St. John’s Family Camp History

Inaugurated in 2000 as a cooperative effort between the St. Paisius Missionary School (led by V. Rev. Philip and Popadia Junia Tolbert and V. Rev. Michael and Popadia Christina Oyer of Santa Rosa) and St. John the Wonderworker Orthodox Church, the first guest speaker was the Romanian survivor of Communist prison camps, V. Rev. George Calciu (+2006) of blessed memory, who had been imprisoned in Romanian Communist prison camps for twenty-one years.

Fr. George Calciu speaking at the first Family Camp at Camp Lane in 2000.

The Family Camp in 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2005 (there was no Camp in 2001 or 2002) was at Camp Lane.

From 2006 on, the Camp has been at SKY (Springfield Kiwanis Youth) Camp (there was no Camp in 2011 or 2012).

SKY Camp on Fall Creek Lake.

Download or View Directions to the St. John Family Camp Location

Other guests over the years have been His Eminence Archbishop Michael of New York and New Jersey (2016), Abbot Damascene of St. Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina, CA (2006), V. Rev. Ilija Balach (2008), V. Rev. Josiah Trenham (2009), V. Rev. Michael Oyer (2000-2014), V. Rev. Philip Tolbert (2000-2014), V. Rev. Serafim Gascoigne (2007, 2013, & 2015), Professor Christopher Veniamin (2014), author Klaus Kenneth (2014), and Abbot Tryphon of All-Merciful Saviour Monastery in Vashon Island, WA (2015).