What’s with the name?

Ever wonder what the name Delanco means? Well, I have so I decided to do some research on it.

For those of you who don’t already know, Delanco gets its name from the town of Delanco where the camp was founded in 110 years ago under the name Fletcher Grove Camp Meeting Association. The camp moved to its present location, Lake Agape, in 1964. The original camp grounds in Delanco is now the site of a small shopping center.

But what about Delanco? Where does the township get its name.

Does it mean something cool? Is it a native American phrase that translate to spirit or wind? Or another to say thank you?

Unfortunately, it’s nothing like that.

According to the Wikipedia entry on Delanco Township:

Delanco is named after the Delaware River and Rancocas Creek, which border the community. It was originally called Del-Ranco or Delaranco, a portmanteau later shortened to Delanco

So there you have it. Not too exciting really. It’s a wonder the camp’s name wasn’t just changed to Camp Agape or Lake Agape back in the ’60s. For fun, I think we should start calling the camp Del-Ranco. Maybe we could even put it on a T-shirt.

Still, whether it’s Del-Ranco, Fletcher or Delanco Camp at Lake Agape (with an unexplainable apostrophe in the photo of an old staff T-shirt above), one thing is for sure: since 1898 the camp has been unashamedly preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. That fact by any name is something we can all celebrate and work to continue for generations to come.