A Wisconsin businessman has entered into an agreement with Trinity International University (TIU) in Deerfield, Illinois, to purchase Camp Timber-lee, a faith-based outdoor camp in southeast Wisconsin that had been set to close.
The evangelical university had announced the closing of the camp as part of a financial restructuring due to decreased enrollment and other economic pressures. TIU acquired Timber-lee in 2016 from the Evangelical Free Church of America and has run it ever since.
On Thursday, concurrent statements by Camp Timber-lee and TIU confirmed that a buyer has agreed to purchase the camp.
The camp announced: “We are grateful for God’s provision in raising up a benefactor and fellow believer in Christ, who says this is not about his name but about the ministry. He has provided a way forward for Timber-lee to continue its life-changing ministry!”
In a statement, TIU named the buyer as Gregg Kunes, owner of Kunes Auto Group in Delavan, Wisconsin, located about 15 miles from the camp’s location in East Troy.
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“When I saw that Camp Timber-lee would be closing, I heard the Holy Spirit tell me, ‘That can’t happen,’” said Kunes. “I’ve been a supporter of Camp Timber-lee since I came to Walworth County in 1996.” That same year, Kunes opened his first car dealership.
Kunes Auto Group has since expanded to 29 auto dealerships and 13 RV facilities across multiple states. Through Kunes Family Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 since 2017, the company stated that it donates 10 percent of gross profits—more than $5 million per year—to charities, primarily through grants.
The foundation is “dedicated to providing for the needs of the underprivileged,” according to their public reports. Kunes is listed as a trustee receiving no compensation from the charity.
Founded in 1947, Camp Timber-lee has a long history as a Christian summer youth camp.
In a statement, Kunes affirmed the camp’s faith-based mission. “Kids come to Christ through Christian camping,” he said. “I’ve seen it in my own family and through story after story from friends and colleagues. I want to make sure that our community can offer this opportunity for kids to come to Christ for generations.”
Supporters of the camp, which had been set to close on March 5, were elated by the news.
“My Daughter has great memories of camp, and her Son, my Grandson went for his first time last summer and loved it!” wrote Trish Lynn on Facebook. “May the tradition continue! Answered prayers!”
Another longtime supporter, Jennifer Uren of Minnesota, posted: “God is so faithful! There is great rejoicing in the Uren home!!”
One community group, the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin Charitable Foundation, has for 28 years welcomed children with burn injuries to Burn Camp held at Camp Timber-lee.
The group praised the announced deal to save the camp, with executive director Michael Wos saying “there’s no place like (Timber-lee).” He added: “This is a place where kids with these severe burn injuries can go to just be kids and not worry about the world around them, their appearance or anything else. They just get to be kids.”
In a Thursday statement, TIU president Nicholas Perrin said that the university has spent “more than $2.8 million” total in recent years seeking to return the Camp Timber-lee to financial sustainability, but it “never materialized.”
Perrin added: “While some Trinity constituents may fault my administration and the board for not accepting the full potential market value of the Timber-lee property with this sale, we believe this is an answer to prayer. We want to see this ministry continue.”
Terms of the potential sale, which is set to be finalized by April 1, have not been disclosed.
Freelance journalist Josh Shepherd writes on faith, culture, and public policy for several media outlets. He and his wife live in the Washington, D.C. area with their two children.
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4 Responses
“Kids come to Christ through Christian camping,” he said. “I’ve seen it in my own family and through story after story from friends and colleagues. I want to make sure that our community can offer this opportunity for kids to come to Christ for generations.”
Thank you to all those who volunteered, who heeded the Lord’s call to invest time into young people that made the above memory possible.
KB
Nice to hear good news like this.
Why so few comments on such a positive story yet many lengthy critical ones on negative stories? Something is amiss. We need more uplifting, restorative stories like this on TRR site. And more comments. Kudos to Greg Kunes for putting his money to restore such a great ministry!
I think it is great that Kunes stepped up and resolved the issue.
The real concern is the future viability of Trinity University. Also, not just Trinity but other Christian colleges in the U.S.. I find it troubling that the U.S. population is now at 335 million, but many Christian colleges are struggling.
In addition, the Barna group just reported that the number of Adults with a biblical worldview in the U.S. dropped from 6% to 4% in the U.S. It seems Christian education is not important with many evangelicals.