The Missouri Camp-Meeting
By W. A. Spicer
THE annual camp-meeting of the Missouri Conference was held in Windsor, August 13-23. A beautiful location was secured for the camp, in a grove just in the edge of the town. Windsor has a population of about eighteen hundred or two thousand, with a prosperous farming community round about. The attendance from the town was excellent from beginning to the close, and every courtesy and kindness was shown by the citizens. People from the country were also in attendance daily. About four hundred of our own people were encamped upon the grounds. Two conference sessions were held daily until all phases of the work had received consideration. One feature of the program, which worked out in a specially satisfactory way, was the institute for church officers and workers. The late forenoon hour was devoted to this work. A question box gave opportunity for practical questions to be put, and in the institute the whole field of church, Sabbath-school, and day-school work was canvassed. Too often, I believe, in our general meetings we fail to make the application of general principles to the details with which our brethren in the churches have to deal. This camp-meeting institute seemed to commend itself to our brethren as one of the most profitable features of the meeting. The laborers from without the State were Brethren Russell and Hoopes, who remained but for the first part of the meeting; Brother H. Shultz, who remained throughout, laboring for the Germans; Brethren Hardesty and Hall, who worked in the interests of the circulation of literature; and Dr. Paulson, who was with us two days. The spiritual interest of the meeting grew from day to day as the people sought the Lord and profited by the daily Bible studies. The Holy Spirit's power was manifested in the conviction of sin and setting souls free for service. The last Sabbath was a season of special blessing. God is surely calling sinners and backsliders into line again, and sending conviction of the sin of coldness and lukewarmness in this stirring time. The revival of prosecution for Sunday work in Missouri has led to a great interest in one part of the country. The people are calling for meetings. Our Missouri brethren have every reason to be of good courage in pushing the campaign in their conference. About six hundred dollars was raised one morning for new tents. Of this, the citizens of Windsor gave about fifty dollars, in this practical way indicating their desire for a tent to be left for a series of meetings in the town. The coming World's Fair in St. Louis will bring millions of people to Missouri, and our brethren in the conference are planning to conduct a literature and evangelistic campaign in the city, in which they desire the help of sister conferences, for the work is great. Twenty-eight souls were baptized during the meeting, the baptistery of the Baptist church being kindly offered for the service. The following persons were elected as conference officers: President, R. C. Porter; Vice-President, W. T. Millman; Secretary and Treasurer, Jas. Cochran; Corresponding Secretary, S. J. Quantock; Conference Committee, R. C. Porter, W. S. Cruzan, W. T. Millman, E. A. Merrell, L. W. Terry; Educational Secretary, W. S. Cruzan; Secretary Sabbath-school Department, Mrs. A. E. Daniels.