Welcome to Camp Haluwasa

Haluwasa Christian Camp & Retreat Center offers the ultimate experience for Christian summer camping programs, year-round youth retreats, special events, guest retreats and guest day events.

Since 1955, Camp Haluwasa has been sharing the Gospel with many thousands of children and adults while providing a place where people can come and draw close to the our Creator. Ha-Lu-Wa-Sa stands for "Hallelujah, What A Savior!"

Our summer camping programs combine a lot of fun with enjoyable mental, physical, and team building challenges. A Christ-centered life-building emphasis is also an important part of our program that many young people call the "Ultimate Christian Camping Experience". Our Day Camp program is made up of super daytime fun for kids ages 6 to 14. Haluwasa also hosts year-round youth events, family events, and guest retreats. Haluwasa has been faithfully serving South Jersey families for over half a century!

Haluwasa’s Ministry Philosophy

Haluwasa is all about serving campers. Having an enjoyable summer camping ministry program that’s rewarding for both our campers and summer staff members is our goal.

While making everyone comfortable here, we want our campers to have lots of fun, make good Christian friends, and become the “real stars” of our games and other camp activities.

The concept of “SANCTUARY” is critical. The world with its unmistakable anti-God philosophy bombards young people with its sin-inducing and personally destructive influences. Making matters worse, some of our campers come from difficult home and family situations. Providing campers with a secure and loving atmosphere and one that is free from worldly influences allows the Holy Spirit the best opportunity to work in young hearts and lives.

Camper and summer staff “SAFETY” is important! We do everything possible to protect our campers and Staff and keep them safe. As Scripture commands, we seek to keep all our thoughts and conversations positive and God-honoring. We’re super careful to limit our physical contact with other staff members and campers – and to eliminate unnecessary horseplay.

Most importantly “WE SHARE GOD’S LOVE” with our campers and demonstrate solid spiritual leadership. This includes giving campers affirming companionship, loving care, sharing our personal testimony, teaching and answering questions from God’s Word, worshipping with our campers, and providing them with the example of a God-honoring lifestyle. We encourage our campers to open and read God’s Word and memorize scripture.

Key to a great summer of ministry at Haluwasa is to serve with these goals “in focus.” God’s Word teaches us that if we truly want to serve Him we will make some sacrifices. And the end result is amazing! Boys and girls are built up spiritually in so many wonderful ways each summer. Many trust in Jesus as their personal Savior and others commit to serve the Lord with their lives. In every event – God touches every young person who comes to Camp Haluwasa!

Haluwasa Leadership

Bill is the eldest son of a pastor and missionaries, Rev. Charles & Lucy Ellwanger. At age 12 he was befriended and mentored by Dr. Lance B. Latham, co-founder of the Awana ministry. Growing up Bill attended the Church of the Open Door and later, Cedar Grove Church, both in Philadelphia, PA.

Throughout his life, Bill has been a part of a variety of youth and children’s ministries including being a Sunday school teacher, a teen ministry director, a Bible Club leader, a Christian school teacher, and director of the a Christian Service Brigade program at Calvary Baptist Church in Bristol, Pennsylvania. 

Bill is a graduate of the Philadelphia Biblical University with a Bachelors Degree in Bible. He has a Masters Degree in Bible History from Trinity Southwest University and is presently a candidate for a Ph.D. in Bible History and Biblical Archaeology at TSU.

In 1967 Bill founded an organization to produce films and videos for Christian organizations. To help defer the costs of productions for these ministries, Bill also produced projects for secular companies including television commercials and promotional shows for Hoover Vacuum & Appliances, Campbell’s Soups, Herr’s Snack Foods, Dupont, MAB Paint, the Smithsonian Institute, and others.

Over a period of 30 years, Bill has produced hundreds of films and videos for Christian schools & colleges, Christian camps, rescue missions, foreign missions organizations, and others. In recent years, Bill produced videos for the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, including a feature-length production entitled “Zvi” which won a “Silver Angel Award” in a Hollywood based, national competition for inspirational media.

Bill is also an avid part-time Biblical historian and archaeologist. He has traveled and studied extensively in Bible lands including Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. He is a past president and a board member of The Associates for Biblical Research, a Biblical Archaeology and Research ministry located in Akron, Pennsylvania.

Bill was invited to become a member of Haluwasa’s board in 1996. Having demonstrated a desire to reach young people for the Lord, and with a leadership experience in Christian ministry, management, and finance, Bill was asked to become president and executive director of Haluwasa in 1997.

Haluwasa has grown as a ministry in many ways in recent years and Bill is always the first to say – “It is God who is accomplishing what is being done here because Haluwasa is close to His heart. What could please God more than seeing many boys and girls trust His Son as their Savior here each year? What could delight Him more than having young people learn how important it is to seek Him daily in prayer and open their Bible to find guidance and direction for their lives? That’s what Haluwasa is really all about and we want to keep it that way until Jesus comes!"

 Haluwasa Mission Statement

By providing camping for youth, hosting year-round youth events and retreats, and through a variety of hospitality-based programs, the mission of Haluwasa, Inc. is to share the Gospel Message of God's Word, to encourage individuals to trust in Jesus as their  personal Savior, and to teach believers important Biblical concepts that will help the reach their full spiritual potential in the Lord.

Haluwasa Doctrinal Statement

We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Old and New Testaments (2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 16: 12-13).   

We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14). 

We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His substitutionary atonement for sin, His bodily resurrection from the grave (John 1:1-2, 14; Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 2:24). 

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin, the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 5:12).  

We believe that salvation is the gift of God, brought to man by grace, and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:12; Ephesians 2:8-10). 

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; Romans 8:1, 38-39). 

We believe that God gives spiritual gifts to all believers, but that speaking in tongues and the working of sign oracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:7-12). 

We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin, and the open and declared enemy of God and man (Job 1:6-7; Matthew 4:2-11). 

We believe in the personal, imminent, pertribulational and premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ: for His redeemed ones, and subsequently, to establish his millennial kingdom (Zechariah 14:4-11; 1Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18; Revelation 20:1-6). 

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13).

Camp Haluwasa Testimonials

"Camp Haluwasa is an amazing place. I went there as a child and my daughter now goes. I was saved at Camp Haluwasa when I was 8 years old I will never forget it." - Michelle M.

"I attended Haluwasa, worked here as a young adult. It had an enormous impact on my life and I recommend it wholeheartedly! The counselors and staff provide a caring environment for children while they (camp) in the Jersey Pines and learn about Jesus. Whatever the highest rating is, double it~!" - Holly K.

"The most amazing Christian Camp around. So much to do while you are learning about Jesus. I went here as a child and now send my son. It's a blessing to have this camp around!" - Sharon P.

"Haluwasa has changed me so much. I've gone for as long as I can remember and I always felt loved. This camp is like a safe house. You know that you cant get hurt here. I will recommend this camp to anyone and everyone. I love haluwasa"
- Amy R.

"SUPER (CAMP)! I went there as a kid, my younger brother, nieces and nephews have gone and my son has gone since kindergarten. My Dad said that every kid needs to go to Haluwasa - that is why he sent so many kids." - Dianne H.

"I went here a a child and i just dropped my son off yesterday for his third year. He loves it as much as I do. I have so many great memories and would recommend it for every child." - Michelle M.