Camp Meetings and Long Sermons by C. P. WHITFORD

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 20, 1916

Camp Meetings and Long Sermons

By C. P. WHITFORD

C. P. WHITFORD

AFTER an experience of forty years in attending Seventh-day Adventist camp meetings, and in observing the general effect of long sermons upon the public mind, I am profoundly convinced that such sermons are detrimental to the best interests of the meetings. With this conviction fastened upon me, I feel it my religious duty to invite my brethren in the ministry to give this matter their serious consideration. If I can judge correctly from conversations I have had with our own people, and with the people of the world who have attended our meetings, there are but few persons who can listen attentively to a sermon of more than fifty minutes in length without becoming weary and wishing in their hearts that the minister would close his discourse. That which is said after the people become weary, fails to reach the heart; and under such circumstances not only accomplishes no good, but works positive harm. But some one may say, “It can work no harm, even though it may do no good.” I believe long sermons do harm because, when the mind becomes weary, it relaxes, and as a result of what has previously been said is forgotten, and the extent of forgetfulness is the measure of the harm done.

It is not unusual to see persons go away from meeting when it has continued more than one hour. I have known ministers to be so thoroughly absorbed in the presentation of their subject that they would not notice it if half the congregation left them. Others realize that the people are getting weary because they are being held longer than the allotted time, but having a few more thoughts to present which they regard as very important for the people to consider in connection with what has already been said, and wishing to encourage the congregation to give attention for a few more minutes, they say, “I will read just one more text, and then I will leave the subject with you.”

Just recently at one of our camp meetings I heard something of this kind. But after reading the one text, other texts came to his mind which were too important to pass by; and their importance in the mind of the minister seemed to justify him in reading them, and not only in reading them, but the nature of the texts was such that he felt it important to make extended explanations.

The servant of the Lord has spoken very plainly to Seventh-day Adventist ministers concerning the time which should be occupied in preaching a sermon. It may be that some of our ministering brethren have not noticed what is said in “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. II, page 117, concerning this question. It reads as follows: “In most cases our ministers should not continue their efforts longer than one hour. They should leave preliminaries, and come to the subject at once, and should study to close the discourse while the interest is greatest. They should not continue the effort until their hearers desire them to cease speaking.”

It is the opinion of the writer, and many others, that if sermons were not longer than fifty minutes, more satisfactory results would be seen in hall and tent efforts, and at camp meetings. Were our ministers to close their sermons while the interest is greatest, the attendance and interest in all our gatherings would be increased, and better results would be seen.