p. 16 | East Michigan Camp-Meeting by K. C. Russell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 5, 1911

East Michigan Camp-Meeting

By K. C. Russell

THIS meeting was held at Oxford, Mich., September 7–17. Oxford is a beautiful country town of some fifteen hundred inhabitants. The ground upon which the camp was pitched lies in the outskirts of the town, but within easy access to the residential section.

Besides the union and local conference laborers, there were in attendance Elders J. O. Corliss and J. J. Westrup, and the writer. The attendance of our people was about four hundred. There was also a good attendance of the citizens of Oxford when the weather was favorable. The labors of Elders Corliss and Westrup were much appreciated. Our people responded liberally to the various calls for money, and especially to the call for the $300,000 Fund. The Sabbath-school offerings during the meeting aggregated over $240.

God's care for his people was manifested in a most signal manner in protecting them during two severe wind- and rain-storms that took place during the meeting. The last of these storms occurred on the last Thursday evening of the meeting. It began about 5 P. M., while a meeting was being held in the large pavilion. With scarcely a moment's warning, the large tent blew down, breaking all three of the center-poles. To those who saw the tent fall, it seemed as if at least some of those who were in the tent at the time would sustain severe injuries, and possibly the loss of life; for there was not only danger from the breaking center-poles and the heavy quarter-poles, but also the possibility of coming in contact with the live electric wire which was stretched about the interior of the tent for illuminating purposes. Providentially, there was in the tent at the time one of our brethren who is an electrician. He had on rubber boots, which are nonconductors of electricity, and he also had a pair of clippers in his hand, with which he cut the wire without injury to himself, and thus averted a possible loss of life. It seemed miraculous that all who were in the tent at the time should escape without injury. The storm continued to rage with great fury for a time after the large pavilion had been blown down, and it seemed for a while that it would be impossible to repair the poles, etc., before the Sabbath, so that the meeting could be resumed. But Friday morning the weather cleared off beautifully, and before noon, as the result of earnest work, the tent was in readiness for meetings.

With but few exceptions, all remained until the close. The weather was delightful during the remaining portion of the meeting, and the service on the last Sabbath will ever be remembered by those in attendance because of the presence of the Holy Spirit with mighty converting power. At the close of the last Sabbath afternoon service, three young men were ordained to the gospel ministry—Brethren Fred Hoxie, C. L. White, and Robert W. Leach. Sunday afternoon twenty-eight willing souls followed their Lord in the sacred rite of baptism.

Elder H. H. Burkholder, who has served for a long term of years as president of the Ohio Conference, was unanimously elected to the presidency of the East Michigan Conference, as the successor of Elder E. K. Slade, who has filled the office of president of the conference for several years past, and who has recently been elected to succeed Elder Burkholder as president of the Ohio Conference. We believe that the result of this exchange of conference presidents will prove a great blessing to the conferences where they have been elected to serve. While the people of both conferences regret to see these brethren separate from the fields where they have worked so long, yet we feel certain they will as earnestly stand by and support the newly elected presidents as they did the retiring ones.

K. C. RUSSELL.