CCA Historical Records

     In 1961 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Falke gave 28 acres of beautiful mountain land near the Schoharie Creek in Lexington N.Y. for the establishment of a Christian Camp. The Camp was to be used by churches within the brotherhood of Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ to help them promote New Testament Christianity in the N.Y. metropolitan area. The camp became known as the Catskill Christian Assembly (CCA)

     One of the primary goals of the CCA is to introduce people to Jesus Christ and to subsequently reinforce their faith in him. To accomplish this there are many camp weeks and retreats for both young people and adults throughout the year. Teaching and preaching the Gospel are highest on the list of CCA activities but there are many other leisure time activities which are beneficial to those who are looking for a change of pace from the hum drum world of the metropolitan area. Some of these activities include hiking, fishing, softball, volleyball, ping pong, campfires, etc. The fellowship of common believers at CCA is also an invaluable resource for churches within the brotherhood, especially those who are small and sometimes feel isolated in the big city.

     The CCA is licensed by the New York State Dept. of Health. The N.Y.S. Dept. of Health inspects the CCA twice each year and records of these inspections are on file in the camp office. CCA is open to all persons regardless of race, color, or national origin. CCA is owned and operated by the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ of the N.Y. metropolitan area.

     The camp facilities are available for use by our sponsoring churches, Bible school groups and individual families when camp activities are not scheduled. For further information call the camp manager Kenny Aurigema at 518-299-3611.

     For a few years, a campsite at Lebanon, New Jersey had been rented in which to conduct Christian Camp. In 1959, an outbreak of a typhoid-like illness closed the canp. The following year, Camp was conducted at Epachiseca, near Stillwater, Pa. A Camp of our own was clearly needed.

     In 1961 Joseph and Else Falke, members of the church in Maspeth, Queens, donated 27 acres of beautiful land in the Catskill Mountains, adjacent to their summer home, just west of Prattsville, NY. 160 miles from New York City.

     All during the spring and summer of 1961, ministers from the 8 churches and crews of men under the direction of Ralph Byers, minister art E. Northport and Mr. Falke, himself a contractor, worked doggedly to build the first unit - a concrete block structure which would house the dining and chapel areas. plans were made to build small dormitories for the campers later.

     Because of stringent NY State laws, it was assumed a full year of construction would be needed to ready the camp for occupancy in 1962.

     The final week of August, 1961, five Go Ye Chapel ministers and their families spent the entire week at the campsite, working on the building.

     On Sunday morning, Sept 3rd, the first church meeting was conducted at the camp by E.C. Kile, with 38 in attendance. Five persons accepted Christ and were immersed that afternoon in the Schohaire Creek below the camp.

     The Camp Program was indeed begun in 1962, with David Miller, minister of the Glen Cove Christian Church acting as part-time manager.

     The main building was completed including the kitchen, dining and chapel area, complete with a floor to ceiling stone fireplace, constructed from stones from the property of Reavis Staggs, a member of East Northport. The building included 3 rooms for the manager, the nurse and cooks, a bath, and a basement for storage of food.

    Two dormitories "up the hill" were ready. A bath house with 2 additional rooms for faculty had been built below the main building, and a leeching field and septic tank were in place. Electric lines were run. Funds for the building of the camp were provided by the area churches.

     This Campsite officially became Catskill Christian Assembly.

     During the first camp season spring water was brought up daily from the Falke farm by truck in milk cans. In subsequent years, water was tapped. But the high content of sulfur in the water eventually necessitated filtering equipment.

   By the summer of 1963, the camp's second year of operation, there were a total of 93 students in the 3 weeks of camp with 32 faculty members assisting.

     Later, an addition would be built onto the main building which would house faculty members and older campers coming for Family Week, nurses quarters with a separate bath, 2 extra bathrooms, and an outdoor lounging porch. Falke Chapel would be built, 2 more dormitories would go up, and electricity would be installed in the dormitories.

      David Miller would leave his ministry in the area to become full-time manager, And crews of men would continue to donate their time through the years, so that hundreds of campers would have the chance to come closer to God here in the beauty of His creation.

     Inner-City kids would know the joy of quietness and peace away from the crowded, hot, dirty city streets; and the camp would have a full summer schedule, beginning the end of June through the end of August. At all times during the Fall and Spring, various groups and churches would conduct their own retreats at Catskill Christian Assembly.

     The church at Maspeth, home congregation of the Falkes, would continue to support the camp over years, both in interest and financial help, The Nesconset Church would send crews of men up each Spring, under the direction of John Vion, to make major constructional and aesthetic improvements to meet the requirements of the laws of New York State.

Modesto (Buddy) Sarno : First of all, before the camp was even here <unclear> the property was donated before there was a road to come up here <interruption> in order to <interruption> and the cement blocks needed to be brought up there. We had to carry them from the road up here 2 at a time and that went on every single week, every Saturday and we would get up 4 or 5 o’clock in the morning and get up here 8 or 9 o’clock and work all day until dark and then get back in the car and go home to get up and go to church the next morning. The dedication of the individuals that were willing to sacrifice.. and that’s the word.. sacrifice their time, their talents and their vacations…. ok? vacations!….to come up here and work.. <tapping on table> <unclear>….we had to do it with 5 people that built these buildings… we did not have an organization such that we got now. We had a couple of people <unclear> individuals who did it.

  We got to have a senior work week. We have to be able to get 20 to 25 teenagers.. men, boys but may be one or 2 men to sacrifice their time and their vacations to come up here and work. When we first started to clean the bathrooms we needed a chisel.... I kid you not. Scrapers and a toothbrush in order to get it clean. First year, second year we did the same thing. The third year, the girls said we want to go. Daddy?.. Do you want to come? Yes. You work as hard as the boys. When they came up, we gave them a chisel and worked side by side.. they complained a little bit...with clothe pins on their noses...but that’s the only way they are going to do it. I heard it as said, the bathrooms are terrible. They couldn’t be any worse than what they were… but you’re not going to clean them with five people.

You… how many ministers do we have up here today? Raise your hands. You know what kids you can go back to your ministers and you can say he said it and they can come and they can sue me. Unless the minister is enthusiastic about the camp, the camp is not going to work. Unless the ministers are enthused about it, nobody is going to be enthused about it. Not just an associate minister, I’m talking about the senior ministers. That’s the only way it is going to work. He’s got to get up there Sunday morning and say, “Man you got through this again. We have to sacrifice our time, we have to sacrifice…   :  enthusiasm. <interruption> Enthusiasm is what builds churches! And you know what, it’s also what builds kids.. it keeps them going. You’ve got to have an enthusiastic leadership under the church in order to rub off on the teenagers in the churches. There’s no question about it.

 < Photo : Buddy holds up a plaque with scrub brush mounted on it >