Ken Hay
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Edward Hay is the founder of The Wilds
, a fundamentalist camp and conference center.
, is the son of a Baptist pastor who took his sons to camp settings "as soon as we were old enough to walk." Hay, who was athletic and 6' 3", turned down several athletic scholarships to attend Bob Jones University
, where he became a student leader and graduated in 1955 with a BA in Bible. He completed a master’s degree at BJU in 1957. The following year he was named first director of the University’s Institute of Christian Service (now the School of Applied Studies), a program for non-traditional students seeking to enter Christian ministries. He held this position for thirteen years. In 1975, BJU conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Laws.
In 1969, after directing Christian Dells Bible Camp (founded by Monroe Parker
), near Trinity, Alabama
, Hay founded The Wilds
, a year-round 1000 acres (4 km²), non-denominational camp and conference center in the Blue Ridge Mountains
near Rosman, North Carolina
with the assistance of Walter Fremont
, Joseph Henson, and Carl Blythe. More than three hundred churches now support The Wilds, its retreats attract 21,000 attendees annually, and more than a quarter-million campers have attended its summer programs, which combine recreation with Bible studies and devotional meetings. Hay reflected that while there is "no way a Christian organization can compete with the world when it comes to amusements...when you get young people away...you can have an impact."
The Wilds produces its own music CDs and has as its own missions arm CampsAbroad, an organization that assists with consulting and start-ups of Christian camps outside the United States. Hay retired as president and CEO of The Wilds in 2006, but he remains chairman of the board.
The Wilds Christian Association
The Wilds Christian Association, Inc. is a Protestant Christian organization that operates The Wilds Christian Camp/Conference Center in Brevard, North Carolina and The Wilds of New England in Deering, New Hampshire. Its corporate office is in Taylors, South Carolina, a suburb of Greenville...
, a fundamentalist camp and conference center.
Biography
Ken Hay, a native of California and a graduate of Oregon City High SchoolOregon City High School
Oregon City High School is a public high school located in Oregon City, Oregon. It is the third-most populated high school in Oregon.-History:...
, is the son of a Baptist pastor who took his sons to camp settings "as soon as we were old enough to walk." Hay, who was athletic and 6' 3", turned down several athletic scholarships to attend Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. , an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday...
, where he became a student leader and graduated in 1955 with a BA in Bible. He completed a master’s degree at BJU in 1957. The following year he was named first director of the University’s Institute of Christian Service (now the School of Applied Studies), a program for non-traditional students seeking to enter Christian ministries. He held this position for thirteen years. In 1975, BJU conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Laws.
In 1969, after directing Christian Dells Bible Camp (founded by Monroe Parker
Monroe Parker
John Monroe “Monk” Parker , was a Baptist evangelist, college president, and mission board director.-Childhood and Education:...
), near Trinity, Alabama
Trinity, Alabama
Trinity is a town in Morgan County, Alabama, and is included in the Decatur Metropolitan Area, as well as the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 1,841.-Geography:...
, Hay founded The Wilds
The Wilds Christian Association
The Wilds Christian Association, Inc. is a Protestant Christian organization that operates The Wilds Christian Camp/Conference Center in Brevard, North Carolina and The Wilds of New England in Deering, New Hampshire. Its corporate office is in Taylors, South Carolina, a suburb of Greenville...
, a year-round 1000 acres (4 km²), non-denominational camp and conference center in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
near Rosman, North Carolina
Rosman, North Carolina
Rosman is a town in Transylvania County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 490 at the 2000 census. The northern terminus of U.S. Route 178 is less than one mile northwest of Rosman on U.S...
with the assistance of Walter Fremont
Walter Fremont
Walter Gilbert Fremont, Jr. was dean of the School of Education, Bob Jones University and “a seminal force in the inauguration and development of the Christian school movement.”-Youth and Education:...
, Joseph Henson, and Carl Blythe. More than three hundred churches now support The Wilds, its retreats attract 21,000 attendees annually, and more than a quarter-million campers have attended its summer programs, which combine recreation with Bible studies and devotional meetings. Hay reflected that while there is "no way a Christian organization can compete with the world when it comes to amusements...when you get young people away...you can have an impact."
The Wilds produces its own music CDs and has as its own missions arm CampsAbroad, an organization that assists with consulting and start-ups of Christian camps outside the United States. Hay retired as president and CEO of The Wilds in 2006, but he remains chairman of the board.