The Rev. Clifton D. Eshbach has been named the interim Director of Camp Nawakwa. A native of Berks County, PA, Pastor Eshbach embarked on a diverse professional journey before answering his call to ordained ministry. After graduating from Conrad Weiser High School in 1973, he pursued an undergraduate degree in Journalism from Penn State University’s Capital Campus, Middletown, PA. He worked as a radio broadcaster and later as a television news journalist for WLYH-TV from 1974 to 1991. Transitioning to the nonprofit sector, he served as Campaign/Communications Director for the United Way of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, from 1991 to 1996. In 2000, he graduated from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and was ordained by Bishop Guy Edmiston, beginning his pastoral ministry at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, McKnightstown. He also served at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd and Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, both in Lancaster, and as an assistant to Bishop B. Penrose Hoover.
Alongside his pastoral duties, Pastor Eshbach has been deeply involved in Lutheran outdoor ministries, serving on the board of directors of the Lutheran Camping Corporation of Central Pennsylvania and directing Camp Nawakwa during his seminary years. He has also been active in global outreach, particularly in the Konde Diocese in Tanzania. In his personal life, Pastor Eshbach finds relaxation and enjoyment in outdoor activities, reading, music, gardening, and spending time with his family. He has been married to Barbara Ellen (Maloney) Eshbach since 2003, and together they have four adult sons and two granddaughters.