Faith Facts

• A young Eagle Scout’s childhood dream of attending the National Jamboree was fulfilled in an unexpected way when God led him there as a Christian journalist instead of a participant
• Nearly 200 Scouts and volunteers gathered under a tin-roofed pavilion to worship together in a cappella hymns at the 2026 National Jamboree
• A divine moment of remembrance occurred when the reporter discovered the same quote honoring service that was engraved on his late father’s memorial bench 400 miles away

Since he was 6 years old, Scouting has been a cornerstone of Ephraim Rodenbach’s life. Alongside honing skills like knot tying and leadership, it has also strengthened his faith, reminding him that serving others is one of the ways the Bible teaches us to serve God.

In 2021, after months of planning his project and passing his board of review, Rodenbach became an Eagle Scout at the age of 14. Like many Scouts, he dreamed of attending the National Jamboree, Scouting’s capstone event every three to four years.

But as happens so many times in life, the path God lays out isn’t always the one you had in mind.

While reviewing a previous issue over the phone with his editor, an advertisement for the Members of Churches of Christ for Scouting caught their attention. Given Rodenbach’s decade-long background in Scouting, they realized that the approaching National Jamboree presented an opportunity to tell a unique story.

Five years after earning his Eagle, a series of conversations led him to the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Glen Jean, West Virginia — not as a participant, but as a journalist covering the event.

While hiking miles around camp, he had the opportunity to meet Scouts and volunteers from across the country and explore the beautiful Mountain State. Standing among towering oak trees in front of the world’s longest steel-arch bridge at New River Gorge National Park, it was hard not to marvel at God’s creation.

However, the beauty of West Virginia isn’t what stuck with him — it was the people.

Over the course of the week, he met leaders who dedicated nearly two weeks to more than 12,000 Scouts and Scouters at the National Jamboree. From chaplains offering a listening ear to volunteers staffing activity areas, their willingness to serve reflected the ideals Scouting strives to instill.

For the volunteers with MCCS, it wasn’t just about staffing a booth or putting on a worship service. These adults and youths were building relationships, answering questions about Christ and, as they described, planting seeds.

That mission became especially evident during the Sunday morning worship service.

With nearly 200 people crowded beneath a tin-roofed pavilion, hundreds of voices blended in praise of the Lord.

“The hymn ‘In Christ Alone’ echoed through the camp, and for an hour, the National Jamboree’s activities faded away as everyone remembered the one who made it all possible.”

Later that evening, Rodenbach made the trek to see the Summit Circle, a memorial campfire area commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s national honor society. As he walked down the gravel path to the main fire ring, one of the first stone pillars bore a familiar quote from the order’s founder, E. Urner Goodman.

“He who serves his fellows is, of all his fellows, greatest.”

This quote — one he had seen countless times before — was the same one engraved on a memorial bench over 400 miles away, honoring his late father, Stacey Rodenbach.

For a moment, he stood still. After spending four days surrounded by examples of faith, the coincidence between the two places felt anything but random.

His first response was to thank God in prayer.

After thanking God for all the blessings He had provided through Scouting and his family, he finished his hike and witnessed the beautiful stonework built by Scouts just like him.

As he hiked back from the Summit Circle that evening, he realized God had fulfilled the dreams he carried as an ambitious 14-year-old looking for adventure at the National Jamboree — just not in a way he could have ever imagined. The Lord led him to West Virginia to tell others’ stories and, in the process, reminded him of His faithfulness.

This testimony serves as a powerful reminder that God’s plans often exceed our own expectations. When we surrender our dreams to His will, He transforms them into something far more meaningful than we could design ourselves.

The intersection of faith and service demonstrated at the National Jamboree reflects the biblical principle found in Matthew 20:28, where Christ teaches that He “did not come to be served, but to serve.” These young Scouts are learning early what it means to live out their Christian values through practical action.

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