Camp building destroyed by fire

SUSAN WADE
Posted 3/14/18

HIGHLAND LAKE, NY — Koinonia is a Greek word meaning Christian fellowship or communion with God, or more commonly with fellow Christians. Appropriately, it is also the name of a Lutheran camp …

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Camp building destroyed by fire

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HIGHLAND LAKE, NY — Koinonia is a Greek word meaning Christian fellowship or communion with God, or more commonly with fellow Christians. Appropriately, it is also the name of a Lutheran camp located in Highland Lake.

On March 9, Highland Lake and Lumberland fire companies responded to a structure fire at Koinonia. They arrived to a smoldering mess as the camp lost a building that had undergone a three-year renovation and was considered 99% complete. Only the foundation and chimney remain. The building was unoccupied at the time and the fire’s cause has not yet been determined. Known as the Trail Building, it was the first building constructed at the camp, which was established in 1963.

As its name implies, Koinonia is built on the concept of community. Campers and staff developed friendships that have lasted for decades. The renovation of the building had been accomplished as a result of the coming together of more than 100 camp alumni and others united to provide both skilled and unskilled volunteer labor. Many stated that they welcomed the opportunity to give back to the camp which had life-changing effects on them and enjoyed the time of reunion as they lovingly set their hands to the task.

Many campers and staff found their spouses during the camping experiences of their youth. One such couple is Tom and Susan Vorstadt. Following their marriage at the outdoor chapel on the camp grounds, they settled in the area where Tom teaches in the Eldred school district. In addition to her nursing career, Sue oversaw the grassroots effort to renovate the Trail Building. She described it as a three-year labor of love and could not estimate the number of hours volunteers had given to the project.

The Trail Building had originally served as an outpost where campers would get their daily supplies before heading to remote sites on the 1200 acres where they would pitch tents, cook meals over an open fire, develop outdoor skills, swim, fish and even build their own canoes. It was the launching site for a primitive camping experience for kids who might not ever have seen a lake or forested land or the many other beautiful scenes locals take for granted every day. The Trail Building was later converted into a retreat building, which could house up to 40 people, and that was its renovated purpose as well.

JoAnne Knudson serves as Koinonia’s executive director. A former camper who served on staff during her high school and college years, she welcomed the opportunity to relocate to Highland to assume the position. She said that reservations for use of the Trail Building extended into 2020. She also stated that the building was insured. 

No fewer than 15 other families in the Town of Highland located or relocated to this area, drawn by the sense of coming together that had developed during their camping experiences of yesteryear.

Rev. Paul Johnson retired to Highland Lake with his wife Linda in 2016 because of their affiliation with Koinonia. During Sunday services following the fire, he reminded the worshipers that what was lost was worthy of grieving about, but that the sense of camaraderie remains that had been rebuilt through the project. John Bliefernich, who with his wife Carol also relocated to the Town, and served as technical lead on the renovation, added that their task was not to build temples on earth, but to build community.

Koinonia has throughout the years reached out to those in the area and hosts annual dinners honoring local first responders, supports organizations such as Can’tHurtSteel, has offered day camp for the local population, and invites visitors to enjoy the hiking trails that were established through volunteer efforts. In turn, Knudson expressed appreciation for the outreach the camp has received from the Town of Highland, NYSEG, the fire companies, EMTs and individuals during this time.

She referred to the book of Isaiah of God’s promise to His people to provide for those who grieve and to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.

highland lake, fire

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