Description
Introduction
Over the years, stories and legends have been passed down concerning the history of Gallagher’s Cove, the founding of Campus by the Sea, and the subsequent seventy years (1951-2021) of the operation of camp under InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Some of these narratives, such as tales regarding the first white inhabitant, Tommy Gallagher, are intriguing, but loosely based on the historical record. Our goal is to authenticate this history and to acknowledge God’s faithfulness through Campus by the Sea. This account tells the story of how God led His people to discover and lease, to implement and equip, to improve and develop, and to administer and use an obscure cove on Catalina Island. It is the story of the women and men who have answered the call to work, to serve, to live in community, to nurture, and to be nurtured. We have conducted interviews with people directly involved, researched primary sources, and consulted previously published accounts. As with any attempt to record the past, memories may not be consistent, and details will conflict. The timelines demarcated below identify pivotal events and eras of development at CBS. Let your reading provide you the perspective of why, when, and how Campus by the Sea has been, and by God’s grace, will continue to be, a special place for spiritual transformation. Whether you have come as a camper or a volunteer for a weekend, a week, or a month; as CBS staff for a summer season or over a winter or more; as InterVarsity leadership or campus staff; you have been affected by the beauty of sun and sea, cove and canyon. You have become part of CBS and your DNA indelibly includes Gallagher’s.
Humbly submitted,
Wayne Herbst and Roxanne Young, Campus by the Sea Staff Alumni