Our History

In the 1930s, in the cool hills of Manchester, Jamaica, the dream that was to become MOORLANDS began. Oscar and Scharlie Lord, a husband and wife team dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ, dreamed of using their home and grounds to host a summer camp ministry to High School children.

Even after Scharlie’s death, the vision lived on. The first camp, in 1938, began modestly with 20 campers housed in a tent. Despite somewhat primitive conditions, the ministry took root and thrived. In 1942, Oscar Lord acquired the nearby Moorlands property, and began the task of creating a campsite there.

At first, campers were housed in a large tent. Conditions were still primitive, but somehow the popularity of the camp grew, and each summer saw young lives changed as campers were taught about the salvation offered by Jesus. Little by little, the existing buildings began to be erected. During the 1940s, the running of the summer camps remained in the hands of relatives and friends of the Lord and Clark families. By 1957, when the increasing size of the work necessitated outside help, the Inter Schools Christian Fellowship (I.S.C.F.) took up the challenge.

In 1958, Oscar Lord died. His daughter, Lucy DeCarteret, who inherited Moorlands, and who was actively involved in the summer camp ministry, had a desire to see Moorlands used by other Christian groups on a year-round basis. She and her husband, Dr. Jasper DeCarteret, gave the campsite over to be run as a Trust that would continue and widen the work started by her father. In 1960, under the able leadership of the first Chairman, Mr. E. Karl Richards, and an inter-denominational Board of Directors, the facilities began to be modernized – running water and flushing toilets became a reality for the dorms!

Although the six-week summer camp programme remained the focus of the ministry, Moorlands was increasingly used by church and para-church groups for camps, retreats and conferences. In recent years, visitors have expanded to include work teams and ministry groups from the United States, who come to Jamaica to minister in various ways, and who find in the campsite a “home away from home”. Good food, green countryside, and a quiet atmosphere conducive to reflection, are some of Moorlands’ hallmarks. There is a special sense of God’s presence in this place. In the words of the late evangelist, Harold Wildish, “There is a little place in the middle of the island of Jamaica, called Moorlands, where God walks and talks with people”.

I.S.C.F. ran the summer camp program until 1980, when the Board of Directors took over responsibility. Moorlands Summer Camps, then as now, is run by teams of committed Christians from various denominations and walks of life, who volunteer part of their summer to share the love of Jesus with young people. A real blessing over the years, has been to see campers who have made lasting commitments to the Lord, go on to become counselors and leaders in the summer camp programme.


Over the years, it has been exciting to see how God has worked in meeting the needs of the ministry! As a registered non-profit organization,(donations to Moorlands are eligible for tax refunds), funds have never been plentiful – but somehow, the needs are always met. Improvement of the campsite has been slow but steady. The inclusion of a self-contained cottage, built to meet the needs of full-time Christian workers for a place of retreat, has been a blessed asset. At present, with the recent purchase of land (Moorlands now owns 50 acres) expansion is under way, to increase capacity from 100 to 150 campers. Our goal, while welcoming expansion and improvement in order to meet the demands of larger groups, is to preserve Moorlands’ existing charm and character.

“Dedicated to God – for His glory and the hastening of His Kingdom”. These are the words inscribed over the front door of Moorlands. Our prayer is that the Lord Jesus will continue to use this special place for His purposes until He comes.