Important Factor During Camp Meeting by W. L. BURGAN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 24, 1916

Important Factor During Camp Meeting

By W. L. BURGAN

An excellent idea of what can be accomplished through the newspapers by reporting the daily proceedings at our camp meetings is given in the following letter that has been received from Elder T. G. Bunch, president of the Southern Idaho Conference:—

“We had a good press committee during our camp meeting in Boise, May 18-28, and they did excellent work in bringing our work before the public through the two dailies of Boise. Almost everything we gave them was printed, with good headlines. We secured considerable space in the two Sunday editions, and illustrated our articles with pictures of tents, ministers, etc.

“Our camp meeting created such an interest that we have moved the large pavilion farther into town, and shall begin a series of meetings Sunday night. I believe the newspaper work is responsible more than anything else for the interest created here, and it is impossible to estimate the good done through this line of work.

“We shall continue to use the newspapers as much as possible during our effort here. The ministers spoke to audiences ranging from 500 to 650 persons at a meeting, while the reported sermon in the newspaper the next day reached people all over the State, as well as in the eastern part of Oregon. It was the means of bringing many prominent people to our meetings, and of causing them to inquire concerning our work.

“After reading the report of Elder S. A. Nagel's lecture on China, the governor told one of our brethren he was sorry he did not hear it, and asked that Elder Nagel visit him, which he did.

“I should like to see in every church a newspaper agent who would consider it a part of his business to take advantage of every opportunity to get notices and reports concerning this message in the papers.”

Elder Bunch has been a strong advocate of the newspaper work during recent years, and has seen some excellent results from his newspaper reporting in the Southern Oregon Conference and in his present territory.

It is hoped that our brethren who are still planning for camp meetings this season will appreciate the importance of using this agency to announce the meetings, and by supplying daily reports of the proceedings to the papers attract strangers to the meetings.

W. L. BURGAN.