Beacon Bible Camp has existed since 1963. It was started by Ted and Barbara Becker, who saw a need for Christian camping experiences for young people, especially those who hadn't heard about Jesus Christ and His offer of salvation. From the very beginning, it was decided that those who worked at Beacon would be volunteers, to ensure that funds donated to the ministry would go directly to funding the work of sharing the Gospel with campers. Ted and Barbara were the first to answer God's call to serve full-time at Beacon. 

Knowing that the volunteer full-time workers at Beacon would have to cover their financial needs, individuals and churches supported the workers directly, ensuring that their daily needs were being met.  Due to the close-knit nature of the Beacon community, this funding was enough and the full-time workers didn't usually make their support needs known outside of this small circle of supporters.  

As God increased the ministry at camp, Beacon brought on additional full-time workers to meet the needs of the campers. From one couple serving as Camp Administrators, Beacon began to require the attention of 5 full-time (On-Site) workers, as well as several summer staff to meet both spiritual goals, maintenance requirements, as well as government regulations for the camping industry.

Over the years, Beacon continued to grow, and those supporting the workers realized that a more formal structure should exist to assist the On-Site and summer staff volunteers. To accomplish this, Friends of Beacon Ministries was established in January 2001 as a charitable organization.

From 2001 to 2020, Friends of Beacon (FOB) existed to promote the financial and prayer support of Beacon's On-Site and seasonal workers. This relieved the staff of the responsibility of raising their own support and allowed them to devote their efforts to the ministry. Staff were able and encouraged to connect with family and friends who were interested in supporting them, while Friends of Beacon reached out to the wider Beacon community to promote the support of the workers. 

Effective beginning of 2021, Beacon has transitioned to employ the On-Site Team. The On-Site Team receives a salary from Beacon Bible Camp. Friends of Beacon Ministries continues to promote and encourage donors to provide for the needs of the On-Site Team, Seasonal Staff and other workers who support at camp. Donations given in support of the On-site Team to Friends of Beacon Ministries will continue to provide for the new staffing needs.

We continue to trust the Lord for His provision of financial resources. As the psalmist reminds us, the Lord “owns the cattle on a thousand hills", and we continue to believe that God will provide for the important work being done at Beacon Bible Camp.