Since 1959, Johnsonburg has hosted summer camp, retreats, leadership development opportunities, and community-forming opportunities. Perhaps you have grown in your faith and personhood because of Johnsonburg.

In celebration of 60 years of ministry, and looking to the future, The Development Committee of the Board has established The Cedars, a legacy gift society at Johnsonburg. Please consider including Johnsonburg in your planned giving. There are many options! For more information, contact Elise Bates Russell at 908-852-2349.

Why The Cedars?

The size and longevity of the cedar tree symbolizes strength, and in    Lebanon, the tree serves as an important cultural symbol for that reason. Poets and artists have conveyed the tree as a sign of strength and eternity, especially given the tree’s endurance through tumultuous periods of history. Cedar trees have been present at Camp Johnsonburg since the beginning.

The drooping boughs of the cedar tree, which often touch the ground and create a shelter around the tree, certainly suggest protectiveness, and some American Indians saw the red cedar as a symbol of protectiveness.

Multiple allusions to the cedar tree are made in the Bible, and one of the most meaningful occurs in the Book of Ezekiel, where the cedar’s deep-reaching roots are said to be the cause of its grandeur: “Therefore [the] height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and [the] boughs were multiplied, and [the] branches became long because of the multitude of waters.”

The ability of the cedar to tap deep-flowing waters inaccessible to other trees and to, therefore, become “exalted above all the trees of the field” again alludes to the cedar tree as a symbol of wisdom.