p. 14 | Indiana Camp-Meeting by E. W. Farnsworth

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Oct 12, 1905

Indiana Camp-Meeting

By E. W. Farnsworth

This meeting was held according to appointment, at Connersville, September 7-18. Connersville is a town of about ten thousand inhabitants, situated in the southeastern part of the State, about equally distant from Indianapolis and Cincinnati.

It will be seen that the location of the meeting was somewhat to one side of the State. There was, however, a fair attendance of our brethren from the different churches, there being about five hundred and fifty present.

The circumstances which led the brethren to locate the meeting in this town were somewhat peculiar. Several years ago Dr. McDougall started treatment rooms here. Gradually the work enlarged, and at the same time gained the confidence of the leading citizens of the place, till they donated between three and four thousand dollars to furnish a sanitarium. Dr. W. W. Worster and his wife finally took charge of the work, and under their supervision it has continued to grow in influence and favor. At the present time it seems to be held in high esteem by every one in the place. The physicians furnish patronage by sending patients to the sanitarium.

During the development of the medical work a few Sabbath-keepers came to the city to live. Others accepted the message, till a little company is now established. They felt the need of a church building, and so went to work to build it. The citizens, seeing the situation, and knowing the poverty of our people, donated about seventeen hundred dollars to assist this enterprise. This enabled the brethren to erect and finish a neat, respectable house of worship, which is nearly paid for.

With such an exhibition of good-will and kindness on the part of the people, our brethren naturally concluded this would be a good place for a camp-meeting. When the meeting opened, the people showed their hospitality by taking many of our brethren and sisters into their homes without charge.

There has been a reasonably good interest in the camp-meeting since it began. At this writing it has closed, but the meetings are still being continued with the expectation of good results.

There are a few features connected with this meeting which we wish to mention. The leading brethren have made a careful study of the Testimony in Volume VI concerning camp-meetings and how they should be conducted. They believe that the nearer we can follow the light given, the greater the results will be; hence for the past two years they have refused to locate their camp-meetings a mile or two out of town, away

from the people; but have searched for and found vacant blocks of land in the cities, and have there pitched camp in the midst of the people, as the Testimony directs.

The Testimony also says: “If a press can be secured to be worked during the meeting, printing leaflets, notices, and papers for distribution, it will have a telling influence.”—Vol. VI, page 36. The brethren in Indiana, for the past two years, have issued a Camp-Meeting Daily Bulletin, a four-page daily paper, and in it they publish all they can of the most vital parts of the sermons preached, and any other matter calculated to interest and profit the people. In this way they can publish the truth in a way that the daily papers will not permit.

When the camp-meeting opens, a large number of the brethren and sisters volunteer to go out each day and distribute the Bulletin. Each afternoon, from four to six, is set apart for this work. The town is thus canvassed every day, and the people are given a personal invitation to attend the meetings. By this means rays of light are placed in every home. Many people are persuaded to attend the camp-meeting who otherwise would not come. Our own people are greatly blessed in doing the work, and the two hours thus spent are the most profitable of any in the day. The expense of issuing the paper is met by advertisements obtained from business men in the city. These are published in a supplement, and distributed with the paper. Our brethren in Indiana are much pleased with the results attending their efforts in this direction thus far.

Another feature of the meeting is this: the Testimonies say that after the camp-meeting a strong company of workers should be left to continue work, and that it is a great mistake for all, or nearly all, to go away and leave the interest to die out. Nearly fifty persons are keeping the Sabbath at Martinsville, where the camp-meeting was held last year, as a result of heeding this counsel. The brethren have planned to follow up the work the same way this year. We might write of other interesting features of the meeting suggested by a study of the Testimonies, but space forbids.

One of the most impressive and profitable meetings we had during the camp-meeting, was the second Sabbath missionary meeting. The reader will remember that the second Sabbath has been set apart each month as a missionary Sabbath. It was deemed best to carry out the program sent to the churches at the camp-meeting. Preaching was dispensed with, and the reading furnished by the General Conference was substituted. The blessing of God came in, and one of the most precious meetings we have had this summer was the result. Our churches will find that they can do nothing better for their own interests than to follow the suggestion of the General Conference in this respect. The contemplation of mission work, and a liberal offering following, will prove to be a cure for many personal ills.

The Indiana Conference of 1905 will be remembered by those who attended it as a good one. The utmost harmony prevailed. The officers elected for the ensuing year remain about the same as last year. Elder W. J. Stone was unanimously elected president. A spirit of liberality was manifested, the brethren giving about three thousand dollars in cash and pledges for various phases of the work. The brethren and sisters present promised to take two thousand copies of the “Ministry of Healing,” and sell them. A goodly number banded themselves together to arise and finish the work on “Christ’s Object Lessons.” We hope and believe they will not faint till that work is done.

Five new churches were admitted to the conference, and over two hundred converts to the faith were made during the year. The indebtedness on different enterprises in the conference has been reduced over twelve thousand dollars during the past two years. All these things brought courage and inspiration to the hearts of our brethren, and they felt strengthened to renew the work of reducing their indebtedness still more, and to carry the light of truth to every household in the State.

We were all glad to meet Elder G. A. Irwin, who was with us a part of the time. His testimony was a great source of strength to the people. Elders William Covert of Wisconsin, J. M. Rees of Illinois, and N. W. Kauble of Berrien Springs, Mich., were present, and rendered valuable assistance in many ways. Elder Allen Moon, president of the Lake Union Conference, was also present. We were sorry to learn that his health was not better, and that his recovery has been so slow.

The writer greatly enjoyed this meeting and the blessing that came to all the people of God. We believe the brethren in Indiana have reason to be of good courage. E. W. FARNSWORTH.