BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON Mike Pate, Larry Fultz, and Bob Ryan:
Mike Pate, Executive Director of Camping for Transformation Ministries
Mike Pate serves as Executive Director of Camping for Transformation Ministries. Mike's background is varied and includes extensive work in Development, Church Ministry and Christian Camping. As Executive Director of Thousand Pines, Mike shepherded the camp through some of the most challenging natural disasters the camp has ever seen including the largest forest fire and bark beetle plague in California's history. Mike has effectively taken lemons and made lemonade by utilizing thousands of dead pine trees to rebuild Thousand Pines older cabins. Thousand Pines, under Mike's leadership, has grown significantly with an emphasis on great camping programs and hospitality toward guests.
Mike lives at Thousand Pines with his wife Shell and their four kids.
Rev. Larry Fultz, Interim Director of Tonto Rim Christian Camp
After 45 years of pastoral ministry, Rev. Larry Fultz assumed the position as Interim Director of Tonto Rim Christian Camp in October 2006. He has served several terms (over a 30-year period) as both a board member and chairperson of the Tonto Rim Camp.
Larry's love for Tonto Rim Camp is born out of his passion for backpacking, hiking, and outdoor activities, as well as out of the beloved memory of his son, Tim. In the late 1980s, Tim assisted in the building of the Memorial Hall at Tonto Rim Camp. Tragically, in 1990, Tim fell 45 feet to his death while working on a church during a mission trip to the Congo. His ashes are now buried on top of the hill behind the proposed Kerr Center location at Tonto Rim Camp.
Rev. Fultz formerly served for 28 years as the senior pastor of Church of the Valley in Phoenix, Arizona, retiring in December 2005. He also served on the Executive Committee of the ABCPSW during the 1980s and again from 2002-2006. Larry is deeply committed to the ministry of camping and the work of Transformation Ministries.
Larry is married to Lily Fultz. They have 6 children and 8 grandchildren.
Bob Ryan, San Marcos Camp Manager
Bob Ryan has been serving as the manager of San Marcos Camp since 1995. There have been many positive changes in the Camp's ministry during his time there, including the establishment of several weeks of summer camps specifically designed for foster children. He feels strongly that one of the best uses of the Camp is to serve "children at risk", and he is passionate about seeing San Marcos become a greater resource for local churches and organizations who have a vision to touch the lives of some of the neediest children in their communities. Additionally, he continues to be encouraged to see God's blessings manifest in the lives of the guests and churches who regularly journey to the mountain to encounter Him.
Bob lives at San Marcos with his wife Michelle and their five children.
