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Faith on the Frontier — A Legacy of Generosity and Adventure

In the late 1960s, Jake and Martha Klein of Mobridge, South Dakota, planted the seeds for a ministry that would shape lives for generations. Through a charitable gift annuity, they donated their ranch—located along the Grand River, 70 miles southwest of Mobridge—to the American Lutheran Church Foundation. Jake’s dream was simple: he wanted to see the land used as a Christian youth camp.

At first, that dream was slow to take root. After several years without development, Jake voiced his disappointment and considered reclaiming the property. But in 1971, Pastor Dick Borrud of University Camps stepped forward with a vision. Partnering with Pastor LeRoy Iseminger for spiritual leadership, they launched a youth and young adult camp on the land—sparking the beginning of Klein Ranch’s legacy.

By 1972, the Foundation entrusted Lutherans Outdoors in South Dakota with the management and programming of Klein Ranch. Though ownership remained with the Foundation, LOSD assumed full operational responsibility, including annual annuity payments to Mr. Klein until his passing in 1985.

In those early years, Gaias Aasland served as seasonal director, hosting school and church groups from across the upper Midwest. Among them was Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, whose leaders—Pastor Ray Engh and educator Dot Thomas—played pivotal roles and later became national voices in outdoor ministry.

When Aasland stepped away, a local rancher, Larry Weitzel of McLaughlin, generously stepped in as volunteer camp manager. He maintained the grounds, oversaw key partnerships, and arranged a vital connection with the Arnold Brothers’ Arrow 5 Ranch—a relationship that would become core to the Klein Ranch experience.

In the summers, Joe “Little Joe” Severson from Iowa brought new energy as program director. Thanks to his leadership and a robust marketing push in 1979–80, participation soared. Klein Ranch quickly grew into a beloved destination for horseback-loving campers from across the country.

Klein Ranch is more than a place—it’s a way of life. Campers don’t just ride horses. They immerse themselves in ranch life, explore 3,000 acres of prairie, hike under wide skies, visit nearby Native missions, and share powerful moments of faith and community around the campfire.

The Arnold family welcomed campers weekly to experience a working cattle ranch in action, while local Native American families—including the Bunkes, Agars, and Yellows—offered friendship and connection that grounded the ministry in local community and culture.

After Severson moved into full-time youth ministry, Klein Ranch transitioned to the care of Neil Sorensen, then Director of NeSoDak, in 1988. Continued growth was made possible through capital campaigns in 1985 and 1994, which expanded dining and housing facilities and ensured the ranch could serve more campers in new and meaningful ways.

Today, Klein Ranch continues to live out Jake Klein’s original dream—a place where young people encounter Christ through creation, community, and the rhythm of ranch life. It's a place where the wind carries laughter, faith rides tall in the saddle, and God’s wide-open grace meets the horizon.

A Lakeside Legacy of Faith and Community

Nestled on the shores of Enemy Swim Lake, NeSoDak is one of the oldest and most beloved Lutheran camps in South Dakota. But its roots stretch even further back than its official founding.

The story begins in the early 1930s, when pastors across eastern South Dakota began organizing youth Bible camps at local lakes like Kampeska, Clear Lake, and Big Stone. In 1936, a camp held at Clear Lake near Sisseton was called “Ne-So-Dak Bible Camp”—a name that would endure.

That same year, the NeSoDak Bible Camp Association was formally established. Pastor J.L. Kildahl of Webster was elected president, and Leif E. Evans served as secretary-treasurer. Their leadership laid the foundation for what would become a lasting ministry.

In 1937, the first official camp was held at what is now NeSoDak's current location—Jack Rommel Resort (Camp Dakota) on Enemy Swim Lake. The site included a hotel with a dining room and several cabins. That summer, 130 campers came together to grow in faith and fellowship. It was the beginning of something extraordinary.

Pastor Kildahl is widely recognized as the founder of NeSoDak. His dedication to building a camp rooted in scripture, community, and Christ-centered leadership shaped the camp's identity from the beginning. He not only organized the structure but also personally oversaw the camp’s operations during its formative years.

In 1960, the NeSoDak Board called its first professional camp director: Pastor Richard Borrud of Hayti, SD. Borrud brought with him a bold vision and helped usher in a new era of Lutheran camping.

Under his leadership:

• Paid summer staff replaced volunteer-led models.

• Small group ministry became a central part of the program.

• Staff were carefully selected, trained, and empowered to lead campers in meaningful spiritual growth.

These approaches, once experimental, soon became the model for Lutheran camps across the country.

In 1962, Borrud left NeSoDak to direct Outlaw Ranch and serve part-time on the national ALC outdoor ministry staff, spreading many of the innovations he developed at NeSoDak to camps nationwide.

Since then, a dedicated group of directors has carried forward the spirit of NeSoDak:

Gaius Aasland, Rev. Fred Lutz, Dick Iverson, Neil Sorensen, Trisha Larson, Teri Gayer, Jake Hanson, Vicki Foss, and Marti Knudsen have each added their own chapter to this lakeside legacy.

Thanks to their leadership—and the support of countless campers, staff, and congregations—NeSoDak continues to thrive as a sacred place where faith becomes life through community, nature, and the Spirit of God.

A Wild West Faith Adventure in the Black Hills

For 50 years, Atlantic Mountain Ranch (AMR) offered campers a one-of-a-kind experience: a rugged, hands-on, faith-filled journey into the spirit of the Old West. With covered wagons, pioneer villages, and tepees nestled in the Black Hills, AMR brought history to life and faith into focus.

In 1963, Pastor Dick Borrud, then director of Outlaw Ranch, saw an opportunity to expand camping ministry. He purchased a piece of property known as the Elba Williams Place on Custer Limestone Road—paying just $500 down on a land contract.

The vision? A youth outpost camp that would immerse campers in the pioneer spirit of the Black Hills, blending outdoor adventure with Christian community.

That vision quickly took shape. Small, themed “villages” were developed across the site, designed to replicate early settler and mining life. These villages became living laboratories of faith, where campers learned, worshiped, worked, and grew together in small groups.

What made AMR so special was its commitment to immersive, experiential learning rooted in Christian values. Campers didn’t just attend—they lived the story:

• Covered Wagon Village: 25 campers slept in authentic wagons, then embarked on a pack trip through National Forest land, gear in tow by horse-drawn wagon. A favorite stop? Mile High Spring—a scenic overnight destination.

• A-Frame Village: Another group of 25 campers lived in rustic A-frame shelters, splitting their week between camp and the trail.

• Fort Courage: A frontier-style fort complete with two blockhouses housed up to 45 campers.

• Tepee Village: With space for 30 campers, this village offered a powerful connection to Native traditions and the land.

Each day brought a rhythm of shared meals, chores, Bible study, campfires, and outdoor living. It was primitive—but deeply meaningful.

AMR was more than a camp. It was a trailblazer in the small-group, decentralized camping model that would later influence camps across the country.

Rather than gathering all campers in one place, the ranch operated through distinct, themed villages. This approach encouraged:

• Independence and self-reliance

• Intentional community building

• Deep spiritual reflection in the context of shared experience

The site even featured a real gold mine, where more than 2,000 miners once searched for treasure. Future plans included turning it into a themed village called Bugtown Gulch—but the ministry’s real treasure was always its people and purpose.

AMR served as a training ground for many future leaders in church and camp ministry. Notable program directors included:

Rev. Sheldon Tostengaard (Luther Seminary), Gaias Aasland, Wayne Jarvis, Bruce Williams, Steve Peterson, Augie Borchardt, Jeff Barrow, and Paul Leslie, among others. Each helped shape a generation of campers through creativity, hospitality, and a deep love for Christ.

After 50 incredible years of ministry, Atlantic Mountain Ranch closed its gates after the summer of 2013. Though the physical camp is no longer in operation, the spirit of AMR lives on in the lives transformed by its wild, faithful, and unforgettable witness.

A Dream Rooted in Faith, Horses, and Hospitality

What began as one woman’s vision for a peaceful horse ranch blossomed into a sacred space of spiritual growth, horsemanship, and joyful community. Joy Ranch is the legacy of Joy Nelson, a woman with a generous heart and a deep calling to create a place where faith and horses could meet.

In 1989, Joy purchased 92 acres of land along the shores of Lyle Lake, northwest of Watertown, South Dakota. She called it Outlaw Ranch, inspired by the Black Hills camp of the same name, and quickly began developing the property.

• That same year, she moved a historic 1900s barn and granary from the Halstrom farmstead to her land.

• By 1990, her rustic log cabin home was underway.

• In 1993, she added an indoor arena to host roping competitions, horse shows, and gatherings.

Over the next decade, Joy transformed her ranch into a living museum of South Dakota heritage:

• In 2000, she moved the Blooming Valley #5 Schoolhouse (1885) to the lakeside.

• Later that year, she added the Clara Lutheran Church (also 1885)—complete with original pews, bell, steeple, organ, and even the old outhouse.

Each restoration was done with care, preserving the spirit of the past while shaping a place for future ministry.

While Joy loved her land and her horses, her dream was bigger. She envisioned a faith-based camp where young people could experience in-depth horsemanship in a setting grounded in Christian values.

In her words, she hoped to “touch a whole new sector of people” through a horse program that went beyond traditional summer camp. Encouraged by her pastor, Rev. Gary Westgard of Grace Lutheran in Watertown, Joy reached out to Lutherans Outdoors in South Dakota—whose mission aligned perfectly with her vision.

In 2002, Joy made a life estate gift of her ranch to Lutherans Outdoors. The announcement was made at Grace Lutheran Church in Watertown, and the ranch was renamed Joy Ranch to avoid confusion with the existing Outlaw Ranch near Custer.

The dream was now a shared ministry.

Joy Ranch launched its first full summer of programming in 2012. Since then, many dedicated leaders have helped shape its ministry:

• Pam Walton (2008–2011)

• Kari Sorensen (Interim)

• Kyle & Betsy Debertin (2011–2015)

• Dustin Rodiek (2016–2017)

• Paul Hanson (Interim)

• Jake Hanson (2018–2019)

• Morgan Ward (2019–2020)

Under their leadership, Joy Ranch became a place where faith, horses, and hospitality met in powerful ways.

In January 2022, Joy Ranch transitioned from Lutherans Outdoors to become an independent nonprofit: Joy Ranch of South Dakota. The legacy continues through its programs, events, and ongoing commitment to serving people of all ages.

To learn more, visit joyranchofsd.org.