About Us

Ingham and Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camps have a history rich in the love of Christ and the passion to share that love with others. The camps are an outdoor ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, whose mission is: To boldly proclaim the love of Christ by offering programs and encouraging relationships that nurture the faith and enrich the lives of all individuals.

In 1922 the Iowa District Sunday School Committee first suggested the idea of forming a Bible Camp at Lake Okoboji. The Okoboji location, established in 1924, traces it beginnings back to the Danish United Evangelical Lutheran Church. A training camp for Sunday school teachers was the first official camp experience that was held at Okoboji with over 40 teachers attending for the week and 500 people attending on Sunday. Housing was handled in nearby cottages, tents and even cars.

Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp is located on West Lake Okoboji in the Miller’s Bay area, Milford, IA and with the many changes and improvements that have occurred over the years that location can now house over 300 guests nightly.

Ingham Lake Bible Camp was established in 1951 and is located along the shores of Ingham Lake, east of Wallingford, Iowa. The beginnings of the camp are noted by warranty deeds to the Estherville Circuit Bible Camp Association by Edgar Iverson and Percy Herum dated 1948. Sylvester Berge was the founder and first Manager of the camp. Chapel construction began in 1948 and in 1949 the first buildings, a boy’s cabin and the dining hall, were erected by volunteer labor. Campers began to use the facility in 1951.

A working relationship between Ingham and Okoboji was created in 1983-84 and the Article of Incorporation joining the two camps into one occurred during that time period. Both camps are owned and supported by congregations in the Midwest and are additionally blessed by the financial gifts of many caring individuals and groups that wish to support the ministry.

In January of 1997 Ingham Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camps began a covenant with Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp, Story City, Iowa. That covenant has allowed the locations to increase their ministry efforts and to reach larger numbers of youth, adults, and families through the unity that the covenant provided. Summer camp for people of all ages; Spring and Fall Recharge Weekends; Youth Ministry support programs for local congregations; Day Camps and Traveling Teams are just a few of the dynamic programs which make Ingham and Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camps valued resources to the congregations they serve and the people of Iowa and surrounding states.

The mission statement to the Camps-To know Jesus Christ and make Christ known to all-keeps Christ as the focus in all that we do. Each camp is able to offer unique opportunities of worship, relationships, and the nurturing of faith. Each year thousands of individuals and families depend on this ministry to provide fresh opportunities for them to grow in their faith.

In 2004 Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp celebrated 80 years of Ministry and in 2006 Ingham celebrated 55 years. With Christ and His Word as our guide we know that this rich heritage will continue to provide camping ministries for many years to come. Please continue to keep Ingham Okoboji, the staff and the thousands of kids and families in your thoughts and prayers.