FRANKFORT, Ind. — A 40-acre campus on Freeman Street that once housed Pilgrim Holiness Bible College and later a Wesleyan campground is once again a hub of community life — and the couple who stepped in to save it say they never planned to stay.
Phil and Rhonda Foley came to Frankfort Camp Ministries more than 36 years ago to say goodbye to the Camp as it was closing. The camp was slated to be sold, and the Foley’s had deep personal ties to the property — six generations of the family had walked those grounds. What started as a farewell visit turned into a decades-long volunteer ministry that now serves thousands of people annually through camps, retreats, youth programs, and community outreach.
A Camp Saved by a Handshake
The Foleys were already immersed in mission work when they made that fateful trip to Frankfort. After meeting with Wesleyan church leadership and hearing there were no clear solutions for keeping the camp open, the couple prayed for a week — and couldn’t sleep.
“You can either live a life or invest a life,” Phil Foley said during an appearance on WILO’s Party Line program with Shan Sheridan Tuesday morning. “All of our lives we’ve looked for places where we can make the biggest impact with our lives. And this has not been easy, but it really is a dynamic ministry that ministers to thousands of people.”
The early days were financially precarious. The camp’s operating costs far exceeded what the Foleys had anticipated. In their first year, an unexpected act of generosity kept them afloat when a friend slipped Phil a handshake that concealed a substantial cash gift.
“He said, ‘God wanted me to do this, and I’m gonna stand with you guys because I know it’s gonna be hard,'” Phil recalled. “That got us through that first year.”
What the Camp Offers
Today, Frankfort Camp Ministries operates year-round with a calendar packed across multiple demographics. The campus can house up to 350 people in dormitories, cabins, and four dedicated dormitory buildings, with capacity approaching 500 when the 50-site RV lot is full.
Signature events include seven Great Banquet weekends running Thursday through Sunday, a women’s retreat that drew approximately 200 attendees this spring, a Creative Arts Center Stage camp for students in grades five through twelve, and separate youth, family, and apostolic camps throughout the summer. The camp also hosts a retreat specifically for survivors of human trafficking through its Bloom and Grace Boutique program.
“We do a retreat for victims of human trafficking,” Rhonda Foley said. “We set everything up for them.”
A men’s retreat is scheduled for September, and a craft retreat is planned for August.
Family Camp: Open to the Public
The flagship event of the summer is Family Camp, running July 12 through 19. Evangelists Billy Huddleston and Lane Lohman are scheduled to speak, with music provided by the Birchfield Brothers — a gospel group whose guitarist spent years performing at the Grand Ole Opry Hotel.
“If you’ve never heard the Birchfield Brothers — they’re incredible,” Phil said. “I call them ‘classical mountain music’. Kind of a bluegrass mountain country gospel, but done with the highest quality.”
Community members are welcome to attend evening services at any of the summer camps without registering or staying on the grounds. Up-to-date schedules are posted on the Frankfort Camp Ministries Facebook page. The camp office can be reached at 765-357-4414.
Planning for the Next Generation
Despite the ministry’s growth, the Foleys are candid about the challenges ahead. Both are approaching retirement age and are currently volunteering their time without pay — a significant ask for any successor.
“We’re praying in the next generation,” Phil said. “We’d like the camp to be able to continue on as it has underneath our leadership.”
Rhonda added that every summer, returning campers tell them it’s the best year yet — a sign, she said, that the ministry continues to meet a real need.
The property itself has also seen significant physical improvements in recent years. Following the pandemic, the Foleys moved quickly to pave the campus roads — a project that, had it been delayed a year, would have cost twice as much. The renovation has made the grounds more accessible for campers with mobility challenges.
The campus on Freeman Street — once home to Pilgrim Holiness Bible College, then a Wesleyan campground — now stands as one of Frankfort’s more quietly active community spaces, hosting thousands of visitors each year for worship, recreation, and renewal.
For more information, visit Frankfort Camp Ministries on Facebook, at FrankfortCampMinistries.com or call 765-357-4414.
