Our History

Harvey Cedars Bible Conference has a rich and long tradition of serving the Christian community.

In August of 1941 the conference grounds were purchased by evangelist, Jack Murray who was a dynamic leader of the "Summer Bible School" movement, which later became AWANA.  With God’s leading, the conference broadened in outreach and nationally known figures such as Frances Schaeffer, Vernon Grounds, and Jack Wyrtzen frequently spoke here.

Since then Harvey Cedars has been operating as a non-profit Christian conference and retreat center with a ministry that is interdenominational. Over 500 staff alumni have gone out from the Conference to become missionaries, teachers, and pastors across the globe.

The Reverend Al Oldham became the director in 1951, and from 1951 to 1995, Al carried on the ministry. Through the years several buildings were added to the facility, including a dining hall, chapel, lodge, gymnasium and indoor heated pool. In 1994 the gorgeous 24 unit Bay View Lodge was completed. Jonathan S. Oldham became the third Conference director in 1995 and has continued to grow the ministry and oversee extensive facilities improvements. Most recently, the completion of the Davis Center with a state of the art Gymnasium, locker rooms, class/meeting rooms, a Marine Biology Lab and fitness room will position the conference to continue the ministry to teens and families for years to come.

Many consider Harvey Cedars the most beautiful Bible Conference facility on the East Coast.