Edinboro Conference Grounds • Edinboro, PAAbout Us
Edinboro Conference Grounds exists to glorify God by providing opportunities for followers of Christ to strengthen their spiritual walk through sound Biblical teachings and enriching Christian fellowship, and to reach out from a relationally Christ-centered environment to those who have yet to accept Jesus as their Savior and introduce them to Him.
Pastor Jerry Ester |
I grew up just 30 miles from Edinboro Camp on a farm in the little town of Arbuckle, PA. My interest in camping was ignited as a young child while in the Boy Scouts. I always loved our trips to summer camp and the time spent in the wonder of God's creation outdoors. Working at a part time job in an ice cream stand while in high school, I met a beautiful young lady whose parents owned a hunting camp in the Allegheny National Forest area. We spent many weekends at the camp with her family, in the woods looking for deer and bear, or around a campfire watching the moon rise in the evening sky. Our combined love for the outdoors and camping continued after our eventual marriage and the starting of our family together. In the years to come, we would spend as many long weekends as we could camping in the Kinzua Dam area. One year we decided to try camping at our local church camp (Edinboro Conference Grounds). Our entire family immediately fell in love with the beautiful setting and the wonderful people who were staying at the camp. That was the fall of 1987 and we have only missed one year at Family Camp since then. The year we missed, I had just graduated from Bible College and we were uncertain of the future and decided not to leave our jobs down in Georgia to come up to PA. After graduation from Toccoa Falls Bible College in 1998, I accepted an Assistant Pastor position at a Christian & Missionary Alliance church that just happened to be in the Edinboro Conference Grounds area. Thank the Lord we were back to camping at Edinboro Camp. My wife and I served at the camp in various positions every chance we could throughout the years. Six years after moving back to the Erie area to pastor I was offered a position as the camp's first ever full time Director. After some time in prayer my wife and I decided to follow the Lord's leading and accept the position. I am now in my 7th year directing the camp. We feel very blessed to be used by God in this way as an instrument in the radical change of children and young people's lives for the Kingdom of Heaven. As the camp director and only full-time staff individual, my duties are many and varied. I am involved in the day-to-day operation of the camp. Some of my responsibilities include: much of the secretarial duties, the maintenance duties, scheduling of bookings for use by groups outside of the C&MA, planning of our own four season programming, as well as anything else that needs to be done to help the camp continue to be a viable ministry outpost to promote the message of the gospel of Christ Jesus. I thank the Lord for the ministries of this camp and the way they have been instrumental in changing my life, as well as the lives of my wife and children. My prayer is that God would continue to bless all who serve here, and that the camp will continue to have a powerful spiritual impact throughout this region until our Lord returns to call us home. |
Mr. Josh Ester |
Josh came on staff as the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Coordinator in September 2010, however has been involved in Christian camping for years. He is a graduate from Toccoa Falls College with a degree in Outdoor Leadership and Education, and is also a certified Emergency Medical Technician. With Josh’s love for the outdoors you will most likely find him hunting, fishing, rock climbing or backpacking. He loves the Lord and has a passion for helping others come closer to God through the outdoors. |
