BECKLEY, W.Va. — A Christian organization for youth is about to set up camp in West Virginia, bringing with it millions of dollars in investments that is expected to produce 25 full-time jobs and 100 summer jobs.

Camp Young Life — a week-long retreat for teens that offers resort-style accommodations and a daily dose of spiritual guidance — has purchased approximately 1,000 acres outside Mount Nebo for a new facility, as demand for the camp grows in the eastern U.S.

Scott Berg, Camp Young Life’s West Virginia director, said the area is great for the adventure camp because it offers so many natural amenities. Berg said Camp Young Life now has an option to buy the property.

“We turned to West Virginia for many of the same reasons great local outfitters set up shop in this area,” Berg said. “There’s a myriad of outdoor activities, and the land is rolling enough to be beautiful and flat enough to be usable.”

Berg said teens who attend the camp are led to be informed about being Christian, about Jesus and about what life as a Christian looks like. But, he said, no one on staff at the camp pressures students to become believers if they aren’t already.

“We want them to know God loves them anyway, and we love them anyway,” he said.

If they are believers, but don’t have a church, Berg said students are encouraged to find a church that “fits” them, but no one at the camp pushes for them to attend any particular denomination.

According to a media release from the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority, the Nicholas County location is “very accessible” with proximity to U.S. 19, a hospital and surrounding towns, while offering a “remote” feeling for campers, which is part of the Young Life experience.

Donors have already contributed more than $3.5 million toward the project…