The Camp Meetings in the Central Union Conference by R. A. UNDERWOOD

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 30, 1915

The Camp Meetings in the Central Union Conference

By R. A. UNDERWOOD

THE camp meetings this season in the Central Union have been most excellent meetings, with a good attendance of our people, and, as a rule, a very fair outside attendance, especially in Missouri, where the camp was located so that the people could walk to the meeting. A good interest was awakened, and Elders J. S. Rouse and F. L. Limerick, who are following up the interest, are having good congregations.

The last general meeting in the union was held in Kansas, September 2-12, in a beautiful grove at the edge of town. It was remarked by our general men in attendance that few camp meetings they had attended were so nicely arranged, in the layout of the ground and in the sanitary arrangements for the camp. There cannot be too much importance placed upon the sanitary conditions of the grounds upon which we invite our brethren to come and spend ten days. Elder MacLay and his committee took every precaution possible, but no more than was necessary to protect the health of the campers.

The meeting was a strong one from beginning to end. Prof. C. S. Longacre, Dr. Percy T. Magan, and Elder F. W. Paap were with us more or less of the time. The union laborers were Elders

John Christian and W. W. Ruble, Prof. H. A. Morrison, Brother J. H. McEachern, and the writer. There were about nine hundred Sabbath keepers encamped on the ground.

The work in the conference has prospered during the past year in a marked degree. About three hundred have embraced the truth. Fifty-five dear souls were baptized at the camp meeting. About twenty-five hundred dollars' worth of our books was sold to our brethren, about twenty-five hundred dollars was raised for local needs, and about ten thousand dollars was donated for foreign missions, in pledges and cash. The Sabbath school donations for the two Sabbaths were $845. Two of our brethren were ordained, A. T. Wilson and P. F. Richard. Kansas has the largest number of young people within its borders of any conference in the union, and has, therefore, great possibility of growth and prosperity. The universal feeling among the laborers and churches is that it was a great blessing to have this field united into one conference a year ago. More has been accomplished, and the laborers are of splendid courage. The Lord has been blessing them in their work. Our brethren and sisters go from this meeting loaded with publications, and with a purpose to do more missionary work than ever before.

No public effort was made to raise means in behalf of Union College or the Clinton German Seminary at any of our camp meetings this season. In a few cases some private donations were given for these institutions. Elder John Christian labored most untiringly in all these meetings, but his efforts and the efforts of those in attendance were to strengthen the local work and to secure as large funds as possible for foreign mission work. Brother Christian remained in Kansas to unite with some of the local laborers there, to solicit funds for Union College and the Clinton German Seminary. Dr. Magan expects to unite with Brother Robinson in Colorado, about the first of October, to solicit funds for Union College. We have about eighteen thousand dollars more to raise in the Central Union Conference to bring Union College out of debt. We hope, with the blessing of God, to accomplish this by the first of January.

The prospect for the attendance at Union College and also the Clinton German Seminary, is much better for the coming year than it has been for years in the past. I am sure that every loyal heart will be glad to see these institutions freed from debt; and the purpose of our brethren, with the blessing of God, is to keep at it until we see this accomplished.

Elder MacLay was reelected president of the Kansas Conference. There were few changes in the officers.

R. A. UNDERWOOD.