Led by Trust. Fueled by Faith. Blessed by God.

A bold governance shift brings new life to a 70-year-old Lutheran camp

What if one strategic change could unlock your ministry’s full potential? At Lutheran Island Camp, a pivotal shift in leadership structure opened the door to fundraising breakthroughs, renewed trust and a revitalized mission.

Changing the structure of an organization might not sound exciting, but what if it were the catalyst that strengthened a ministry and set it on course for a brighter future?

For Lutheran Island Camp and Retreat Center in Henning, Minnesota, changing their governance model in 2022 brought clarity to their mission and paved the way for the camp to do what had once felt impossible.

“Three years ago, our new executive director had just come on,” said Rev. Noah Wehrspann, board member for Lutheran Island Camp. “There was a fair amount of uncertainty among donors and no clear vision for the camp.”

LCEF’s Tim Kurth, Vice President of Ministry Solutions, guided the camp through governance restructuring and Mission Advancement Partnership (MAP).

“Fast forward to today,” said Kurth, “the board is a policy board, their executive director has broken the million-dollar mark for fundraising and they’re currently building a fully-funded addition to the main lodge building. These efforts have led to remarkable outcomes, including the Minnesota North District’s decision to return the camp property.”

Founded in 1952 on 67 acres, the camp began as a Lutheran retreat for children and now serves all ages year-round.

“The story of the Island is more complicated than any one  decision,” explained Stacy Lung, executive director of the camp. “It was really God at work in an organization that was struggling, and He brought the right people at the right time to take a fresh look.”

‘No daylight between board and executives’

The new governance model built trust and clarity, allowing the board to set direction while empowering the executive director to lead without constant approvals.

“This model relies on having a board that trusts their leadership and having a leader who is honest and transparent,” explained Kurth. “There is no daylight between board and executives.”

Said Lung: “We have such a high level of trust. I know they have my back when I make decisions, and even when I made a mistake, I was able to go to the board and explain why it happened with open, honest communication. We all have to be willing to admit when we make mistakes.”

Rebuilding trust

That trust extended to donors—many of whom had grown discouraged by delays and broken promises. With support from the board, Lung launched a long-awaited project and expanded and remodeled the camp’s Education & Retreat Center (ERC).

“Remodeling of the ERC is something people have been waiting on for a very long time, and when we showed people we were delivering on promises, it went a long way to revitalizing their trust,” said Lung.

Successful fundraising meant the new ERC was built free of debt—important to the camp’s donors.

The building is set to be completed in summer 2025.

“We wouldn’t have made our target deadline on construction if I had to wait on the board,” she said. “But (the latitude they gave me) to make decisions … has been huge.”

Forward without fear

As of spring 2025, Lung said there is more optimism at camp, summer registrations are up and staff is excited to return.

Looking ahead, Lung encourages other organizations to “know that God is faithful.”

“Sometimes we’re fearful of jumping into some of those hard things,” she said. “It’s not easy to change governance structure or get into fundraising or construction, but we need to address challenges head on and trust God. It’s been a testament to God’s work and His hand in all of it. Some things seemed impossible, but He is faithful, and He comes through with the miraculous.”