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Camp St. Christopher: More Over a Decade of Ministry

Camp St. Christopher is a camp for Orthodox youth between the ages of 8 and 18.


Camp St. Christopher was launched by Father David Wooten in 2015 under the Orthodox Church in America’s Diocese of the South. Since that time, the camp has been shepherded and stewarded by many faithful clergy and laity.


The camp took a hiatus due to COVID, starting in 2020, and returned in 2023. In 2025, Camp St. Christopher launched as a 501(c)3 under the leadership of Patrick Prentice. The board of directors includes Patrick Prentice as CEO and Camp Director, Father David Galloway as overseeing priest, and Katie Sheppard as Camp Co-Director.


The camp location has changed over the years. Most recently, the camp has been held out of Orange Springs Retreat in Hawthorn, Florida. We hope to make this camp facility our home for the foreseeable future.


In addition to our week-long summer camp, we also hold a Winter Retreat for middle school and high schoolers. The Winter retreat takes place at Wekiva Springs around Old Calendar Theophany. It includes primitive camping and a blessing of the waters. It is a chance for our Camp St. Christopher kids to re-engage.


Why is St. Christopher our Patron Saint of the camp? 


When Camp St. Christopher launched in 2015, the camp facility was on a river. Our camp founders prayed that the kids attending would meet Christ at that river, the same way that St. Christopher met Christ at the river. 


Saint Christopher’s name means “Christ-bearer.” According to Church tradition, he was a very strong man who wanted to serve the greatest king in the world. At first, he served powerful rulers, but he learned that even they were not all-powerful and feared evil. In time, he came to know that Jesus Christ is the true King over all who fear no evil and has conquered death. After he became a Christian, Saint Christopher used his strength to help others.


One story tells how he helped people cross a dangerous river. One night, he carried a small child across the water. As he walked, the child became heavier and heavier. When they reached the other side, the child revealed that He was Christ, and that Christopher had carried the weight of the whole world by carrying Him. This is why Saint Christopher is called the “Christ-bearer.”


Saint Christopher later preached about Christ and refused to worship false gods. Because of this, he was arrested and tortured. Even while suffering, he stayed faithful and encouraged others to believe in Jesus. In the end, he gave his life as a martyr.


We honor Saint Christopher as an example of courage, faith, and love for Christ, and remember him as one who truly carried Christ in his heart and actions. We pray that Christ and St. Christopher will intervene in our children’s lives – carrying them through difficulties and bringing them safely to the other side. We pray that through St. Christopher’s witness, and God’s work in this camp, many children will meet Christ and likewise become Christ bearers to this world, faithfully bearing witness to the truth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

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