Camp Nazarene is a ministry of the Nazarene Baptist Church dedicated to the social, emotional, physical, and spiritual development of children, youth, and families. Our proud home, once a stop on the historic Underground Railroad, is 93 acres of undeveloped land in the beautiful mountains.

We purchased the sprawling farmland, originally owned by Pennsylvania Quakers, in 1926. From 1926 until 1951 the property was maintained by the selling of crops grown, and animals raised, thereon.  These included corn, wheat, oat, and rye crops, and chickens, pigs, and cows. In the 1950’s we moved away from farming as industry and toward the use of the land for youth and family services. A committee was formed to oversee this new venture and thus Camp Nazarene was born.

We are members of Christian Camping International (CCI). Our well-trained staff and highly structured program assist children in their pursuits of developmental goals, and we are known for welcoming youngsters of all backgrounds into our home away from home. Camp Nazarene is Christian camping at its best in God’s great outdoors. It’s the place to which children come to relax and experience peace. It’s “the Natural Place to Grow in Christ.” 

In 1958 Camp Nazarene opened its doors as a one-day Bible Camp. Our evolution from that one-day camp included overnight camping, weekend camping, weekly camping, bi-weekly camping, and eventually a full season of residential summer camping.  

In the early years our sole focus was biblical instruction. We believed then, as we still do today, that a firm Christian foundation is paramount to quality living. We gathered busloads of children, took them off to the countryside, and taught them the word of God. Admittedly, we were limited in our understanding of the total needs of the child, but God was not. Even in the midst of our limitations God showed himself to be powerful, and many lives were change by the work of the camping ministry.

With barely sufficient financial and human resources a handful of Nazarenians committed themselves (time, talent and treasure) to the furtherance of the camping program, and before long dedication to the ministry increased and its outreach expanded.