This October, the Mullen Bible Camp will celebrate 120 years of serving Rutherford County and the Bill’s Creek Community! Mark your calendars for a special commemoration of this milestone and watch their website, social media and local newspapers for other events throughout the year.
But first, the history.
After narrowly escaping a guerrilla war against colonial Britain in Sierra Leone, 39-year-old Rev. Miss Mary Mullen was brought home to safety. She was assigned to the Lovejoy Institute in Tryon where white missionaries were educating black children. Because of Jim Crow laws and segregation in the south following post-war Reconstruction, schools for African-Americans were few and underfunded. Will Ledbetter, a young black farmer in Morgan Township (now Lake Lure) with four young children of his own, heard about Lovejoy and asked the sponsors, the Christian and Missionary Alliance, to start a school in his community. In 1906, Mary Mullen and 3 other missionaries were sent as teachers to work on land given by the CMA with additional acreage donated by local black farmers, a total of 52 acres. Formerly a plantation with 11 enslaved persons, the property had been sold to pay post-war taxes and debts. The new function was to provide a peaceful place to deliver quality education and Christian training to African Americans so that they, like Mary Mullen and her colleagues, could carry the gospel.
Initially a grade school and later a high school, the camp has long served as a place of learning, faith formation and community gathering. Despite two fires, ongoing financial troubles and periodic neglect, the community has remained steadfast in its determination to keep that mission alive. In 2005, then president Mrs. Yvonne Gordon and volunteers unearthed the existing buildings from the weeds and a new board obtained status as a non-profit. The mission was broadened to develop the property for general public use for family reunions, summer camps, mission groups and community programs. The campus has a 42-bed dormitory, a chapel, a community garden and sport facilities. They envision expanding the recreational facilities to include amenities such as walking trails, a soccer field, pickleball court and/or disc golf baskets, and to spread skills and knowledge such as carpentry, sewing and gardening.
The camp owes its recent progress to the devotion of the local community plus the generosity of others. Anonymous donations from individuals and grants from foundations and churches have funded specific improvements. Generous donations have been received from the Dogwood Health Trust, The Conservation Fund, the Carolina Foothills Foundation, and the Kiwanis Grant. St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church, Mt. Nebo Missionary Baptist Church, and The Temple of Jesus, all in Lake Lure, have been faithful supporters, along with mission volunteers from all over the United States and Canada.
In turn, the Mullen Bible Camp helps others. With generous donations from Pella Iowa, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and First Baptist Church in Carthage, Texas, they distributed food and essential daily living items (such as mops, brooms, diapers, formula, generators, blankets and sunscreen) to individuals and families affected by Hurricane Helene and successive storms. The chapel was transformed into a communication hub and a distribution center for hundreds of turkeys, food boxes, and winter clothes. In just one season, they distributed care packages to 140 college students to support their return to campus life. Their community garden provides fresh vegetables to local volunteers, and they have also provided comfort, shelter and refuge to volunteers.
Current President Sheila Francis recalls one moment that stands out: “A young man, living out of his vehicle, came seeking warmth. His only requests were a clean pair of socks and a coat. Though offered more, he gently declined, saying, ‘No need; I don’t have any place to keep it.’ His words highlighted the minimalist needs during desperate times but also revealed the profound emotional and physical relief the camp could provide. This story captures the essence of our mission: to be a steadfast resource in times of both calm and crisis, offering not only physical support but also emotional care to those in need.” The camp itself, and the act of generosity that spurred its creation 120 years ago this October, flipped the plantation’s legacy: land once used to oppress became land used to empower. Enjoy your visit and their upcoming events!
