Established in 1941, Wabanna Camp and Retreat Center is a non-profit, non-denominational Christian ministry located in Edgewater, Maryland, on a 23-acre point where the Rhode and West Rivers converge into the Chesapeake Bay. Wabanna’s ministry encompasses two primary methods of outreach: a summer Residential and Day Camp for boys and girls, and a Retreat Center ministry that operates through the fall, winter, and spring. Throughout 85 years of gospel ministry, Wabanna’s mission has remained the same: 

To glorify the Lord by using all facets of its ministry to point to the saving love of Jesus Christ and to proclaim the truth of God’s perfect Word.

Day Camp: provides an experience that is fun-filled, action-packed, and gospel-focused. Our day camp offers a robust schedule 8:30am–5:00pm, Monday through Friday. Campers participate in a morning chapel and Bible study daily, where the truth of the gospel is proclaimed! Surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation, day campers engage in all the activities camp has to offer, including sailing on the Rhode River and climbing or swinging from one of our 10 different high elements. Campers enjoy multiple activity times where they can enjoy the thrill of banana boating and the 50’ giant swing, along with the simple excitement of kayaking, gaga ball, crafts, and more.

Overnight Camp: provides an action-packed and spiritually focused traditional-style camp experience. Spanning over a 5-night stay, campers have the opportunity to adventure on our high ropes course and soar down the zip-line, sail on a catamaran, ride the waves on the tube and banana boat, take on their friends in sand volleyball and 9-square-in-the-air, or climb to the top of the rock wall. Throughout their week at Wabanna, overnight campers learn the good news of the gospel of Christ through daily chapel and Bible study. A truly impactful and life-changing week away!

Retreat Ministry: runs throughout the year when our summer camps are not in session. Late August through Memorial Day, Camp Wabanna’s property is filled with school groups, church ministries, and various organizations on retreat as they enjoy all this amazing property has to offer. Our goal is to support retreat groups in a beautiful, comfortable, and convenient environment with a wide array of settings and activities to support the unique goals of each individual retreat group.

In short, we teach the basic truths of the gospel and God’s Word, focusing upon the following five questions: 

1. Who defines the gospel? 

The Gospel is defined by God through the Scriptures and not by man. 

2. Who made us? 

The entire world and everything in it, including YOU, has been created by a holy and righteous God. 

3. So, what is the problem? 

The created (us) have rebelled against the creator (God). This rebellion is called “sin” and this sin is our greatest problem. Sin has separated us from holy God and has placed us under His judgement. 

4. Did God create a solution? 

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth to live the perfect life that we could not live and to sacrificially die the death that we all deserve, so that our relationship with God could be made right again. 

5. How should I respond? 

Confess your need to God, repent of your sin and believe in the eternal promises of Jesus Christ... Turn away from your sin and turn to Jesus Christ! 

Each summer we have the privilege of serving approximately 1,800 campers through our day and overnight camp ministry. These children come from our immediate area, from our larger region, and even from across the country to attend our program. Roughly half are from Christian homes and churches, here to further their understanding of Scripture and faith in Jesus Christ. The other half are completely unchurched, hearing the awesome truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ from us while receiving their very first Bible and training in the Scriptures.

Our retreat ministry is extremely active in serving the local and regional church and school systems, with over 4,500 retreat guests from approximately 100 different organizations each season. Our retreat program routinely serves groups 4–7 days a week, providing us with consistent gospel ministry opportunities year-round.

In the past 10 years, our summer camp ministry has grown into one of the most sought-after programs in the region. We have been sold out since 2021 and have reached summer capacity within minutes of opening online registration since 2022. For summer 2025, we chose to initially limit all camper registrations to one week of overnight camp and one week of day camp to impact the largest possible scope of campers with our gospel ministry.

Within that same time frame, our retreat ministry impact has tripled. We now serve churches, schools, and organizations from around the region 40 weeks a year (August–May) and are booking one year in advance. We often host multiple overlapping groups and are occupied four to seven days a week.

The growth of every aspect of our ministry has put Wabanna Camp & Retreat Center in a position to be completely self-sustaining across all ministries. We do not rely on our faithful donors for critical functions or daily operations, but rather for ministry expansion, program enrichment, and camper financial assistance programs. By the end of 2025, we will also be operating completely debt-free as a nonprofit.

Thanks to the faithful partnership of our dear friends at The Cross Foundation, we were able to complete Phase One (Commercial Kitchen Renovation) in 2021 at a cost of $800,000. We are estimating an additional cost of 5 million dollars to complete all remaining phases of this project. All phases will be sized, timed, and sequenced to minimize ministry impact upon our retreat groups. Our priority is to have no interference upon our summer camp ministry!