‘Praying and playing’ on Schroon Lake
Travelers on Route 9 through Warren and Essex counties pass multiple signs for Word of Life Fellowship Inc. properties scattered along the shores of Schroon Lake. They may be unaware they are spotting evidence of a global enterprise, with satellites in 80 countries, a burgeoning balance sheet and a sustainable business model.
After a one-mile boat ride from the west side of Schroon Lake, guests are greeted with a sign: “Welcome to Word of Life Island, Holding Forth the Word of Life, Phil. 2:16.” It’s a 50-acre island in the middle of a clear Adirondack lake for sports and recreation, fun and play, prayer and Bible study. The camp is in its 75th year and is a weeklong home to 2,500 youths each summer, as long as they abide by a long-standing code of conduct.
Further south on the lake, bible camps host summer programs for families with infants and children, ages 6 to 18. Some campers continue to the organization’s college, the Word of Life Bible Institute, for a bachelor’s degree. As of 2022, the base cost of the Bible Institute—with 400 students—reached $20,000 a year.
