After a long career in Christian camp ministry, Jeff Kohns, associate director at Caraway Conference Center and Camps, has retired.

Following 17 years of service at Caraway, Kohns retired on ​​Sept. 30. Kohns began his ministry at Caraway in 2006 and was brought on by Jimmy Huffman, director of Caraway. When Kohns started, few new programs had been started at Caraway for some time. Over the years, Kohns helped Huffman expand Caraway’s offerings and grow the camp into what it is today. . 

“Jeff has been a really strong staff person who has served North Carolina Baptists well, served Caraway well, and I’ve enjoyed working with him,” Huffman said. 

Kohns’ heart for camp ministry grew out of initially attending a camp in his home state of Michigan as a teen and later working at that same camp as a college student. After college, Kohns started his career as a camp director at Merriwood Christian Camp in Clemmons, where he served for 17 years before being hired at Caraway.

“Camp always had a special place in my heart,” Kohns said. “And I believe I was built for it.” 

Throughout his ministry at Caraway, one of  Kohns’ favorite events was GrandCamp, a two-night getaway for kids ages 6-12 and their grandparents. Grandparents can enjoy activities with their grandchildren, or simply sit back and watch their grandkids have fun. Having 14 grandchildren himself, Kohns saw the need for a time where grandparents and their grandchildren can spend quality time together and build relationships with other families.

In recognition of Kohns’ many years of ministry and his work in the formation of GrandCamp, Caraway has created a scholarship in his name for one family each year who desires to attend, but cannot afford to. The Kohns Family Scholarship will launch next summer and will cover the cost of the camp in full for one family.

Kohns’ wife, Sherri, also works at Caraway and has served in many roles over the years, including guest services, bookkeeping, and programming for GrandCamp. Sherri plans to retire in December after which the couple will retire to Stokes County, bringing them closer to their children and grandchildren. 

During his 35 years in Christian camp ministry, Kohns was a recognized leader on both a regional and national level. Kohns served as president of the Southern Baptist Camping Association as well as president of the Carolinas/Virginias Section of the Christian Camp and Conference Association. 

“I just want to say a big thank you to the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, and thanks to all the people who have helped us over the years,” Kohns said. “There just needs to be a lot of thanks given to a lot of people who have made our time at Caraway special.”