Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association is a 156-year-old nonprofit Christian camp meeting organization in Ocean Grove, NJ, operating the historic 6,250-seat Great Auditorium, 114-unit tent community, worship, music, youth, retreat, and beach recreation programs funded primarily by donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1869
- HeadquartersOcean Grove, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association does
The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association (OGCMA) is a nonprofit Christian camp meeting organization founded in 1869 and chartered in 1870 by the New Jersey State Legislature as a place of perpetual worship. Headquartered at 54 Pitman Avenue in Ocean Grove, NJ, it operates one of the oldest continuously active camp meeting sites in the United States and was designated a State and National Historic District in 1975 for possessing the most extensive Victorian and early-20th-century architecture collection in the country. OGCMA runs a year-round ministry of worship, music, youth, educational, and recreational programming anchored by the 1894 Great Auditorium (6,250-seat capacity) and its Hope-Jones/Shaw pipe organ, alongside a tent/cottage community of 114 licensed units housing multi-generational families.
Its service portfolio spans worship services (Sundays in the Great Auditorium, Beach Church, True Vine Experience, Gospel Music Ministries), music programming (Choir Festival, Summer Stars Classical Concert Series, organ recitals), youth ministries (Thornley Chapel, Sandpipers, Riptide, Junior Lifeguards, performing arts), recreational facilities (tennis, shuffleboard, Fitness Faith & Fun, beach access), Grove Hall Retreat & Conference Center, and The HUB Christian Books & Gifts retail store. Underlying technology is minimal: a Squarespace CMS website, live and on-demand worship streaming with deaf interpretation, and webcam monitoring of the pier and beach.
Revenue is generated from donations and planned giving (primary), beach badge sales, program and membership fees (tennis, shuffleboard, fitness, Junior Lifeguards), tent and cottage licensing fees, facility rentals, and retail. The organization is governed by a 46-member Board of Trustees (26 full plus associate/emeritus/honorary), with charter requirements that at least 10 trustees be clergy and 10 be lay members of the United Methodist Church. It employs a President, COO, Director of Finance & Administration, Program Director, and a staff of roughly 17 named personnel across operations, development, finance, programs, and facilities.
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association
- Legal name
- Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association
- Website
- https://oceangrove.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1869
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association is a 156-year-old nonprofit Christian camp meeting organization in Ocean Grove, NJ, operating the historic 6,250-seat Great Auditorium, 114-unit tent community, worship, music, youth, retreat, and beach recreation programs funded primarily by donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Religious Community and Camp Meeting Services
- NAICS
- Religious Organizations (8131), Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)
- SIC
- Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Conference Retreat Hotels (THAGALAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Eco-Camps & Sustainable Camping Retreats (THAGAOAE)
Keywords
Where Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ocean Grove
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Giving: The organization relies heavily on donations from supporters, members of the tent/cottage community, and visitors who contribute to sustaining the ministry. This includes planned giving programs and general fund donations.
- Beach Badge Sales: Revenue from beach access badges required for visitors to access the Ocean Grove beach.
- Program Fees: Fees for various programs including youth ministries, fitness classes, tennis, shuffleboard, junior lifeguards, and other recreational activities.
- Retail Operations: The HUB Christian Books & Gifts store generates revenue through merchandise sales.
- Facility Rentals: Grove Hall Retreat & Conference Center hosts groups for retreats and conferences. Tent and cottage licensing fees from the 114 tent/cottage community members.
- Program Director Employment: The organization employs staff including a Program Director (starting salary $80k), seasonal workers, and various ministry staff.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Program Director annual salary starting at $80,000 with comprehensive benefits |
| Subscription | Annual | Shuffleboard Club annual membership |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tennis court memberships and fees |
| Subscription | Seasonal | Fitness, Faith & Fun fitness class memberships |
| Unit Pricing | Seasonal | Junior Lifeguard program fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association operates a historic Christian seaside camp meeting community on the New Jersey shore, offering worship services, music programs, youth ministry, Bible study, retreats, beach access, and recreational facilities. Its central asset is the 1894 Great Auditorium (6,250 seats) housing the 1907 Hope-Jones/Shaw pipe organ, which anchors Sunday worship, concerts, and cultural programming from spring through fall. The organization sells beach badges, runs tennis/shuffleboard/fitness programs, operates a Christian books and gifts retail store, and rents Grove Hall for retreats and conferences.
Product overview
The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association operates as a Christian seaside community ministry offering a unified portfolio of worship, educational, cultural, and recreational programs. The core offering centers on the historic Great Auditorium (built 1894) and its Hope-Jones/Shaw pipe organ, which hosts Sunday worship services and concerts. Related programs include the HUB Welcome Center (Christian books and gifts), the Grove Hall Retreat & Conference Center, and comprehensive youth ministry with performing arts. Recreational offerings encompass beach facilities, tennis (clay and hard courts), shuffleboard, and the Fitness Faith & Fun program. The organization also coordinates annual events including Independence Weekend, Illumination Night, and the new Sand & Sea Arts Festival. The Event Calendar serves as the primary digital hub connecting visitors to all programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The HUB: Welcome center and Christian books and gifts retail store located at 27 Pilgrim Pathway
- Grove Hall Retreat & Conference Center
- Gospel Music Ministries (GMM)
- True Vine Experience
- Youth Temple
- Thornley Chapel
- Junior Lifeguards
- Fitness Faith & Fun
- Summer Stars Classical Concert Series
- Ocean Grove Beautification Project
Products and services
- Great Auditorium Worship and Concert Venue Historic 1894 wooden auditorium with acclaimed acoustics (compared by Leonard Bernstein to Carnegie Hall) and the Hope-Jones/Shaw pipe organ, hosting Sunday worship services, organ recitals, concerts, and cultural events from June through September. Open to worship attendees, concertgoers, and tour visitors.
- Sunday and Weekday Worship Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Great Auditorium seating capacity of 6,250 persons for worship services
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered secondary, core and minor.
- Ocean Grove Area Chamber of CommercesecondaryThe Chamber is hosting the new Sand & Sea Arts Festival on June 13, 2026, presented in partnership with OGCMA. This new festival replaces the OGCMA's Giant Craft Fair after 40+ years.
- St. Paul's Ocean Grove Church (SPOGC)coreOGCMA and St. Paul's Ocean Grove Church co-provide the Beach Church worship experience at the Boardwalk Pavilion from May through September. Pastors from SPOGC serve as speakers on various Sundays, including Rev. Joseph Tiedemann (Senior Pastor).
- McLaren Engineering GroupminorEngineering firm retained to investigate structural issues with the OGCMA pier extension. Conducted inspections including certified diver underwater observations and design/construction documentation review.
- God Square MilesecondaryMusicians from God Square Mile band feature in the True Vine Experience worship program on select Saturday evenings in the Great Auditorium.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ridgecrest Conference Center (LifeWay): Operated by LifeWay Christian Resources (Southern Baptist), Ridgecrest is one of the largest Christian conference centers in the U.S. Comparable as a faith-based conference and retreat venue with summer programming, music events, and youth camps, though denominationally broader and larger in scale.
- Chautauqua Institution: A historic 19th-century lakeside community in western New York offering summer programming in religion, arts, education, and recreation. Comparable as a long-established planned Victorian-era summer community combining worship, classical music, education, and recreation — though broader in scope than OGCMA's Wesleyan-Holiness focus.
Direct peers
- Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center: Owned by the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church, Lake Junaluska is a year-round Methodist conference, retreat, and assembly center in western North Carolina. Directly comparable as a UMC-affiliated conference/retreat venue offering worship, music, youth programming, and recreation.
- Montreat Conference Center: A Presbyterian-affiliated conference center in the mountains of North Carolina, offering year-round retreat, conference, and youth programming. Comparable as a historic mainline-Protestant conference and retreat venue with worship, music, and educational programming.
- Kanuga Conference Center: An Episcopal conference, retreat, and summer camp center in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Comparable as a historic mainline-Protestant conference center offering worship, youth programming, retreat facilities, and outdoor recreation — though denominationally distinct from OGCMA's UMC identity.
- Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association: Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association (MVCMA) operates the Wesleyan Grove Camp Meeting on Martha's Vineyard — the most direct historical analog to OGCMA as a 19th-century Methodist camp meeting community with a Tabernacle, surrounding tent community, and continuing summer religious programming. Same denomination origin, same camp-meeting model, same seasonal coastal-resort positioning.
- Stony Point Center: A Presbyterian conference and retreat center in Stony Point, New York. Comparable as a Northeast-based faith-based conference and retreat venue offering overnight accommodations, worship space, and programming for church and nonprofit groups.
- Epworth by the Sea: A United Methodist conference and retreat center on St. Simons Island, Georgia. Directly comparable as a UMC-affiliated coastal retreat center offering worship, conference, and youth programming in a seaside setting analogous to OGCMA's Jersey Shore location.
Regional players
- Westminster Highlands Camp & Retreat Center: A Presbyterian-affiliated camp and retreat center in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina offering year-round hospitality, summer camps, and retreat programming. Comparable as a faith-based retreat and recreation venue, though regionally distinct from OGCMA's coastal Northeast base.
Emerging players
- Pine Lake Fellowship Center: A United Methodist camp and retreat center in Iowa offering summer camps, retreats, and outdoor ministry. Comparable as a UMC-affiliated camp and retreat facility, though smaller in scale and historically less significant than OGCMA.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association social profiles
Digital presenceOcean Grove Camp Meeting Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association
What does Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association do?
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association operates a historic Christian seaside camp meeting community on the New Jersey shore, offering worship services, music programs, youth ministry, Bible study, retreats, beach access, and recreational facilities. Its central asset is the 1894 Great Auditorium (6,250 seats) housing the 1907 Hope-Jones/Shaw pipe organ, which anchors Sunday worship, concerts, and cultural programming from spring through fall. The organization sells beach badges, runs tennis/shuffleboard/fitness programs, operates a Christian books and gifts retail store, and rents Grove Hall for retreats and conferences.
Is Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association a public or private company?
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association founded?
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association was founded in 1869. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association based?
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association is headquartered in Ocean Grove, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Giving is the primary driver. The others are beach Badge Sales, program Fees, retail Operations, facility Rentals and program Director Employment.
Who are Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ridgecrest Conference Center (LifeWay) and Chautauqua Institution. Direct peers are Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center, Montreat Conference Center, Kanuga Conference Center, Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association, Stony Point Center and Epworth by the Sea. Westminster Highlands Camp & Retreat Center is listed as a regional player. Pine Lake Fellowship Center is listed as an emerging player.
Does Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association.
What industry is Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association in?
Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association's product category is Religious Community and Camp Meeting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAGALAG, Conference Retreat Hotels, with a secondary code of THAGAOAE, Eco-Camps & Sustainable Camping Retreats. Its NAICS code is 8131 and its SIC code is 7000.