towering lodge built of Engelmann spruce and rolling lawns, hidden from the public eye for half a century.

Camp Gunnison, a secluded campus of the religious ministry The Way International, opened its doors to non-members for the first time in its nearly 50-year history in January. The campus hosted a group of 100 cadets from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs for a ski retreat. The cadets had relocated their annual ski trip from Breckenridge to Crested Butte this season, and the size of Camp Gunnison and proximity to the resort fit the bill.

Ohio-based Christian minister Victor Paul Wierwille founded The Way International in 1942. His ministry rapidly gained popularity amidst the 1960s “Jesus People” hippy movement in California. Boasting thousands of followers, Wierwille led under his claim that God taught him “the word as it had not been known since the first century,” according to Christianity Today.

Wierwille purchased Camp Gunnison as a family camp in 1976, and the campus was made accessible only to members of The Way who had completed its foundational course. But since its inception, the camp has been shrouded in local legend and hearsay. Today, the camp’s managers have stated their interest in opening up for future community events.

“In the past we have catered more to our ministry, but we have a massive property, and haven’t done a lot for Gunnison,” said Camp Gunnison General Manager Chandler Greene. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen a huge open door where I’ve realized just how much we could do for our community.”

Camp Gunnison’s relationship with the city began on shaky ground when Wierwille and his wife Dorothea stumbled upon the site in 1976. The property, which stretches along the Gunnison River and is hidden from Hwy. 135, provided a secluded, yet accessible site for The Way.

At the time, the existing camp operated under the name “Sleepy Hollow.” To Wierwille’s amazement, locals notified him the owners were days away from listing the property. Wierwille knocked on the door unannounced, and purchased the camp on a handshake. He dedicated the site to “The glory of God and the outreach of his word,” on July 17, 1977, according to Camp Gunnison.

The Way opened Camp Gunnison that summer, and constructed a water tank capable of sustaining thousands. Then in 1988, the group built a massive lodge containing a library, auditorium and hotel-style suites to add to the existing guest cabins. The large-scale infrastructure “freaked out” the nearby Gunnison community, Greene said. Persistent rumours swirled around town that the property hosted “white extremist groups,” or hired armed guards to patrol the gate, he said.

“At the time we still had the cult stigma as a newer ministry, and followed one leader, so we were ticking all the boxes,” he said. “Then, we had a ‘compound’ that didn’t let people come in. So, looking back, we were digging our own grave.”

The Way splintered into groups after Wierwille’s death in 1985. Membership declined, and the group was targeted by anti-cult organizations, according to a New York Times article following Wierwille’s passing. Despite the decreased following, members at Camp Gunnison continue to follow their founder’s teaching to this day, 40 years after his death.

According to Greene, Camp Gunnison simply acts as a mountain getaway for members of its ministry. Today, 16 staff members live and work at the camp year-round. They spend time maintaining the sweeping campus grounds and preparing the cabins and guestrooms for visitors. Alongside the permanent staff, the camp also hosts seven seminary students from around the world, who live and study on site.

Every month, Camp Gunnison welcomes visitors from The Way, who often travel from the ministry’s headquarters in New Knoxville, Ohio. Occasionally, large groups swarm onto the campus for events, such as a recent Valentine’s Day couples retreat, or an upcoming “Spring Jam” music event.

But last month, after an internal decision to open up the property to community members, almost 100 Air Force Cadets came knocking. An Air Force Academy Presbyterian ministry, called Reformed University Fellowship (RUF), discovered the campus on a Google search while hunting for ski trip lodging. Camp Gunnison fit their criteria perfectly.

“We don’t expect our own theological beliefs to align perfectly with anyone,” said RUF campus minister Jeff Kreisel. “It’s more important about the staff we work with — and Chandler and his team were super receptive and respectful, and they created a really inviting environment. It was an amazing camp, the facilities were top notch, and we’re looking forward to bringing over 100 cadets next year.”

The Air Force visit seemingly cracked the seal on Camp Gunnison. While conversations have only just begun, Western Colorado University Associate Athletic Director Bree Hare has said she is interested in possibly hosting portions of the annual Junior Mountaineer Camp at the campus in future summers. With ideas about adding an overnight, expedition-based option to preexisting programming, Hare said the camp’s location could be ideal for the Western program.

[waysider]

2 hours ago, Belle said:

Persistent rumours swirled around town that the property hosted “white extremist groups,” or hired armed guards to patrol the gate

Were they wrong, though?

[Nathan_Jr]

It's a business opportunity for a struggling business.

 

[Twinky]

19 hours ago, Belle said:

“In the past we have catered more to our ministry, but we have a massive property, and haven’t done a lot for Gunnison,” said Camp Gunnison General Manager Chandler Greene. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen a huge open door where I’ve realized just how much we could do for our community.”

 

They only just realise this?????  Though I'm wondering what "just how much we could do for our community" really means.  

Seems to me more like, they've just realised they can make more $$$ hiring out this asset that is otherwise sitting vacant.

It could be a wonderful restful space for those in physical difficulty - recovering after a long illness, cancer treatment, etc, for example.  Or for FREE holidays for people in the area with little money.  Can't see that happening, though.

[Twinky]

Great to see you, Belle.  It's been a long time.

[waysider]

2 hours ago, Twinky said:

FREE holidays for people in the area with little money.

I see you haven't lost your sense of humour.

[frank123lol]

“At the time we still had the cult stigma as a newer ministry, and followed one leader, so we were ticking all the boxes,” he said. “Then, we had a ‘compound’ that didn’t let people come in. So, looking back, we were digging our own grave.”

    Still are always will be a cult.All they have done is change their tatics,will "love bomb" you with niceness til they get their hooks in ya

[penworks]

In case you don't know, Green is the son of Bill and Marcia Green on the Board of Directors of TWI in Ohio:

Board of Directors

Rev. Vern Edwards
Rev. Steve Crommett
Rev. Bill Greene
Dr. Angela Priester
Rev. Mel Privette

Founding President

Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille

Green said, "At the time we still had the cult stigma as a newer ministry, and followed one leader, so we were ticking all the boxes,” he said. “Then, we had a ‘compound’ that didn’t let people come in. So, looking back, we were digging our own grave.”

The Way splintered into groups after Wierwille’s death in 1985. Membership declined, and the group was targeted by anti-cult organizations, according to a New York Times article following Wierwille’s passing. Despite the decreased following, members at Camp Gunnison continue to follow their founder’s teaching to this day, 40 years after his death."

END

All I can say is that if "members at Camp Gunnison continue to follow their founder’s teaching to this day, 40 years after his death" to most people that indicates they STILL FOLLOW HIM, a proven plagiarist, who, for instance, helped himself to the contents of another man's book on the Holy Spirit and published it as his (VPW's) own work. That's just one example.

Here's my take: to continue following VPW's teaching is to continue to take him as the authority on the Bible and a lot of other things he gave his opinions on. They're still following one man, even though he's dead. They're still the cult of VPW. 

 

Edited March 15 by penworks

[frank123lol]

Ya might be in a cult if:

                                    The leader has a "vision" spaysul to them

                                     The leader gives no specifics until years later

                                      His works were learnt from others thru plagiarizing 

                                      The leader tapped into a nation wide revival 

                                      The so called system of learning again was taken from others

                                       The leader starts to "cancel" popular holidays and events making them unique to the group

Finally tribute is excessive or burdensome as "free will tithes. Participation is manatorry.Ya might be in a cult. 

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck well ya figure it out. Peace

[oldiesman]

Hi Belle!   Hope you're well and feel good...

[Nathan_Jr]

“His works were learnt from others thru plagiarizing“

 

Not quite. Though I get the point, it has been shown he didn’t understand what he was plagiarizing, hence the ill-fitting… well, you know. 

[WordWolf]

Hi, Belle!

Well, we had an announcement that they're trying to sucker the new kids into working for them for free, which hasn't happened in a while.  One possible question is- why did they want another free work force?   One obvious answer is "because it's a free work force" but another is "because they're hiring out Camp Gunnison and they want a new roster of suckers to volunteer to work there for free so they don't have to pay the workers any salaries.  The leopard hasn't changed his spots.

[modcat5]

NO POLITICS.

[penguin2]

On 3/15/2025 at 6:01 AM, Twinky said:

Great to see you, Belle.  It's been a long time.

I agree!!  Hope you are well!  Missed you.