Hundreds Pray For Beloved Pastor Fighting Critical Illness

The pastor who took thousands of Spokane children to summer camp over the last 35 years is critically ill in Sacred Heart Medical Center.

The Rev. C.E. Hamp, 81, has been in the intensive-care unit for a week, since a blood vessel in his head burst, causing his brain to swell.

An outpouring of support from the community has been overwhelming, said Hamp’s son, James. Hundreds of people have called the hospital, the family’s home and the Full Gospel Mission for all Nations, the church Hamp founded in 1960.

Flowers, not allowed in the intensive-care unit, are turned away from the hospital daily. The family has resorted to recording daily updates on the answering machine in Hamp’s home to keep well-wishers informed.

“There’s a waiting room here at the hospital that has basically turned into a prayer room,” James Hamp said. “Response has just been overly excellent.”

Of all the gifts and calls, prayer has been the gesture that most touches the family, the pastor’s son said.

“That’s what he needs to get through this whole thing,” James Hamp said.

The Rev. Hamp founded his church in Spokane’s East Central neighborhood in 1960, to minister to the down and out.

In the early years, he was the only one in the congregation with a car. He drove families to the grocery store, doctor appointments and picked up people before services.

As a mission church, Hamp gave away food, money and clothing to anyone who asked.

He retired as pastor in 1994, but retains the title of bishop and leader of the church. He lives in a church-owned house, but collects no salary.

Hamp has continued to run his annual summer camp for poor children, known as Hamp’s Camp.

James Hamp moved back to Spokane to help his father with the endeavor, which requires year-round fund raising.

Hamp got donations from dozens of local businesses to send roughly 100 children to spend a week at the lake.

The bill was about $6,000 in the early 1960s, when the group went to Newman Lake, and $20,000 in recent years for a week at Liberty Lake.

Hamp’s wife, Ruth, is well-known as the founder for the March for Jesus, an annual spring event in downtown Spokane.

The family hopes the popular pastor will move out of intensive care this week. His recovery will be a long journey, his son said.

The injury has caused paralysis and loss of speech, James Hamp said.

“Once he’s in rehab, that’s when he’s going to need a lot of love and affection and encouragement,” he said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo