FOR THE FINAL ASSIGNMENT of his summer internship with The Christian Chronicle, Ephraim Rodenbach traveled to the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Glen Jean, W.Va., for Scouting America’s National Jamboree.
Rodenbach, an Eagle Scout, reports on worship and spiritual growth at the event, where Members of Churches of Christ for Scouting hosts a tent among other religious groups in the Duty to God area.
He also shares his personal experience as a Scout who for years dreamed of attending the Jamboree — and finally got his chance.
By Ephraim Rodenbach | Intern
GLEN JEAN, W.VA. — Just steps away from a climbing wall at the Summit Bechtel Reserve, 179 Scouts and Scouters gathered on Sunday morning for a change of pace from the adventure surrounding them — worship.
As 8:30 a.m. approached, a sea of tan uniforms adorned with baby-blue neckerchiefs filled the pavilion known as Boulder Cove. Scouts and Scouters — terms for youth and adult participants — prepared to gather around the Lord’s table, passing out communion cups and songbooks titled “A Scout is Reverent.”
The hourlong service included a cappella singing, Scripture reading, prayer and a message from Josh Platt, who serves on the Members of Churches of Christ for Scouting board of trustees. The sermon centered on finding one’s “true north” — a reminder to Scouts to stay grounded in their faith as they navigate life’s challenges.
“The service tied back into Scouting, which I thought was really cool,” said Cooper Mayfield, a 17-year-old Scout from the Middle Tennessee Council who attended the service.
The MCCS service was one of several worship opportunities available during the National Jamboree, an event held every three to four years that brings together more than 12,000 Scouts and Scouters for 10 days of adventure and fellowship.
Since the founding of Scouting America — formerly known as the Boy Scouts — in 1910, the Scout Oath has called on members to “do my duty to God.” At the National Jamboree, that promise takes shape through worship services, chaplains and volunteers from across the country like those of MCCS.
“We are here, first and foremost, simply to be a spiritual presence in the lives of our Scouts, our leaders and our staff,” said Alan Morrison, deputy chief of chaplains at the National Jamboree.
While many Scouts soared down the 3,000-foot zipline, the “Big Zip,” MCCS volunteers devoted their week to introducing Scouts to Churches of Christ.
Throughout the 10-day event, Scouts wandered through rows of white tents in the Duty to God area, stopping at booths representing more than a dozen different faith groups, reminiscent of a career fair.
For Candy Davis, chair of the MCCS board of trustees, conversations with both youth and adults have motivated the organization to keep returning to the National Jamboree since 1985.
By Ephraim Rodenbach | Intern
GLEN JEAN, W.VA. — Since I was 6 years old, Scouting has been a cornerstone of my life.
Alongside honing skills like knot tying and leadership, it has also strengthened my faith, reminding me that serving others is one of the ways the Bible teaches us to serve God.
In 2021, after months of planning my project and passing my board of review, I became an Eagle Scout at the age of 14. Like many Scouts, I dreamed of attending the National Jamboree, Scouting’s capstone event every three to four years.
But as happens so many times in life, the path God lays out isn’t always the one you had in mind.
While The Christian Chronicle’s Editor-in-Chief Bobby Ross Jr. and I were reviewing a previous issue over the phone, an advertisement for the Members of Churches of Christ for Scouting caught his eye. Given my decade-long background in Scouting, we realized that the approaching National Jamboree presented an opportunity to tell a unique story.
Five years after earning my Eagle, a series of conversations with former MCCS Chairman Steve Leddy led me to the Summit Bechtel Reserve — not as a participant, but as a Chronicle intern covering the event.
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