THE CAMP-MEETING AT CENTRAL CITY, NEBRASKA.
By Geo. I. Butler
THIS meeting, held Sept. 23–28, in a grove on an island in Platte river, three miles from the above-named place, was the annual Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists of Nebraska. Some two hundred and fifty were present. This State is not favorable for camp-meetings, because of the scarcity of timber, there being very few suitable places near the towns. Nebraska is a vast prairie plain, with very little timber, except what skirts the streams, and little enough of that. There has been quite a rapid growth of our denomination in this State, not only because the ministers of the Conference are laboring earnestly to bring people to see the importance of the truth, but because many have settled here from other States who were previously believers. There is a good class of sober, industrious people, settling in Nebraska. It is a good field in which to labor. The attendance of those not of our faith was not large, it being too great a distance from town, and there having been a soldier’s reunion only a day or two before our meeting commenced, which thousands attended. Our meetings were profitable. The preaching was plain, and practical, and intended to show the necessity of earnest devotion, and the importance of bearing the fruits of the Spirit of God, —“love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance,” and in short, what it is to be a Christian, truly a follower of Jesus Christ. No pretense of doing this will answer; the reality must appear. In this age of the world, when popularity has nearly taken the churches, and the “love of many has waxed cold,” when the “form of godliness without the power,” prevails everywhere, we find it necessary to thoroughly instruct the people in the fundamental principles of the Christian religion, and show them that nothing will answer in place of this. We must “do justly, love mercy, and walk with God.” The necessity and nature of true conversion must be fully presented. “Except ye be converted, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Rather an interesting incident, illustrative of this course, occurred at our meeting. A Congregationalist minister, living near, attended many of our meetings. He had become a believer in the final destruction of the wicked. Because he could not see and preach the beauties of eternal torment, his support was cut off, and he was forced to labor otherwise for a livelihood. Near the close of our meeting, he came to us to obtain facts and statistics concerning our people, as he wished to write a report of our meeting to secular papers of which he was a correspondent. He stated that he came to our meeting, supposing we were nearly infidels, but was surprised and pleased to find himself mistaken. He stated that he formerly lived at Oberlin, Ohio, when President Finney was laboring so earnestly, and the college was founded there. He said the earnestness of our preaching reminded him of that, and that he had not heard such kind of preaching for many years. We were not foolish enough to take his remarks as complimentary to the preachers, but simply as illustrative of the condition of things in the religious world. Our opposers sedulously endeavor to make the people believe we are about like infidels in our views, and are not sound in religion; while the fact is, that this is a genuine religious reformation, calling the people back to the old paths, and earnestly pleading with them to give their hearts to God, as a preparation for the coming of Christ. On the Sabbath, fully two-thirds of the congregation came forward for prayers, and many good testimonies were borne. On Monday also, God’s blessing came very near us while pleading with the people to consecrate themselves to God. Five were baptized by Eld. Boyd. We had a precious parting meeting Tuesday morning, closing up with the ordination of Bro. A. J. Cudney to the gospel ministry, by the laying on of hands and solemn prayer. The sweet and melting influence of God’s Spirit rested upon us, and many were in tears. Hearts were softened before him. We felt that this step was owned of God. May God make him a very useful man. GEO. I. BUTLER.
Kansas City, Mo., Sept. 29, 1880.