Cross-Shaped Pier In Ocean Grove Temporarily Closed

OCEAN GROVE, NJ — The controversial cross-shaped pier in Ocean Grove is temporarily closed this December.

The pier is closed only because a single piling is loose, the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association announced Dec. 12 on their Facebook page. They did not give a date when it will re-open.

The public pier opened in April to some controversy: It was deliberately designed in the shape of a Christian cross, which some argue is a religious symbol that should not be in a public space.

Some local residents filed complaints about the pier with the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). One Ocean Grove resident, Douglas Grote, previously said he never would have donated $50 to fund the pier's construction had he first seen a rendering of how it would look.

Camp Meeting Association president Michael Badger said the DEP never once took issue with the shape of the pier and approved a rendering back in 2021. He said the pier is also designed in a "T" shape to withstand strong storms.

The Camp Meeting Association is a Methodist non-profit that owns all the land in Ocean Grove, including the beach and and the public pier. Ocean Grove started as a Methodist seaside summer retreat.

The traditional, conservative Christian Camp Meeting Association often clashes with the state of New Jersey:

In the past year, the NJ DEP has been threatening to fine Ocean Grove thousands of dollars for keeping their beaches closed on Sunday mornings (so town residents can attend church, Ocean Grove says). The state of NJ says beaches have to be open to the public 24/7.

Additionally, a yoga class was once not allowed to be taught on the Ocean Grove boardwalk; the town never said why.

In 2007, the Camp Meeting Association refused to give two lesbian women permission when they applied for a permit to get married on the boardwalk. The Methodist group said civil unions violate Christian doctrine against same-sex marriage. The couple sued and in 2012, a state administrative law judge ruled the Camp Meeting Association was breaking New Jersey's law against discrimination.

In response, the Camp Meeting Association now does not allow any weddings at all to be held at its boardwalk pavilion. The town right next to Ocean Grove is Asbury Park, an LGBTQ+ hub.

Ocean Grove 'Singled Out' By State For Sunday Beach Closure: Church (Sept. 2023)

Pier In Shape Of Cross Stirs Up Anger In Jersey Shore Town (August 2022)

Judge Rules In Favor Of Same-Sex Couple In Ocean Grove Discrimination Case (2012)