About Camp Nathanael
Camp Nathanael is a part of Scripture Memory Mountain Mission (SMMM) which started in 1932!
Camp is located in Knott County, Kentucky with 490 acres and 35+ buildings, including everything from cabins, a pool, a full gym, dining hall, rec hall, trails, and a chapel. There are 25 full-time missionaries working at camp and serving people in surrounding counties including Harlan, Knott, Knox, Leslie, Letcher, and Perry county.
If you are in the area or want to travel in you are invited to register and participate for upcoming events! Also if you and your church wants to volunteer please reach out!
— What Happens at Camp Nathanael? —
Summer Camp is a 7 week program serving kids and teens from 1st grade all the way up through senior year of high school. Camp includes swimming, hiking, art, shooting, horseback riding, climbing wall, low ropes course, worship, and bible study! We are always looking for volunteers to help with cooking or games or team leading. If you are in Highschool/College and want to volunteer for the summer send us a message! If you’re not in Highschool/College and still want to volunteer we could use your help! Reach out to find out more.
Summer
Family Camp (Also Know As The Family Bible Conference) is a special week during the summers on the week of the 4th of July. This week allows entire families to come experience all that camp has to offer for free!
Summer (during the Week of July 4th)
Weekend Overnights happen in the Spring and Fall and serve to give newcomers and returning campers a taste of camp before summer comes. They start on Friday afternoon and go until Saturday afternoon and the goal is to cram as much camp activities in as possible. It’s an awesome time of games, singing, worship, meals, and more! We are always looking for volunteers to help with cooking or games or team leading. If you are in Highschool/College and want to volunteer send us a message!
Spring & Fall
Married Couples Retreat is a overnight (Friday evening to Saturday evening) event. We bring in speakers local and far away to spend time talking on marriage. This is the 1 event at camp where kids are not included. It’s a time to step away and focus on growing and stregenthening marriages.
Spring
Outdoor Education turns camp into a field trip destination for school groups, who come and learn about science, history, and social studies. On an average year about 4,000 students and 100s of teachers and parents come for the program. We are always looking for volunteers who can serve for a week or even two teaching or cooking or leading groups around! Volunteers ages range from homeschool families with young kids to those in retirement!
Fall
Senior Citizens Days happen in the Fall and are 2 day events. Many of the Senior Citizen Homes in the area attend. This is a time to share a meal and reconnect. There is always stories about Camp’s past!
Fall
Camp Lessons are sets of stories to read and key verses to memorize. Local Youth who complete these lessons earn a free week of camp! Lessons are utilized by churches and individuals to help teach the basics of Christianity.
Fall, Winter, & Spring
Trails to Truth is a horsemanship program. It teaches middle and high schooners the fundamentals of horse care and biblical horsemanship/leadership. This program runs during the school year.
Fall, Winter, & Spring
Men’s Ministry seeks to lead Men to God and then empowering them to then lead/disciple in their home, church, work, and community! This is a newer ministry at camp and currently focuses on larger multi-church events with games like caber tosses and throwing axes and encouraging the formation of men’s discipleship groups. We also have father/son hikes exploring the trails around camp!
Fall, Winter, and Spring
Women’s Ministry seeks to encourage women to gather in local communities to build each other up in the name of Jesus Christ! We also have a weekend retreat planned each year to give women a time to connect and grow closer to Christ!
Fall, Winter, and Spring
Camp also hosts volunteer work teams from churches that want to improve facilities and help prepare for events!
Fall, Winter & Spring
— History of Camp Nathanael —
Camp has served the people of Southeastern Kentucky for the past 92 years starting back in 1932. Garland and Ellenore Franklin saw the need and began the ministry of Scripture Memory Mountain Mission along with local churches. During the first years they came across a plot of land they knew would become a camp for local kids. They purchased the first plot of land using their savings. Once the land was theirs the first order of business was to dig a well for water. With $75 left to Garland Franklin’s name they began to dig not knowing how deep or how much the well would cost. The final price came out to $74.97! God continues to work for and through Camp!
The first years of camp consisted of army tents, straw mattresses, and a few misadventures fighting off pigs and wandering cows during the nights.
As the years went by new missionaries joined the efforts of Scripture Memory Mountain Mission and they grew and expanded the ministry to what it is today.
