Tonto Rim Christian Camp

OUR HISTORY: Serving Arizona since 1950 In August 1950 a group of Baptist men and women stood in a meadow beneath the Mogollon Rim and looked out on a silent seven acres of pine and scrub brush and were told that this land was being set aside for a summer assembly grounds: Tonto Rim American Baptist Camp.

The first decade, the 1950's were the foundation years - the start of men's, women's, and youth camps. In 1953, 800 people attended camps. At the work camps, there was road grading, bridge building, foundations poured, buildings erected, and fresh water brought to the camp.

The second decade of the 1960's was the camper cabin building years. The tents came down; cabins went up with the names of George, Barton, Shipp, Banks, Higgins, Anthony, McCune, Thayer, Graziano and Mary Martin. The summers were filled with camps for guests of all ages.

The 1970's were ushered in by a flood at the family camp…..several were isolated in September 1970. However, looking back it was a fitting event to start the third decade.
In 1974, 2300 campers attended Tonto Rim American Baptist Camp….now that's a flood! A flood of new programs were also added such as winter camp, a camp for the disabled, and an American Indian Camp.

The 1980's saw a full time camp manager and year round camping. A capital campaign drive was started, a camp manager's home was built, and Memorial Hall was completed. Recreation facilities were upgraded and 250 camping days were filled by the end of the 1980's.

The fifth decade, the 1990s was inaugurated when over 300 people attended a fortieth anniversary celebration at camp in May 1990. The number of camping days was close to 300 and an upgrade of cabins and facilities characterized the 1990's.
In 1999 approximately 9000 guests experienced Tonto Rim American Baptist Camp. Plans were solidified for the addition of a Multi-Purpose Building and year round staff housing.

The new millennium ushered in a time of transition and continued change. The name Tonto Rim American Baptist Camp was changed to Tonto Rim Christian Camp as they continued to partner with American Baptist Churches and began to reach out to all Bible teaching churches.

The future for Tonto Rim Christian Camp is bright. Won't you come along with us as we continue to seek the Lord's leading for this astounding ministry.

Our Values

• Integrity
• Respect
• Excellence
• Service
• Christ-centered
• United
• Visionary

Our Statement of Faith:
Tonto Rim, a camping ministry of Transformational Ministries, is in agreement with the following tenets of faith:

• We believe in the inspiration of the Holy Scripture: accepting it as the very Word of God and our only authoritative rule of faith and practice.

• We believe in the Triune God: self-revealing in three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; each having a distinct ministry in God’s relation to His creation and people.

• We believe in the Lordship of Jesus Christ: His substitutionary atonement for sin, His bodily resurrection and His personal return to earth to reign in righteousness and glory. He alone is Head of the Church, the Body of Christ.

• We believe in salvation by grace through faith: that salvation is the free gift of God, not merited, but received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

• We believe in the Priesthood of all believers: that Christ is our Great High Priest and through Him every born again person has direct access into God’s presence.

• We believe in the importance of the local church: that the New Testament Church is a local assembly of born again baptized believers and is responsible to follow the pattern of the New Testament Church.

• We believe the ordinances given to the local church are two – Baptism and the Lord’s Supper: that Baptism is by immersion of believers, thus portraying the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; and that the Lord’s Supper is the partaking of the bread and cup by the believer as a continuing memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Christ.

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