We are a non-denominational Christian camp located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina. We offer summer camp, fall family retreats, winter ski retreats, and a number of different retreats during the spring season. You can find most of the information you need here on our web site, but feel free to call us if you have any questions. May the Lord bless you richly today!

In the 1960’s, the Lord began to challenge the hearts of Bob and Pat Anderson to begin a Christian camping ministry in the Southeast. At the time, Bob was serving with Word of Life International as the Florida regional director for their Bible club ministries. He was also involved in the development of many of their curriculum materials.



Bob and Pat envisioned a unique camping and retreat outreach whose goal was to reach young people from all walks of life with as many different program options as would be possible. Bob organized a group of pastors and laymen and in 1967, New Life Fellowship was incorporated in the State of Tennessee. (Papers were filed with the State of North Carolina the following year.) He was named the president of the corporation and an immediate search was begun to find suitable property for a camping and retreat center.

ew Life Fellowship, Inc. was organized as a non-profit and non-denominational ministry. Within the body of the original Articles of Incorporation, several ministry possibilities were established. The founders envisioned New Life Fellowship, Inc. would one day encompass several independent ministries, including multiple camp and retreat centers and other programs. To this day, Teen Valley Ranch Christian Camp is the sole operating ministry of New Life Fellowship, Inc.



Initially, the new corporation looked for land in Signal Mountain, Tennessee and then in Jackson County, North Carolina. (The Signal Mountain property did not become available. The Jackson County property looked so promising that a deposit was made, but the sale of the land was blocked by local residents when they discovered the camp would accept minorities as campers.)

After these disappointments, the Lord eventually led the group to purchase 34 acres of land in Plumtree, NC. This property was much better for the camp long term as it placed the ministry close to many more options for activities and local sight seeing.



The first camping session was held in 1969 as a work camp to help finish the development of the property. Campers slept in tents, drank water from fresh mountain springs and helped build buildings, clear land and plant trees. The following year, Teen Valley Ranch opened its doors for the first full fledged summer camp program.



In 1978, Bob and Pat announced that they were moving to Montana to begin a new camping ministry called Trails End Ranch. Plans were made for the direction of the camp to be shared after their departure by Brad Talley (as Program Director) and Clyde Miller (Finance and Maintenance Director). Not too long after Bob and Pat left, however, Clyde also left to join the Andersons in Montana and Brad became the sole Director of Teen Valley Ranch.

Brad had served on the summer staff since 1972 and he joined the full time staff in 1977. Along with his wife Linda, Brad served as the leader of the ministry for 20 years. In the fall of 1998, Brad left to become the pastor of Grace Community Church in Buies Creek, NC.  George Wright served as Director for 3 years and is now the pastor of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Banner Elk, NC.  George had been with Teen Valley Ranch as summer staff member since 1978 and on the full time staff since 1983. James Tarpley was the director from 2001 – 2005.  He and his wife are now living in Marion, NC.  They own and operate Visio Photography.



In February of 2005, Greg Oakley took over as Director.  He and his wife Shelia and their three boys Brooks, Alex and Logan have been at camp since 2001 with a short intermission in 2004. 

ther full time staff members and their families include: Ben and Liz Price (Laurel, Judge and Willow), Michael and Laura Talley (Audrey), Ricky and April Lee (Hudson), Michael and Ashley Peterson, Courtney Cummings, Brice Butterfield, Bonnie McNulty, and Bryan Barber.

 

Today, TVR covers nearly 80 acres and reaches out to more than 3,500 young people and adults every year. Campers attend from all over the Southeast and other parts of the country.



TVR is open all year with camping and retreat programs for every age group. Some of the camp and retreat options include: summer camp, youth retreats, family retreats, winter ski retreats, singles retreats, Christian school trips, ladies and men’s retreats and semi annual Bible conferences.