BRING YOUTH TO CHRIST THROUGH A SCOUTING MINISTRY
Baptist Reaching, Teaching, & Ministering to Children, Youth, & Families
BRING YOUTH TO CHRIST THROUGH A SCOUTING MINISTRY
Baptist Reaching, Teaching, & Ministering to Children, Youth, & Families
ABS Today September 2025
PLANNING RETREAT
The First Baptist Church in
Pineville, Louisiana, will be the
host site for the ABS planning
retreat again in 2026. The dates
are set for February 6-8, 2026.
All ABS members are invited to
attend and join in the time of
fellowship as we plan upcoming
activities to encourage and
support our Duty to God in
Scouting.
NATIONAL JAMBOREE
DUTY TO GOD AWARDS
NEW MEMBERS
Read about some of our Eagle Scouts and their Eagle Projects. For example, Noah’s Eagle Project involved building three woodened crosses and creating three flower beds around them at his home church, Philadelphia Baptist church in Marshville, North Carolina. The area is a reminder to the community of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for our sins.
Parents and troop leaders can request a letter of congratulations from the ABS President by emailing us at president@baptistscouters.org .
ABS Winter 2026 Retreat
February 6 - 8, 2026
First Baptist, Pineville, LA
Refurb Philmont Chapels
May 6 - 10, 2026
Cimarron, NM
Scouting America National Annual Meeting
May 11 - 16, 2026
Irving, Texas
National Jamboree
July 22 - 31, 2026
Summit Bechtel Reserve, WV
The Association of Baptist for Scouting (ABS) will have exhibit space at the Scouting America National Jamboree in the Duty to God and Country Exhibit Area. We are expecting 20,000 scouts at the Jamboree plus staff. This is a wonderful opportunity for ABS to practice our mission to “BRING YOUTH TO CHRIST THROUGH A SCOUTING MINISTRY” by sharing the Gospel with every scout who spends time in our exhibit space. The Duty to God and Country Exhibit Area will encourage scouts to spend time at several if not all exhibits in the area. Last Jamboree they did this with an Escape Room and a Patch for those who completed a set of requirements.
Our ABS exhibit’s biggest draw was our youth staff. Jamboree scouts really listened to our youth staff and our staff did a great job interacting with the scouts. Our exhibit has five stations; Religious Emblems Program, what Baptist believe, make your own Salvation bracelet, prayer corner and the ABS Ministry. Typically one of our adult staff members will talk to the scouters about the ABS Ministry while the youth staff will take a group of scouts through the other four stations. You can learn more about each of these stations on our website at; https://baptistscouters.org/jamboree
We still need you on our staff. We are looking for both youth (18-20) and adult staff for our Jamboree Exhibit. We are offering to pay the Jamboree staff registration fee for our Youth staff. Contact Jerry Wells jerry.wells@me.com for details and approval. The Jamboree dates are Wednesday, July 22, 2026 to Friday, July 31, 2026 at Summit Bechtel Reserve, Glen Jean, West Virginia. https://jamboree.scouting.org
Staff dates are July 19-31,2026.
Thanks to the hard work of a number of volunteers over the past few years, the Chapel Refurbishment Week has become part of the annual calendar at Philmont Scout Ranch. The largest representation each year has come from the Associator of Baptists for Scouting team led by Donna Copeland. In 2025, due to extreme weather and muddy and/or snow packed roads, work was done at just two backcountry camps (one required a four-mile hike, one way, to access.) But extensive work was accomplished at the headquarters chapels. During the summer season two new chapel sites were established at Apache Springs and Dan Beard camps.
May 6-10 are the dates for the 2026 event and the assignment is even more aggressive than last year. Work is planned for every current chapel. The 2026 work team is almost full, but you are encouraged to contact Donna Copeland dcopeland@baptistscouters.orgwho will again coordinate the ABS team if you are interested in future opportunities. A completed medical form is required plus the ability to carry tools and work at altitudes to 10,000 feet. The size of the entire group is limited by accommodation and logistical considerations, so act soon if you are interested.
This 2025 year will soon come to a close and 2026 will begin. Even though it is many months away the planning for the 2026 National Jamboree scheduled for late July 2026 is already well underway. More than 20,000 Scouts and Scouters are expected to attend this major Scouting event at the Summit Bechtel Reserve near Glen Jean, WV. Scouts from across the nation (and around the world) will come together for ten days of adventure and fun — for many it will be the highlight of their Scouting experience.
When this many people come together the need for chaplains is crucial for providing emotional and spiritual care during everything from minor injuries to hospital trips, homesickness, conflict resolution, or (sadly) learning of some loss at home. In each of these circumstances the chaplaincy team is available to provide support, encouragement, prayer, and a ministry of presence. In addition, there will be many chapel services provided throughout the Jamboree. These chapel services in the past have seen thousands in attendance for worship and celebration. Duty to God remains a crucial part of Scouting and nowhere is this as obvious as it is with the ministry of chaplaincy.
Chaplains come from many faith groups — 40 chaplains, representing a dozen or so different faith groups — reflecting the diversity of beliefs and practices of those attending the Jamboree. As has been typical in the past, several Association of Baptists for Scouting members are represented among this group of chaplains. Ted Spangenberg, Jeff Thompson, and Thomas Martin will be onsite at the Jamboree to labor in chaplaincy ministry throughout the event. There are spots for more, particularly for Chaplain Assistants who are studying for vocational ministry or otherwise.
If you are able, please consider going to the Jamboree to serve in whatever capacity possible. If you can’t go, pray that our Lord will be honored and worshiped. Or give that others might go in your place. The ABS ministry is made possible as we commit ourselves to dutifully serve as commanded in the Great Commission.
The summer of 2025 at Philmont was another successful season, including Chaplaincy. A core part of Scouting is Duty to God and the Philmont chaplains work every day supporting and encouraging the campers and staff to regularly live out Duty to God in their daily lives.
One terrific way to connect and engage with Philmont campers and staff is the Chaplaincy seminarian. Seminarians are typically younger Scouters still in the process of completing their training – scholastic and practical – for ministry. The chaplain ministry at Philmont provides them with a lot of “boots on the ground” experience that isn’t duplicated in more formal environs. A typical day starts early and can involve visiting with folks at the Infirmary or the Ranger Department for their morning staff meeting, trips into the backcountry to pick up or return campers and staff from or to remote locations, delivering materials to support ranch programs and, of course, providing chapel services every day at 7:00 pm in base camp plus weekly chapel services at three backcountry camp locations.
This past summer our chaplains had the privilege of working with Patrick Bradley. Patrick is currently working to complete his studies at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Patrick also serves on staff with the Shandon Baptist Church in Columbia, SC. He participated in last summer’s ABS training at the Philmont Training Center, so this was his second trip HOmE (Heaven On Earth). Like all the chaplains Patrick was able to serve in counseling, conflict resolution, worship leadership, building relationships with Scouts, Scouters, and staff. Plus the excitement from enjoying his weeks of living in a fine Philmont tent along with more than 800 other Philmont seasonal staff members.
A typical week for Patrick varied, depending on his assignment. Every day at 7:00 pm (and Sunday morning at 9:00 am) was chapel duty. One week he might be assigned to CHQ working with all the departments at base camp – Rangers, Security, Welcome Center, Ranching Headquarters, Outfitting and the Silver Sage Staff Activity Center (commonly referred to as S³AC.) Another week’s would be Infirmary duty attending daily rounds meetings, visiting patients in the Infirmary and Infirmary Tent City (for those who are mobile, but require care) and trips to visit those campers in nearby hospitals (Raton or Trinidad). One week would be the assignment as a back country chaplain (A or B) to support transport of people and materials to and from the multitude of backcountry camps scattered over the approximately 150,000 acres of the ranch, plus two camps north of Philmont on National Forestry lands in the area of the Valle Vidal. And yet another week’s assignment would be Logistics working with all departments, but especially Logistics and Infirmary to deliver messages from home concerning news of loss and illness, plus (more open) to provide counseling for what is called “Conflict Resolution” resulting from the sometimes intense (emotional and physical) demands and the stress from a combination of altitude problems, physical exertion, diet changes, and crew dynamics.
By the end of his summer, it is certain he was able to engage in a broad range of “hands on” chaplaincy experiences with thousands of staff, Scouts, and Scouters from across the nation while they were at Philmont. One of the primary goals for everyone at Philmont is expressed as “Change Lives” and Patrick surely did just that for untold people this summer. It is also certain that Patrick himself had his life changed in his time of excellent ministry to others.
This opportunity for Patrick was made possible by the generous grant from our ABS to fund the Protestant Seminarian position for the 2025 summer season. Thank you, ABS!
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