Regarding Sunday Morning Beach Access

For 155 years, we have closed our beach on Sunday mornings to honor God — a core pillar of this community since the founding of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association (OGCMA). Now, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is ordering us to open our privately owned beach on Sunday mornings. We are challenging this order to preserve our property rights and religious freedom. Our application for an emergent stay is pending but we have no indication when an Order will be entered. We are currently compelled to comply with the NJDEP order to open the beach but have not ceased nor abandoned our quest to protect our religious and property rights.

In the meantime, the OGCMA has decided to provide lifeguards on Sunday mornings for the safety of beachgoers. We continue to do ministry by providing opportunities for spiritual birth, growth, and renewal through worship, education, and cultural programs. As always, we welcome all to join us in “God’s Square Mile."