Are the tides turning against a beach community’s generations-old practice?
Nestled inside Neptune Township, Christian seaside resort Ocean Grove’s land is privately owned. The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, a Methodist organization, closes its sands until noon on 30% of Sunday mornings in honor of church services.
The Murphy Administration insists that’s not legsl. Last week, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) issued a Notice of Violation to the association’s leadership over the practice.
The notice, penned and signed by NJDEP Region Supervisor Robert Clark, warned Columbo that Ocean Grove had 10 days to respond, and recommended that the association “engage in compliance discussions with the Bureau of Coastal and Land Use Compliance & Enforcement” to resolve the matter.
This Notice of Violation was issued nearly one month after Ocean Grove was served a warning letter on Aug. 10, 2023, which claimed the town was non-compliant with the state’s policy to allow public access to the ocean and wet sand.
Established in 1869, the Association’s espoused goal is, “rooted in its Methodist Heritage, is to provide opportunities for spiritual birth, growth, and renewal through worship, educational, cultural, and recreational programs for persons of all ages in a Christian seaside setting.”
Ocean Grove’s unique set up is no stranger to controversy. In 2012, the community was accused of violating the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination when a lesbian couple was denied their request to hold a 2007 civil union committment ceremony on the boardwalk.
