A Brief History of Fir Point
In 1931, Dr. John Howard, the owner of what is now Fir Point Bible Conference, started a Presbyterian camp on the property. Rev. Art Kelstrup of Roseburg began renting the facilities for American Sunday School (ASSU) camps in the early 1950’s. Garland and Roberta Shinn came to Southern Oregon as ASSU missionaries in 1959 and continued renting the property. In either 1960 or 1961 Dr. Howard sold the property to the Medford Friends Church for use as a Bible Conference Center. ASSU purchased the 240-acre property in late 1965 for $29,000. Curt and Mary Ellen Christian followed the Shinns and continued improving the grounds and adding buildings. In 2001 Terry and Cynthia Pruett replaced the Christians as the (then) American Missionary Fellowship (AMF) Area Missionaries. Fir Point Bible Conference continues to provide year round camping and conference facilities both for (now) InFaith camps and others.
Read the history of Fir Point and Garland and Roberta Shinns ministry there, as submitted by Roberta Shinn, February 6, 2003.
Roberta and Brother-in-Law Duane Shinn put this song together sometime!
Curt and Mary Ellen Christian never got around to writing the history of their tenure at Fir Point. Their legacy is one of both ministry and development.