February 19, 2025
CLAYTON, Ga. — Pinnacle Retreat Center, nestled in the picturesque northeast Georgia mountains, saw increased visitors in 2024 as more people took advantage of the site for their ministry events. Beth Ann Williams, lead strategist for Georgia Baptist Women, reported that more than 5,500 guests visited the retreat last year, representing a 13.6% increase from 2023. Of those, she said, 74% were Georgia Baptists.
More than 500 girls attended summer camps at Camp Pinnacle in 2024, with 10 placing their faith in Christ for salvation and 10 called to missions service. The year-round gospel impact through Pinnacle Retreat Center reached over 50 salvations.
Kevin McDade, the retreat center’s administrator, says 2025 registrations are up an additional 9%. Among the guests, Dade says the center expects to host Georgia Baptist Women/WMU church groups, church family retreats, youth retreats, children’s retreats, BCM retreats, Georgia Baptist pastor’s retreats, and men’s retreats
Earlier this year, the center was the site of a rare outdoor baptism the first week of January. P. Steven Kim, pastor of the English ministry of Han Vision Church in Lawrenceville, Ga., led a group of 62 campers to Pinnacle, comprised of students and young adults. One young man, who had also been part of a group from the church that visited in the summer, chose to be baptized in the frigid waters of the lake. He said God revealed Himself during worship in the summer visit.
When he returned from that visit, he joined a discipleship group at the church and eventually placed his faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior. He felt it would be appropriate to be baptized where his faith journey truly began. The young man, Pastor Kim, and a brother in Christ entered the frigid waters, and the sun broke through the clouds just as the man was baptized.
That’s exactly the kind of Kingdom impact that encourages McDade. “Pinnacle loves to partner with Georgia Baptist churches to impact their community for Christ,” he says.
That impact, he adds, would not be possible without the tireless work of volunteers at Pinnacle. “They are the backbone of the ministry at Camp Pinnacle and Pinnacle Retreat Center.” In 2023, for instance, volunteers served 7,400 hours with a dollar value of nearly $250,000 based on the local pay scale.
Groups interested in booking the retreat center for their event can do so by visiting this link.
