St. Marys camp expects to finish the building in October 2027
Cross Oak Camp & Retreat Center broke ground Oct. October 6th on a new dormitory that will add 72 bunk beds to its 60-acre campus. Construction is expected to finish in October 2027.
Demand for the camp has grown quickly since 2023. Cross Oak hosted 48 groups in 2024 and 101 in 2025. Most were churches, schools, nonprofits, and businesses from Ohio and Indiana, and many came to Cross Oak after the camp they used to book closed its doors.
Today the camp sleeps more than 300 people. Leaders started planning the dorm about three years ago, when it became clear that sleeping space was one of the camp’s most pressing needs.
“This groundbreaking comes out of years of prayer, planning, sacrifice, and generosity,” said John Schwieterman, camp director at Cross Oak. “We believe God is doing something here, and this building is part of it.”
Garmann Miller designed the dormitory. The Northwestern Ohio District Church of the Nazarene, which owns the camp, is funding the project along with individual donors.
The new building is the latest in a long line of additions. Western Ohio Nazarenes bought the land in 1947 as raw, wooded acreage and brought in old military barracks to serve as the first dorms, dining hall, and meeting spaces. Children’s camps began in 1950. Over the following decades the camp added a swimming pool, a gymnasium, and the West Dining Room. After 2008 it built another dormitory with meeting space, along with cottages and inns for adults and families.
Fundraising for the new dorm is ongoing. Camp leaders are asking supporters to give and to pray for safety throughout construction. Donations to the 2026 New Dormitory Fund can be made at https://secure.myvanco.com/L-Z5AE/campaign/C-15D5D.
About Cross Oak Camp & Retreat Center
Cross Oak Camp & Retreat Center is a year-round Christian camp and retreat center in St. Marys, Ohio, owned by the Northwestern Ohio District Church of the Nazarene. Founded in 1947, the camp hosts children’s and youth camps, church retreats, family reunions, and day events. Its facilities include a 900-seat auditorium, meeting space for up to 350, a gymnasium, an outdoor pool, and a full-hookup RV park. Learn more at crossoakcamp.com.
Media Contact:
John Schwieterman, Camp Director
john.schwieterman@crossoakcamp.com
(419) 792-2815
