A Safe Place to Encounter Jesus

Richard Ramont

For Jonathan Montes, youth ministries didn’t begin with a job title. It began at summer camp.

Now serving as youth director for the Georgia-Cumberland Conference and director of Cohutta Springs Youth Camp, Montes says his call to ministry traces back to the formative years he spent working at camp as a young adult. Those experiences, he said, slowly changed the course of his life and shaped his desire to serve young people in a meaningful, Christ-centered way.

Raised by parents who joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church shortly before he was born, Montes grew up deeply connected to Church life. He attended Adventist schools in Florida and later studied at Southern Adventist University, graduating with a degree in psychology. While he did not initially plan on pastoral ministry, his academy and church roles affirmed his calling and opened doors. Eventually, that journey led back to camp — an experience he describes as a full-circle moment, returning to the environment that first awakened his sense of mission.

While summer camp is often remembered as a week of fun and activities, Montes believes it is also a powerful discipleship environment, both for campers and for the staff who serve them. He describes camp as an “unbelievable ministry opportunity for kids,” but said it is equally formative for the young adults who live out the mission day after day.

Camp, he noted, is demanding. Days are long, the pace is relentless, and the work requires constant engagement. Yet, that intensity produces something rare: a community united around one purpose. “You can’t afford to be a consumer,” said Montes. “You are active … all in one accord.”

That shared mission, he believes, mirrors the early Church — a group of people serving together, bonded by purpose and faith. Camp also offers something increasingly rare in modern life: intentional time away from technology. Removed from constant screens and distractions, campers and staff alike experience deeper relationships, time in God’s creation, and space to hear God’s voice more clearly.

One of the camp’s most focused discipleship opportunities is a three-week program designed for teens, ages 15-18. Alongside traditional camp activities, Disciple Trek participants engage in intensive Bible study, spiritual mentoring, and practical training that connects belief to daily life.

Disciple Trek challenges teens to ask not only what the Church believes, but why those beliefs matter, and how they shape everyday decisions. Participants are encouraged to return home ready to serve and continue growing, with pastors and teachers supporting follow-up.

One story from 2025 stood out to Montes. A teen named Noah, who was not Adventist, joined Disciple Trek after attending camp for several years. During the program, Noah chose baptism and expressed a desire to live out what he had learned, including a commitment to keep the Sabbath. For Montes, it was a clear picture of the camp’s long-term impact — a journey that can begin with attendance and mature into conviction.

Beyond summer camp, Montes is responsible for training and resourcing youth leaders and guiding Conference-wide events such as Oasis, a Bible-and-prayer weekend for students outside Adventist academies, and Regenerate, a youth and young adult festival that gathers hundreds for worship and encouragement.

His philosophy remains consistent: Conference ministry should strengthen, not replace, the discipleship happening in homes and local churches. Montes challenges congregations to see youth not as “the future” of the Church, but as vital members of the Church today.