Report of the Northern Union Meetings
By R. A. Underwood
SINCE leaving Washington I have traveled more than six thousand miles in attending camp-meetings in South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota, Alberta, and Manitoba. I also spent one week at Leavings, Alberta, where we organized a church of twenty-five members. Two other local camp-meetings have been held in the Northern Union Conference, which I could not attend. Nearly all of these meetings have been reported by others; however, I wish to speak of a few points in a general way. These meetings have been occasions of great spiritual blessings. The Spirit of God accompanied the word spoken in power, and many precious souls were converted. One hundred and seventy were baptized at these meetings, and about forty have been baptized at their home churches since the camp-meetings. At all of these meetings a definite message was borne. Another feature marked all of these meetings; namely, a spirit of unity and courage existed among laborers and believers generally. There was the utmost freedom in the discussions of methods to advance the work, and although different opinions were expressed, yet there was a spirit of fellowship and love that reminded one of the record in Acts 2:1. Liberal offerings were made to help the work at home and abroad.16 During these meetings Brethren P. A. Hanson, M. S. Reppe, E. W. Catlin, F. A. Detamore, and Henry Block were ordained to the gospel ministry. The conferences have said to the Mission Board, “Select from our workers such laborers as you think best, and we will share our men and means with the fields beyond.” The work in Northwest Canada has made progress the past year. Our camp-meetings in Alberta and Manitoba were about twice as large as one year ago. New churches are being added, and a good increase in tithes and offerings is seen. Our brethren, as well as the laborers, went from these meetings full of courage and hope for the future advancement of this cause. At the close of the Alberta camp-meeting I spent two days at Edmonton, the capital of Alberta. This is the old trading station of the Hudson Bay Fur Company. It is over three hundred miles north of the south line of Alberta. Here in midsummer we have only about three hours of darkness in the night, the sun not going down till half-past nine or later in the evening. One might think this is as far north as people live, but it is far from the border of civilization on the north of Canada. Many people live to the north and west of Edmonton, to a distance of two thousand miles. This vast field has not been entered by one of our workers as yet. Edmonton is as far north as our laborers have gone. Brother F. L. Hammel has started a small sanitarium there. He has made friends with many of the best people of the place, and has a good local patronage. Elders J. W. Boynton and Paul Curtis intend to pitch a tent in a good location in the city, and begin the first public effort in that place soon after the camp-meeting. We trust that our brethren will remember the servants of God in their effort at this important center of that great northwest field. Brother J. S. James accompanied me to the meetings throughout my entire trip, laboring in the interest of the missionary canvassing work, with good results. Other laborers were with us at various meetings.