Living River is owned and operated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization by the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley.  The Presbytery is part of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the largest Presbyterian organization in the United States.  The Presbytery surrounds the Cahaba River in Central Alabama, the site of Living River, and encompasses 92 congregations in such cities as Anniston, Auburn, Birmingham, Eufala, Montgomery, Selma, Tuscaloosa and various areas in between.

The Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley was formed in 1988 by a merger of several smaller Alabama presbyteries of long standing.  Each of these presbyteries brought with it a deep tradition of camping, which has continued to be an essential part of the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley.

In shaping its camping programs, the Presbytery has harnessed the gifts of its most talented educators, pastors, and lay people, who have provided first-rate curricula and a tremendous diversity of leadership across the camping ministry.  The result of this work has shaped young lives, cultivated Presbyterian leaders, and provided generations of campers with treasured memories of fellowship and inspiration.  Even some marriages in the Presbytery find their earliest roots in camp experiences.