A day of giving
Camp of the Cross fundraising for chapel renovations
BY JAMES C. FALCON
editors@bhgnews.com
A historic church that has served Camp of the Cross Ministries for the last 60-some years will hopefully see a facelift in the near future.
Through Giving Hearts Day, an annual fundraising campaign for charities and organizations throughout North Dakota and western Minnesota, the Garrison-based ministry hopes to raise $50,000 for much-needed renovations.
The money will be used to help renovate the chapel by putting new siding on it, as well as upgrade the electricity inside, explained Rev. Janis Sloka, III, executive director of Camp of the Cross Ministries, as he stood outside the church Monday morning. He added that Camp of the Cross has already put “a good roof” on it.
In the past, the chapel was used for small gatherings; now, the numbers in the gatherings have grown and exceeded the capacity of the chapel, but it will still be used.
The chapel was originally the former Zion Lutheran Church, which was located in the vicinity of where Lake Audubon is now, Sloka said. When the river was flooded to create Lake Sakakawea in 1955, the church was donated to Camp of the Cross Ministries.
“It was given to us by the congregations that were a part of that,” Sloka said.
It was then moved to the camp, where it has remained. However, the ravages of time and the weather have beaten the chapel, hence the need to renovate the inside, as well as the outside, to not only restore the chapel to its grandeur, but also to preserve its history.
