The Oklahoma Camp-Meeting by G. B. Thompson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 17, 1908

The Oklahoma Camp-Meeting

By G. B. Thompson

THE annual conference and camp-meeting for Oklahoma was held in Enid, August 20-30. The camp was located in a park several miles from the city. The site was good in many ways. Having an excellent street-car service, the attendance from the city during many of the meetings was good, and many expressed themselves as deeply interested in the special truths of the message presented.

The attendance of our people was very good, about fourteen hundred being camped on the ground. New arrivals continued to come during the meeting, until every available tent and building was uncomfortably filled. A large number of our German brethren and sisters were present. There seemed to be the largest number of young people on the ground of any camp-meeting I have ever attended. There were almost as many at the German young people's meeting, as the English. Surely many workers should be developed from so large a number of consecrated youth. A German assistant was associated with Elder E. L. Neff to work for the young people during the year.

The reports showed a good degree of prosperity during the past year in the various lines of work. Seven new churches were voted into the conference at this meeting. A good spirit characterized the business deliberations. Elder Andrew Nelms was re-elected president of the conference, with but few changes in the other officers. Steps were taken to change the territorial lines of the conference to some extent, which, when carried into effect, will release some territory on the west which has formerly been a part of the conference, to the West Texas mission field, which will make it possible to organize that field into a conference at an early date.

A deep interest was taken in the growth and development of our work in the foreign field. The conference unanimously voted four thousand dollars of surplus tithe to the General Conference. The last day of the meeting a collection was taken for our foreign mission work and the Oakwood School, and about eighty-seven hundred dollars was received. Over one thousand dollars of this was cash; the rest was in pledges which will be paid as soon as possible. Such a liberal donation was a source of much encouragement to all. But the time has come when large donations must be given by those who are entrusted by the Lord with a liberal amount of means. The growth of the message calls for a corresponding increase in giving.

The Sabbath-school donations were quite liberal, aggregating about four hundred sixty-two dollars for the two Sabbaths. In addition to the amount given to missions, considerable was given for various local interests such as the One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollar Fund, the purchase of new tents, to endow a bed in the Wichita (Kan.) Sanitarium, etc.

The laborers from outside the conference who shared with the local workers the burdens of the meeting were Elders A. G. Daniells, C. Santee, C. J. Kunkel, G. F. Haffner, L. W. Terry, and W. W. Eastman, and Dr. F. Braucht, Professor Grauer, and the writer.

The visit of Elder Daniells was greatly appreciated, this being the first time he has been able to attend a camp-meeting in the State. His recital of the growth of the work in home and foreign fields from a very small and humble beginning to its present proportions, greatly stirred and cheered the hearts of all. He spoke the last Sabbath of the meeting on consecration, after which several hundred came forward to seek God for victory over sin, and a deeper consecration to the work. Several revival efforts were held during the meeting, and a number were converted. Eighty-seven were baptized.

A good corps of workers was sent out from the conference to labor. The last Sabbath of the meeting Brother Claud McDonald was ordained to the work of the gospel ministry.

We believe our brethren and sisters left this good meeting with renewed courage and determination, and with a broader view than ever before of the magnitude of the work committed to us. Our prayer is that great prosperity may attend the work in this conference the coming year. G. B. Thompson.