Crossings begins biggest summer season ever with 27,000 campers expected

This summer will be the biggest summer ever for Crossings Camps, which open this week and continue through the summer.

Lance Howerton, president of Crossings, said 27,000 campers, from third graders through high school seniors, are registered to attend Cedarmore and Jonathan Creek.

A large retreat is this week at Jonathan Creek, and the summer program starts Friday at Cedarmore.

"We've hired about 200 summer staff, and we're fully staffed for the first time in years," Howerton said. Full-time staff numbers about 48 people.

Camps are fully booked for this summer with about 2,800 campers on the waiting list. This summer's camps were fully booked before last summer's camp season ended.

In addition, Crossings hosts two camps in Tennessee (Carson Springs in east Tennessee and Linden Valley in west Tennessee), as well as a camp north of Washington, D.C. for the Maryland-Delaware Baptist Convention. A number of Ohio churches send campers to Cedarmore.

Crossings also hosts day camps in eastern Kentucky from June 2-20. Those are located in East Bernstadt, Pikeville and East Barbourville.

There will be 17 different camp pastors serving throughout the summer at the Crossings locations. The camp pastors include Hershael York, Kris Billiter, Tim Harris, Andrew Eaton, Caleb Davis and Corey Cunningham