Living River began as the seed of an idea in 1988 when the Presbytery was born from the merger of several smaller Alabama Presbyteries.  After the merger, the new Presbytery found itself with two regional camps--Covenant Mountain, a rustic woodland camp near Springville, Alabama, and Gulftreat, a beach camp at Panama City Beach, Florida.  Both had served well, hosting life-changing experiences for many people.  But the needs of the new Presbytery called for a larger and more central location, updated facilities, better access for the disabled, and the capacity to host larger and more diverse groups than was possible at the existing camps.

Presbytery leaders felt a strong calling to address these needs.  They began to seek a place where their vision could become a reality--an inviting place of natural beauty to serve as a central retreat and sacred space for people in the Presbytery and others of all ages and walks of life.

Years of planning and searching for property culminated in August of 2000, when Presbytery leaders visited a unique piece of land.  What they found not only met their every hope for the new retreat--it also revealed a world of possibilities they hadn't yet envisioned.  Four miles of beautiful waterfront on the Cahaba River and a lake presented a virtual paradise for fishing and canoeing.  Bounding the riverfront was an abundance of old growth, indigenous trees, a rarity in a region where clear-cutting is common.  An unusual diversity of flora and fauna and all the natural treasures of the Cahaba River made for an ideal environmental classroom.  There were excellent sites for residential and recreational facilities to be added with as little impact to the land as possible.  At every turn, there were places where the needs of every potential camper might be met--places for recreation, relaxation, study, fellowship, prayer and worship.  And all of it seemed to belong to a world and time apart--a perfect place to retreat from the stress of modern life and grow closer to God.

As they wandered through the shady woods, far away from the hot, busy world on that August day, the Presbytery visitors knew they had found the home for their new camp.  They could see children playing among the woods and along the water.  They envisioned people relaxing before beautiful vistas of the river, the lake, and the rolling hills.  They saw canoes gliding under a magical canopy of ancient trees.  The more they looked, the more excited and certain they became that their search had ended.

When they made an offer to buy the property, Presbytery leaders were amazed to find that it was owned by two elders of a Presbytery congregation.  And the sellers eased the purchase by waiting for the Presbytery to sell the Covenant Mountain camp, which was accomplished soon after.  Uncannily, many other complex puzzle pieces came together and snapped smoothly into place one after another, paving the way for the purchase and planning of Living River.  Over and over again, God seemed to provide the right people and the right resources at the right time to aid in the birth of Living River.  With God's help and the hard work of many in the Presbytery, Living River is now well on its way to becoming a reality that will serve generations to come.