Chester Heights Campmeeting Association

About us

We were founded in 1872 as "The Philadelphia Camp Meeting and Excursion Society of the Methodist-Episcopal Church." 

This photo is of our main road, with the two girls standing at where it veers off into what we refer to as the Upper Grove Road.

We grew very fast, with 17,915 people attending a daytime excursion in our first year of operation, when

742 children were brought by Philadelphia's John Wannamaker, who then presided as Sunday School Superintendant

for the Bethany Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia.  For more interesting insights, click on our history page.

We later incorporated as a non-profit charitable organization known as "Chester Heights Camp Meeting Association (CHCMA) on about 31 acres.  This is us, today.

Our members vote at our annual meeting, to elect 12 members to our Board of Managers who govern our association. Eight board members are laypeople who must own cottages, and 4 are clergy members.  All are unpaid volunteers.  

Our cottagers officially meet annually to hear reports from our Board of Managers and to conduct other necessary business.  Our cottage annual assessment is voted on during this meeting, and that revenue, plus memorials, donations and love offerings from our concerts and events, fund the entire annual cost of running our camp meeting.

Volunteer help is vital. Our regular Saturday Preservation Work Crew maintains our grounds and buildings to the best of their ability, as our existing manpower allows.

We also receive help from youth groups who use our facility for mission training.  Church and church youth groups are welcome to help, please contact us.