Gesstwood Camp & Retreat Centre is an Outreach Ministry of The United Church of Canada in Essex Presbytery.  It is located on 60 acres of Carolinian Forest in Essex County.  The current site was purchased in spring 1959.

Gesstwood Camp & Retreat Centre is accredited by both the United Church of Canada and the Ontario Camping Association

The following information was taken for “A History of Gesstwood”, written in 1975 by several people who were directly responsible for the creation of the camp.

The Retreat and Camp Corporation of Essex Presbytery had its official beginning on June 10, 1960. During the time of purchase, a committee was organized to select a name for the camp. The committee promoted a Presbytery-wide contest, inviting young people under 17 years of age to submit names. One hundred fifty-five different suggestions were submitted. On June 1, 1960 the committee reported that the winner was the person submitting the name “Akita” (The Searcher), but the committee was not prepared to recommend that name for the camp. The Presbytery accepted the report, and authorized that the winner be given the aware (a week at camp) and that the committee consider further a name for the camp. On June 6th of the following year, the committee reported to the Corporation that the name GessTwood was under favourable consideration, and the directors were favourably inclined. It is interesting to note that the name “Gestwood” with only one one of the 155 names submitted in the contest.

It could be agreed that the most meaningful, and perhaps most obvious, symbolism inherent in the word GessTwood, is obtained by taking the first letter (G) and the last two letter (OD) to form the work God (the beginning and the end). The central letter (t) is to appear as nearly as possible in the form of a cross. Aside from spiritual meanings, the word “wood” formed by the last four letters, speaks of the large portion of the property that is wooded. The three letters after the initial letter G, that is “ess” represent the county of Essex. Again, the first three letters “ges” along with the fifth letter “t” and either of the seventh or eighth letters “o” form the name Gesto, the name of the community nearest to the camp.