History of Beachmont Christian Ministries

The Early Years

Beachmont Christian Ministries began in 1973 when Mrs. Aimee Foard met with Paul and Maureen Twining to discuss the future of the Beachmont farm (rumored to be named based on its location halfway between Maryland’s beaches and mountains) that she and her late husband William had owned and operated since 1950. (For the history of the Beachmont property dating back to 1684, read the History of Beachmont Farm. )

The Twinings were involved in youth ministry and believed God was leading them to develop a Christian camp. Mrs. Foard had been praying for six years that God would send someone to her farm to run such a ministry, and upon the discovery that God had placed a similar vision in each of their hearts, she donated a portion of the Beachmont farm for the purpose of starting Beachmont Christian Camp.

The 1970’s

The Early Days of Beachmont’s Ministries

Beachmont’s first official ministry program began with the inaugural Sunrise Service in 1976. Nestled on the hillside by the pond, the Easter Sunrise Service has been a staple in the Kingsville community ever since, and members of numerous church congregations in the area continue to gather together to celebrate the risen Christ each year.

For more information on joining us on Easter Sunday, visit the Easter Sunrise Service page.

Beachmont’s Fall Roundups, a ministry that would last for more than 30 years, also began in 1976. Hundreds of church and other groups would come out every weekend for hot dogs and marshmallows cooked over a campfire, fresh apple cider and pretzels, hayrides complete with our famous “bomb” from either the old barn loft, a makeshift tree house or volunteer staff hiding out in the fields, followed by a time of singing and the sharing of God’s Word around the roaring fire.

Beachmont officially opened its’ Day Camp in 1979 with three counselors and 48 campers for the entire summer.

The 1970’s saw a tremendous amount of change in Beachmont Christian Camp’s infrastructure. These projects included the road base installed leading into camp, the main devotions area cleared, completed and dedicated, the lower campus Pavilion, baseball field excavated, renovations to the existing farm house, and the large pond excavated and stocked with fish.

The 1980’s

In 1979, Beachmont received a matching fund offer to upgrade the donated above-ground swimming pool used for the first year of camp into a junior Olympic-sized pool - a project that started in 1980.

The same pool complex is still in use today, more than four decades later, for Day Camp, Teen and Family Nights, and for all group and church rentals throughout the summer.

The 1980’s also saw the Beachmont campus continue to expand with a new basketball court, the driveway being paved, an addition to the farmhouse, and with Mrs. Foard’s generous donation of an additional 10 acres.

Beachmont’s first Bible study was held in the farm’s blacksmith shop, which has since been repurposed into the prayer chapel.

Jon, JoAnn, and Josh Hofmann joined the Twinings on the property in 1984. In the late 1980’s, Jon took the farm granary building apart and rebuilt it into the home he and his family would live in until Jon retired as Beachmont’s facilities manager in 2018.

The 1990’s

The old barn, which was used for Arts & Crafts, needed to be taken down for safety reasons — and additional indoor room was needed for activities like dinners, Bible study, and business meetings.

To meet these needs, the Pavilion received a much-needed expansion.

Within a few years, plans for the Field House were drawn up, and by 1997, the foundation was completed where the old barn once stood.

The Lord continued to bless Day Camp, the Sunrise Service, the Roundups, and Beachmont’s ministry continued to grow!

The 2000’s

The 2000’s saw Beachmont add an additional 15 acres from Aimee Foard’s estate (which would later become the Beachmont Corn Maze), build a full-sized football field that continues to serve the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and numerous other groups to this day, the completion of the Field House and gymnasium — which led to the relocation of camp’s offices — and much more!

The 2010’s

The 2010’s became a decade of transition for Beachmont’s ministry. Fall Roundups, a popular ministry at Beachmont for more than 30 years, gave way the Beachmont Corn Maze, which now welcomes thousands of families each year to the Beachmont campus for Fall Family Fun!

The Twinings transitioned from Beachmont’s ministry in 2015 and now live on the Eastern Shore. Bruce Graham (2016-2017), a former summer staff member, became Beachmont’s second director, and was succeeded by Stewart Walker (2018 - present).

Jon Hofmann also retired as Beachmont’s first facilities manager in 2018 and now lives with his wife, JoAnn, in Fallston.

The latter part of the decade ushered in the beginning of a number of renovations to the campus, starting with a much needed overhaul of the devotions area and the Pavilion. Learn more about Building a Better Beachmont.