Jesus.
Hospitality.
Outdoors.
Transformation.
We are a campground located in Greenville, IL, with a mission to build the body of Christ through camping ministries, conferences, and events in a beautiful outdoor setting where children, youth and adults experience the transforming love of Jesus.
Attending a Christian youth camp can be a life-changing experience. At Durley Camp, children and teens find many opportunities to grow through worship, spiritual nurturing, fun outdoor activities, and face-to-face social interaction in a safe and supportive environment.
Located outside Greenville on a beautiful 26-acre lakefront campus, these grounds have been the site of Christian camping since 1875.
Today, Christian youth camping is the beating heart of our mission. Each summer, our trained staff lead camps for all ages, including Day Camp (grades K-2), Trailblazer (grades 2-4), Guide (grades 4-6), Young Teens (grades 6-9), Senior Teen (grades 9-12), and Family Camp. About 500-700 youth attend our Free Methodist camps each summer, where many of them make first-time commitments to Christ.
In 1968, the city of Greenville built Governor Bond Lake right on our doorstep. This amazing act of providence turned Durley Camp into prime waterfront real estate. Boating, tubing, swimming, canoeing, and kayaking have become key attractions for campers of all ages, especially children and teens.
Other popular outdoor activities include the team challenge trail and zipline in the woods, as well as basketball, volleyball, softball, archery, and 9-Square-in-the-Air. Our youth campers go to bed exhausted every night and wake up the next morning excited to experience all that Durley Camp has to offer.
a life of ministry shaped by durley camp
It would be hard to overestimate the impact Durley Camp has had on me, my family, and my ministry. I first went to Durley in my mother’s womb, and I have gone every year since. I have never missed a family camp in my 65 years. When I was 11 and attending a youth camp, my cousin helped me give my life to Jesus about an hour after he had committed himself to the Lord. We both went on to be pastors and have been leading people to Jesus ever since.
I proposed to my wife at Durley Camp during a week when I was the camp pastor. We spent the first two months of our married life living together at Durley and working at the camps. My son followed that example and also proposed to his wife at Durley. As a matter of fact, all four of my children have either been married at Durley and/or had their receptions here.
I whetted my appetite for ministry by being a counselor in training (CIT) at Durley Camp in the early 1970s. I have held nearly every imaginable position at family camp or youth camp, including directing the camp on multiple occasions and serving as chair of the board for several years. I learned how to be a pastor at Durley.
Although I retired from 40+ years of being a youth pastor at the end of 2023, I am still the treasurer for Durley and directed the family camp. I hope to be involved for many years to come. It is “sacred space” for me, and I have witnessed the impact of this camp on literally thousands of people in all my years of involvement.
I thank God for Durley Camp.
Greg Groves
Greenville
"Teens and pre-teens are under tremendous pressure. Self-doubt, peer pressure, substance abuse, self-injury, and a myriad of harmful voices nag at kids every day. Even kids who have a strong support structure face obstacles. Camp provides opportunities for students to pull away and get a breather—to catch a vision for the bigger picture of their lives.
The experiences and memories made at camp tend to stick, becoming touchstones in the lives of campers as they grow and mature.
Today's children and teens need Durley Camp now more than ever.”
Christian Camping and Conference Association
