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Mark Boyd named executive director of outdoor ministries

Conference Minister Phil Hodson announced in July a new path for outdoor ministries at Pilgrim Firs and N-Sid-Sen with Mark Boyd, who has served as managing director at N-Sid-Sen and Pilgrim Firs, serving as the first executive director for outdoor ministries.

Mark Boyd is the PNC executive director for outdoor ministries.

Mark will step back from day-to-day operations at Pilgrim Firs to oversee staff and operations at both sites, strengthen donor and partner relationships, and work with the Board, Stewardship Committee and a new Futuring Team to develop a long-term plan for both sites.”

“We are grateful for the blessings poured out in this season, and eager to see the abundance ahead as we work together to strengthen the church in these sacred spaces,” said Phil.

Mark said the new model grows from a need for collaboration of the work at the two sites. He will look at the history of running both camps, having served as managing director from 2012 to 2022 at N-Sid-Sen and from 2022 to present at Pilgrim Firs.

Mark grew up in a family of plumbers who moved in 1969 to Olympia, where he helped manage a plumbing business. At United Churches of Olympia, his part time work for 11 years as youth directorincluded leading youth camps at Pilgrim Firs and family camps at N-Sid-Sen. He worked three years as full-time maintenance staff at Pilgrim Firs before 2012.

“The camps both need consistency, someone with expertise on both sites, but not running the day-to-day work of the camps. We needed someone to run the business, do promotion and work with a vision for the future,” he said, noting that nonprofits generally raise 25 to 30 percent of their budgets from donations, but the camps draw 5 percent. “Someone running a camp year round does not have time for that. It’s important for me to have a team because the two camps are far apart geographically, in culture and in what the sites offer.

“We need someone to look at both and figure out how to run and staff them,” he said. “Both staff need someone to support them and connect them to the conference staff. We need someone whose responsibility is to the churches.”

He will survey groups supporting N-Sid-Sen.

In addition, Mark will recruit a committee to look at other similar sites to find sustainable models of drawing donors and staff configurations to help decide where the PNC camps are going.

“Since the interim left in the winter, I have been wanting N-Sid-Sen to have a local team or group to support staff at both sites and with someone on each team with overall picture of both sites,” he said.

Based on the proposed model, there will be associate directors at both sites working with the executive director who oversees both sites.

Zach Norenberg, who has been assistant director at Pilgrim Firs, will continue and will work in collaboration with his counterpart at N-Sid-Sen. They will share information and visit each other’s sites twice a year, getting to know each other and collaborating.

The executive director will handle day-to-day dynamics of building relationships on site, coordinating with staff and helping to fill staff roles,
Mark said.

He will also build collaboration with partner groups, so they are a bigger part of sustainability along with churches.

“We will look at other sites that are similar in size, number of beds, to compare pricing, staffing and facilities, such as cabins with bathrooms that draw different clients,” he said.

For example, the Girl Scouts Camp Four Echoes has cabins with no bathrooms, like N-Sid-Sen, while Lutherhaven has cabins with bathrooms. Both appeal to middle- to low-end clients, as Pilgrim Firs and N-Sid-Sen do, said Mark, noting the need to set prices based on what they offer and who comes.

“Do we need to do a different thing? What are the returns? What clientele to do we appeal to? Are the buildings accessible?” he listed as considerations. “The Futuring Team will look at who we think we are, who we are and where we want to go. There’s a difference between who we think we are and who we are really.”

The Futuring Team will report in Spring 2026 and may propose a site director for N-Sid-Sen by then.

Mark suggested the need to mentor site directors.

“How can we create mentoring for leaders and staff so new leaders are ready to fill the role,” he said.

He considers strong youth camps essential to assure sustainability into the future. Some camps build leaders by hiring a program person each summer, in addition to having clergy as volunteer camp directors.

Mark encourages clergy to invite youth to camps and look beyond their pews.

“Many forget that those in the pews have nieces, nephews and grandchildren who could come,” he said.

Mark noted that the Presbyterians have national and regional camp directors to support site directors and that collaboration with the Central Pacific Conference might bring options.

In addition, he wants to involve Samoan youth leaders to help lead PNC camps.

Mark knows that site directors are often too busy running the sites—securing supplies, staff, equipment and maintenance—to do connecting and outreach. The executive director can connect across conferences and with nearby camps.

Mark wants to send more camp staff to ecumenical trainings, so more have skills to sustain the camps.

“Jesus led by example, not by saying do this but by doing things and inviting people to follow. To build camp leaders we need to share the work,” he said.

For information, call 360-876-2031 or visit pilgrim-firs.org.

 

Pacific Northwest Conference United Church of Christ News © Summer 2025

 

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