Pastor Gordon Shinkle has served in ministry for over fifty years and has been a Baptist pastor since 1980. With more than four decades in the pulpit, he is known for preaching Scripture with conviction, compassion, and a deep dependence on the Holy Spirit, embracing a biblically grounded understanding of the Spirit and His gifts. Throughout his ministry, he has helped lead interdenominational efforts to strengthen the church’s witness through community coalitions, disaster relief work with Samaritan’s Purse, and public engagement for biblical truth. Alongside his wife, Ruth, Pastor Shinkle has also devoted many years to marital and premarital counseling, helping to strengthen families, restore broken marriages, and bring hope to congregations in times of strain. His ministry reflects a lifetime of faithfulness, pastoral care, and trust in God’s leading.

Sharing the speaking slot with him will be his son, David Shinkle. David spoke briefly at our camp in 2022 and has an incredible testimony of God’s healing and redemptive power! Born with a severe cleft lip and palate, he was raised to trust the Lord through suffering, learning dependence and perseverance through the faithful example of godly parents. For nearly twenty years, David has served as a communicator, speaker, and marketing specialist, including more than a decade at Liberty University, engaging cultural conversations with biblical conviction and care. As a ministerial counselor, he has walked alongside individuals and families in seasons of conflict, prayerfully inviting the Holy Spirit to bring clarity, conviction, and restoration, seeking always to point others to God’s sustaining grace.

Speaker & WORSHIP LeadeR - Ron Hendrix

Ron Hendrix is a veteran educator, worship leader, musician, speaker, and spiritual mentor. Since the early 1990s, he has been actively involved with Camps Farthest Out (CFO), serving in many roles over the years—including youth leader, worship leader, creatives leader, prayer group leader, speaker, council ring member, and member of the Leadership Development Team. He currently serves on the CFO Board of Directors.

Ron is passionate about helping people discover their identity in Christ and develop their God-given gifts to fulfill their unique calling and purpose. With a heart full of gratitude, Ron is honored to share personal stories from his faith journey and testify to God's enduring faithfulness.

He and his wife, Amy, live in Greenville, South Carolina. They are proud parents of three adult children—Joshua, Carly, and John Luke—and loving grandparents to James, Isabelle, and Desmond.

This year, Ron will join the Shinkle father-and-son speaking team as our veteran CFO speaker. He will also lead worship occasionally throughout the week, mentor rising worship leaders from within our camp, and coordinate our worship set schedule.