What is the Camino?
The Camino de Santiago (the "Way of St. James") is a network of ancient pilgrimage routes across Spain that all lead to one place: the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, where tradition holds that the remains of the apostle James are buried. Over 500,000 people walked the Camino in 2025, and it continues to grow in popularity and international influence.
Pilgrims from all over the world walk for several days to several weeks. They walk over mountains, across rivers, through forests, on cobblestones, gravel, and highways, into small villages and large cities all to end in Santiago de Compostela. They encounter physical and mental challenges while enjoying deep social comradery and the culture and beauty of Spain.
Evangelism on the Camino
The Camino provides an amazing opportunity for evangelism.
People have walked these paths for over a thousand years — originally for purely religious reasons, to make themselves right before God through their own effort. Today, motivations to walk the Camino range from desiring spiritual connection, healing after a loss, having space to process, discovering themselves, pursuing adventure, challenging themselves, etc. No matter their reason for walking, pilgrims are searching for answers and purpose. They have very little to distract them and plenty of time for conversations. We get to meet them along the way in their search and help point them to Jesus as the answer.
The pilgrim center provides an excellent place to connect with them, as it lies on one of the most popular routes. Our vision for the Pilgrim Center is to be a place where pilgrims are warmly welcomed, shown genuine hospitality, and encouraged as they journey toward Christ.
The Impact of the Camino
Joseph was able to help lead a group on the Camino de Santiago in the spring of 2024. The video shows some of what walking the Camino practically looks like while including testimonies of the impact it had on those who went.
One of our responsibilities will be to help lead more of these groups. We are so excited for this opportunity because we truly believe that walking the Camino can help draw believers closer to Jesus while giving them opportunities to share their faith with others.
Both of us were also able to walk the Camino together in the Spring of 2025 as a vision trip. It was very impactful in our lives and helped to confirm our calling to be a part of this ministry.