p. 18 | East Michigan Camp-Meeting by G. B. Thompson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 21, 1909

East Michigan Camp-Meeting

By G. B. Thompson

The annual camp-meeting of the East Michigan Conference was held August 19-29 in Keeley Park in the city of Jackson. In many respects the location was excellent, it being central. The attendance from the city, at the evening services especially, was quite good. The fundamental principles of the message were presented each evening, and many manifested an interest in the doctrines taught. In addition to this, two of the city papers, the Citizen Press and the Patriot, published excellent daily reports of the sermons, averaging from one to two columns in length. In this way the message was brought to the attention of thousands of people who did not attend the meeting. I believe that a similar work to that done through the public press of Jackson can, and ought to, be done in many other camp-meetings, and thus a knowledge of the truth be taken to many thousands.

Although the meeting was not as centrally located in the conference as some other meetings have been, yet the attendance of our people was good. There was perhaps a thousand camped on the ground and in rooms, and on the last Sabbath a large number coming from Battle Creek and from some of the surrounding churches in the conference increased the attendance to about fifteen hundred.

An earnest spirit of devotion and consecration was manifested throughout the meeting. Some gave their hearts to God for the first time, and others who had lost a vital connection with the Lord took hold again with new courage and hope. About thirty were baptized.

For the various needs of the cause in the foreign fields, in the South, and local conference work, nearly two thousand dollars was raised in cash and pledges. Elders A. G. Daniells, W. B. White, A. J. Haysmer, Allen Moon, the union conference laborers in the various departments, and the writer attended during some part of the time and joined with the local conference laborers in the burdens and blessings of the meeting. The various departments of the work in the conference received careful consideration, and progress in the different branches of the work during the past year was quite apparent. The regular business of the meeting of the conference was not held in connection with the meeting, so of course no detailed reports were given.

This camp-meeting, held in this old battle-ground of the truth, was the means of bringing new courage to the work in this conference. Those who attended went to their homes with new determination

to be more faithful in advancing the message during the coming year. No doubt there are many others who ought to have attended the meeting and shared in the refreshing season who were kept at home, some of them by the cares of this life. We believe the stirring times which we have entered and the nearness of our Lord’s appearing should be an incentive to every believer to attend these annual convocations. G. B. THOMPSON.