After nearly 200 years, a local faith tradition shows no signs of slowing down.

Instead, it appears to be growing stronger in the minds and hearts of people who make it a part of their worship experience.

The 2022 Shingleroof Campmeeting is set for July 15-21, at the corner of Ga. Highway 155 and Campground Road in McDonough.

Services for the campmeeting are at 7:45 p.m. each evening and 11 a.m., on Saturday through Thursday. Scheduled preachers include: Pastor Allan McCullough of Grace Hill Church, Herndon, Va; Pastor Benny Tate of Rock Springs Church in Milner, Ga.; Pastor Brady Howard of Glen Haven Baptist Church in McDonough; Pastor Jody Ray of Mount Bethel Church in Marietta; Pastor Rick Statham of Salem Baptist Church in McDonough; and Pastor Jody Shaw of Community Bible Church in Stockbridge.

The campmeeting has been a local tradition since at least 1830, and is still going strong today, said County Historian Gene Morris. He said it is an “ongoing, vital institution” for people of faith.

“Campmeeting is a combination reunion, revival and multigenerational summer camp,” said Morris. “When you come to campmeeting, you are a real and continuing part of the Second Great Awakening, the revival that swept across the American frontier in the 1820s and ‘30s. This revival has never died and is needed now, more than ever, in our country, our community, our families, and ourselves.”

Morris, a longtime campmeeting attendee, said Shingleroof has been the catalyst for a lifetime of memories over the years.

“My favorite Shingleroof memories are from childhood, when the tent was packed for Sunday dinner with four generations of Morris family,” he said. “Now, two of those generations have gone on to glory, and the family has added two new generations who enjoy campmeeting as much as I do. Having known six generations of your family is a special blessing.”

Dr. Randy Daniel of Stockbridge is the longtime chairman of the trustees at Shingleroof. He said the campmeeting has been instrumental in helping young people come to know Jesus Christ.

“I remember back in 2011, we had a couple who were youth directors, and they had a young person from Henry County who was part of their youth program that year, who was unchurched,” said Daniel, 71. “He accepted Christ that year. The song leader asked me if I thought we had a successful campmeeting, and my reply to him was that we had one soul that was saved. If we had one soul saved, it was a success.”

Daniel said he is looking forward to hearing sermons at the campmeeting.

He said although he has been coming to Shingleroof’s annual event for years, it continues to strengthen his faith.
“You never know who’s going to give you a thought you’ve never thought of before, or who’s going to give you more insight into the Gospel,” said Daniel.

Marianna Brown, 70, McDonough, is excited about coming to her 71st campmeeting at Shingleroof this year. She attended her first event at the campground when she was just five months old, and has been a fixture there ever since.
Brown said Shingleroof has been the site of numerous memories over the years, including an “emotional” campmeeting in 1972. She attended that year’s campmeeting after the passing her sister, Paula, a year earlier.

Brown can still recall being in a cabin at the campground around midnight with her daughter Rachel and nephew Dan — who were 2 and 3 years old at the time, respectively.

“In the middle of the night, Rachel said ‘Paula’s in the church,’” said Brown, adding that young Dan echoed the thought. “I feel like you can still feel family members walking around the campground. It gave me a good feeling, a peaceful feeling.”
Brown said she is most looking forward to hearing Pastor Shaw speak at this year’s campmeeting.

“He was one of my old students at McDonough Primary School,” said Brown. “He comes to the campground every year, but I’ve never heard him preach, so that’s going to be special for me.”

Jo Childers, 71, of South Pasadena, Fla., went to her first campmeeting at Shingleroof when she was in high school, and has returned ever since. She said the event has become an important tradition for her family through the years.

“It’s a generational thing,” said Childers. “Each member of my family makes it a point to go every year because it’s family, it’s tradition, it’s food, faith and fellowship.”

Si Elliott of McDonough has been coming to the campmeeting all his life, except for the four years he spent in the Air Force. He said Shingleroof represents a “week-long family reunion” each year.

“I just enjoy all of them,” said Elliott. “I always enjoy the repeat preachers that come back.”

Days after being interviewed by The Henry County Times for this story, Elliott passed away June 30 at age 91, according to Cannon-Cleveland Funeral Directors in McDonough.

Doug Stroup will serve as Worship Leader for the campmeeting, and Amy Stroup will play the piano for the week. Additional music will feature Revelation United, Mark Miller, and choirs from Glen Haven Baptist, McDonough Presbyterian, Salem Baptist and Rock Springs churches.

For more information, visit http://shingleroof.org.