District Office to Relocate from Grove City to Hocking Hills Retreat Center
After several months of careful discussion, prayer, and planning, the District Advisory Board has reached a significant and forward-looking decision: the District Office will relocate from its current location on Hoover Road in Grove City to the Hocking Hills Retreat Center (HHRC) in Logan. This move represents not only a strategic shift in how our district operates, but also a renewed commitment to stewardship, accessibility, and unity.
The Grove City office has served the district well for many years. The land was a gift from Grove City Church of the Nazarene, and we will always be grateful for the generosity of “The Naz.” The building was constructed by The McKnight Group, at significant savings to the district. It has been a comfortable, spacious, and welcoming environment, and much significant work and many meaningful meetings have taken place there over the years. However, much has changed in recent years—particularly since COVID-19. The patterns of how people work, gather, and seek services have shifted dramatically. Walk-in traffic to the office has decreased significantly, and district staff now routinely work in hybrid or remote formats. As a result, the district office has been used far less than it once was.
Relocating to HHRC addresses these realities while positioning the district for future strength. By establishing the district office at the retreat center, operations that were previously divided between two sites will now be centralized in one location. This creates a more efficient, unified, and collaborative environment for ministry and administration. Just as importantly, the Logan location places the district office closer to the geographical center of the district, improving accessibility for many congregations and leaders. For the foreseeable future, the SCO District Assembly will continue to be held at Grove City, which offers the best facilities for that event.
Financial stewardship also played a major role in the decision. The cost of maintaining the Hoover Road property is substantial, and the resources released through its sale will be a blessing to the district in multiple ways. Not only will these funds make it possible to remodel the HHRC apartment building into the new district office, they will also provide almost 20% of the funding needed to construct the much-anticipated new dining hall at HHRC. This means the move will directly support both administrative effectiveness and the long-term growth of the retreat center’s ministry impact.
We are grateful for the thoughtful dialogue and shared discernment that helped bring us to this point, and we are optimistic about the opportunities this transition will create. The relocation is planned for shortly after the start of the new year, and additional updates will be shared as the process unfolds.
Together, we look forward to this new chapter and the ways it will strengthen our vision to start churches, strengthen churches, and develop leaders across the district.
Eddie Estep
District Superintendent
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