First Hispanic Adventurer and Pathfinder Camporee draw youth for worship, training

The first Hispanic Adventurer and Pathfinder Camporee, held April 30 to May 3, 2026, brought together young people from across the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference for a weekend of worship, training and spiritual development.

“We have created this event with the dream that young people can feel passion and love for youth ministry,” said David Corro, the camporee director and pastor in the Lexington, Ky., district. “Youth ministry is key because it helps a person develop physically, intellectually and spiritually.”

In preparation for the event, clubs intentionally completed honors every month. During the Camporee, activities included worship sessions, marching drills, recreational activities and Bible-based presentations, where participants preached and defended Adventist doctrines.

The combined structure, bringing together Adventurers and Pathfinders, presented both challenges and opportunities for mentorship.

“It is difficult because the ages are very different, so you have to cater to teenagers but also children who are in primary or even kindergarten,” Corro said. “But the blessing is that younger children can see the older ones as role models, and Pathfinders can learn to guide, support and serve the younger ones.”

The weekend theme, “Nacido para Vencer” (Born to Triumph), focused on strengthening self-worth and spiritual identity among participants.

“I believe one of the enemy’s strategies is to affect a person’s self-esteem,” Corro said. “The idea [of the theme] was to plant in their minds their true value. No matter their circumstances, they were born to triumph in Christ.”

Corro said he hopes this first camporee will encourage continued growth in youth ministries and help shape the lives of the young people who attended.

“My personal experience is that God called me in a camp setting to become a pastor,” Corro said. “It was also at a camp where I met my wife. My life in the church was shaped by those experiences. Camporee is a unique activity where God calls people. It’s a space that marks young people.”