We have a vision that Camp Friedenswald will become a Mennonite camp where all God’s children experience belonging, across our diverse identities, among the peaceful woods.

As a staff and board, we have formed a task force who is charged with leading our work to become a place of belonging for all, with a focus on campers, guests, staff, and board members who face social and systemic barriers to the peaceful woods. You can read more about some of the steps taken in this blog post (January 2025).

Welcome Statement

At Camp Friedenswald we honor the diversity that is present in creation, believing it to be good and an expression of God’s spirit.  To that end, we wholeheartedly affirm, welcome and celebrate all people regardless of racial identity, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, age, legal status, religion and socioeconomic background. 

We recognize that our society has not been a welcoming place for all people and that we are entangled in webs of injustice and discrimination.  We confess that we are still working to dismantle these systems of injustice within ourselves and our organizational structures.

As followers of Jesus, we strive to be a community where everyone is welcome and named as beloved. We commit both as individuals and as an organization to support those who are vulnerable and marginalized and hope to be a place of refuge and restoration for all campers, staff and visitors.

Adopted by the Camp Board, 2023

You can read more about our journey towards the creation of our welcome statement on our blog.

Reporting

We recognize that despite our best intentions and efforts, we will not always get it right. The Camp board and staff, through a task force, is committed to reviewing reported instances of failure to be inclusive. If you have experienced an instance of exclusion or harm as it relates to our goal of being a place of belonging for all, please email a representative of the Camp Board. Email here.