“The vision of Camp Shiloh is to be recognized as a quality camp and retreat center serving Christian families and organizations from the area and beyond. The camp will fully utilize its resources and personnel to develop gospel-based programs that strengthen the faith and touch the hearts of all involved.”

So reads the vision statement for the Lutheran retreat center located on the shores of Lake Bob Sandlin, just off FM 21 in Pittsburg, Texas.
The fifteen acres of lakefront property were purchased in January of 2001, and the conference center was completed the following spring. The conference center has a meeting room that will accommodate 125-175 people and an attached dormitory that can sleep 120 people. By the next spring, more land had been cleared to provide shaded campsites with full RV hookups and five cabins were built. The dining hall was remodeled, and outdoor attractions such as the swimming platform were added that same year.
Dr. Dan Schmeling came on board as Director two years ago when the late Rod Lange asked if he would consider a position at the Camp. Dan and his wife, Ellen, had been coming to the area as weekenders for some time, and his response was, “Yes. We’ve always wanted to come here when I retire and we’d be happy to volunteer when that time comes.”

“But that isn’t what Rod had in mind,” Dan added with a laugh. “He asked if I’d take a full-time position as director. Now. Not later. So I thought, I could retire from teaching, and we’d be out here a few years sooner than originally planned. Not such a tough decision to make.”
Dan and his wife have known Rod and Georgia Lange since 1979, when they were all members of Calvary Lutheran Church in Dallas. That’s where Dan was a teacher and administrator for many years “I’ve been an educator all my life,” he said. “And I see many educational opportunities for Camp Shiloh. For instance, this summer we are offering a program for kids age 9-11. It’s called Life Of Jesus in Art, and we have an artist coming from Dallas who will show the kids how events in His life have been portrayed in artwork.”
Camp Shiloh has facilities for conferences, workshops, retreats, family gatherings, and Dan is quick to point out that people of all faiths are welcome. “Because we are sponsored by the Lutheran church, some people think it is only for Lutherans. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. We are open to people from all churches, educational, civic or community groups. People also come for family events, and we have one family that comes every year for a family reunion.”
While Camp Shiloh staff and volunteers plan and organize their own programs -such as retreats, youth workshops, and marriage enrichment weekends – they also host events sponsored by other church or community groups. For example, on a recent Saturday, members of the East Texas Chapter of Project Linus used the dining hall for a Make A Blanket Day. About fifteen ladies from area churches – First United Methodist/Pittsburg, First Baptist/Pittsburg, Crossroads Baptist/Pittsburg, Church of the Rock/Daingerfield, and Grace Lutheran/Cypress Springs – spent several hours making blankets and quilts.

Project Linus, which takes its name from the character in the Peanuts comic strip, was started in 1995 by Karen Loucks in Colorado. She’d read an article about a child finding comfort in a blanket while undergoing chemotherapy, and decided providing such comfort to children traumatized by serious illness or other needs would be a worthwhile endeavor. Since then, the organization has grown nationwide and has provided security blankets to thousands of children.
Pat Vanderwater from Kilgore is the East Texas Chapter coordinator, but she credits Connie Simmons from Pittsburg for her time and energy spent organizing the Make A Blanket Day. Pat admits she is not a quilter. “I sew, but I don’t quilt. One day I was looking for something to do with my nine-year-old granddaughter and took her to a Make a Blanket Day at a quilt shop in Longview,” she said. “Then I met a woman whose child had been a recipient and it was such a heart-rendering story, I knew this was something with which I wanted to be involved.”
On February 21st there will be a Make A Blanket Day at Calico Junction in Winnsboro. For details and more information about the East Texas Chapter of Project Linus, visit their website at www.orgsites.com/tx/easttx-project linus.
Dan Schmeling was pleased that the Project Linus group spent a day at the Camp, and he would like to see more community and educational organizations utilizing the facilities. “This is a perfect place for schools and scout groups to have events,” he said. “We can do educational programs and leave enough time for outdoor activities.”

The picturesque setting is one of the Camp’s greatest assets. There are fifteen acres of beautiful, wooded, lakefront property where people can enjoy swimming, kayaking, or hiking along the nature trails. According to Dan, nothing beats a restful evening sitting on a bench and watching the sun set over the water.
For more information about Camp Shiloh or to book an event, call Dr. Dan Schmeling, 903-855-1800. You can also visit the Camp’s website at www.shilohlutheranretreat.org.