Our People

Matthew Gwinner
Interim Director

Matthew and his wife, Angela joined the Tanako team in March 2021.

​I have been blessed with a wide range of ministry training and experience which I believe has prepared me for this opportunity within your ministry.  I have 2 years of full-time camp and retreat leadership experience, combined with over 10 years of full-time youth ministry experience, 14 years of supervisory experience in business and office environments, and many more years of volunteer work in camping, children’s, youth, and family ministry.  The specific duties among these experiences include supervising staff/employees, maintenance, kitchen and food service, scheduling of groups and staff, phone contact and ministry, retreat and event planning, and much more.  While all these duties do not fit neatly under a Program Director title, I am aware that in a camp setting it is often all hands on deck, and I actually enjoy “leading from the front” and by example.

My strengths include a gifting and love for building relationships with people of all ages and backgrounds, including church youth and children’s groups, at-risk youth and families, and college-age groups and individuals.  I also work well with small groups in the areas of discipleship and evangelism, and have a tremendous love for missions and Christian Camping.
 
My wife Angela and I have two children, 24 year old Hannah (along with her husband of three years, Jake), and 19 year old Matthew, who is a drama major at Tulsa Community College.  My “outside” hobbies include sports, hiking and other outdoor activities, travel, and spending time with my family.

Our Place

Our Purpose

​This is our why.
We have witnessed individual lives transformed by the experience of God in creation and time together in community apart from typical surroundings and everyday routines.  Campers leave here and return to their local congregations revitalized and ready to engage in local community and congregational ministries with a renewed empowerment and relationship with God.  The ministries of the Spirit that happen in this beautiful setting take children, youth, and adults into a place apart — a place where they are valued and loved, where they try new things that build confidence and broaden horizons.  At camp, there are opportunities to grow into the person God plans for you to be.

Mission Statement
The mission of Camp Tanako is to welcome children, youth, and adults to a place set apart where they can grow in their faith by experiencing God through nature and spending time in community and respond to the call of the Holy Spirit. 

Our Connection

One Body
Camp Tanako is part of the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church.  Along with local congregations and extension ministries spread throughout the state, we are bound together in a connectional relationship.  In this covenant relationship, our goal is to make disciples of Jesus Christ equipped to transform the world with excellence and passion.

Participants in the ministries at Camp Tanako leave this setting to return to local congregations revitalized to engage in local community and congregational ministries with a renewed empowerment and relationship with God.  Camp is a  part of the process that begins in the home and local churches.  Camp is full of rich experiences that immerse participants in an array of opportunities to meet Christ face to face. Experiences at Camp Tanako offer participants an opportunity for spiritual revival by shifting focus from the trappings and stress of daily life to the One who is the Source of Life.  Those experiences that happen at camp translate back to local churches.  It is goal to fan an ember of flame that has been sparked in the local church.  This flame is encouraged to burn even brighter through experiences at camp.

WE ARE CONNECTED

American Camp Association
One purpose of the ACA Accreditation program is to educate camp owners and directors in the administration of key aspects of camp operation, particularly those related to program quality and the health and safety of campers and staff.  The standards establish guidelines for needed policies, procedures, and practices.  The camp is then responsible for the ongoing implementation of the policies. Camp Tanako has voluntarily submitted to ACA Accreditation and been accredited since 2003.  We are proud of this enormous accomplishment!  ACA Accreditation ensures that Camp Tanako is providing the best in all areas of camp operation.

Arkansas Conference Camping and Retreat Ministries
Christian camps and retreats invite persons and groups to sacred settings typically within the natural world where the creation can speak to their hearts of God. In tandem with the Holy Spirit, [camps] will give guests and participants unparalleled opportunities to focus on the deeper meaning of their lives by inviting them away from normal routine and distraction. These intentional times apart are a catalyst for new possibilities that embody the Church’s mission to nurture Christian discipleship and to engage persons in the transformation of the world through love and justice.

United Methodist Camping and Retreat Ministries
UMCRM seeks to provide support and benefits in addition to the excellent resources currently provided by UMC Discipleship Ministries through its resource person, Kevin Witt. Formerly the National Camp & Retreat Committee (NCRC), the UMCRM Association was formed in 2013 with the vote of confidence and pioneering spirit of our Charter Members. As a member Association we intend to be a more agile and creative organization to respond to the changing needs of our ministries, our denomination, and the world in which we serve.