The mission statement adopted by the board in February, 2006 says: Camp Deerpark is a ministry of the New York City Mennonite Churches—a community of Christ where children, youth, and families from all cultures are welcomed to fellowship together in the serenity of God’s creation.

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.—I Corinthians 3:11 (NIV) An audience of hundreds of millions of people watched in awe in the summer of 1969 as American astronauts traveled to make history. On July 20, with fuel running low and computer alarms adding to…

I loved being at camp. It was a magical place for me. I loved going to camp-fires and going for walks. As a country girl living in New York City for 22 years, camp made it easier for me to stay in the city. Without camp to go to, I would have struggled more. It…

When the owner of a house on Brandt Road discovered his new neighbors were running a summer camp for children from New York City, he put his house on the market. The prospective buyers, Walter and Jacqueline Mehr, drove from New York City to see the property around Labor Day in 1969. They drove past…

As the Camp Deerpark board and leadership looks toward the next fifty years of ministry we will hold precious the collection of stories compiled in the previous pages. We will not forget where and how God has led us to this point. We will look back to learn and look forward with renewed faith. We…

The September 2001 convention of New York City Mennonite churches at Camp Deerpark happened less than two weeks after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. As we drove up the long hill to camp, we saw the familiar greens and golds and reds of changing leaves emerging from the fog, which had obscured…

George and Lillian Brandt, along with their seven-year-old son Bob moved to Old Homestead Farm Resort in 1936. George had been a milk and butter salesman in Ridgewood, Queens, just a few blocks from where United Revival Mennonite Church is today, making $100 per week. With no opportunity for advancement in the dairy business, the…

One of camp’s neighbors during the earlier years was Otto Skinner. His property bordered the northwest side of camp. Otto guessed he was related to the Skinner clan who in the 1800s lived on the property that is now Camp Deerpark, though he couldn’t tell you the direct lineage. Otto passed away several years ago,…

“When camp was being purchased,” Dale said, “there were two things we were told we wouldn’t own: Brandt Road, the road off of 209 that brings you to camp, and the cemetery. Both of these were owned by the township.” The Camp Deerpark land was a farm in the 1800s that belonged to the Skinner…

Bob Fell was a friend of Camp Hebron who worked in the field of marketing, and he enjoyed doing volunteer work for other camps as well. He did market research for Camp Deerpark in 2010, making several trips to camp and to New York City to meet with the board and pastors of the Mennonite…