Carrington (North Dakota) Camp Meeting
By S. H. Lane
THIS meeting was held according to appointment, June 24-30, and proved to be one of the best meetings of the season, an old-fashioned camp meeting, such as we used to have thirty years ago. There were two hundred and fifty Germans encamped on the ground, seventy-five English-speaking people, and twenty-five Scandinavians, making a total of three hundred and fifty. From the very first, a spirit of consecration and devotion seemed to take possession of the camp, and the Spirit of the Lord took hold of those who knew not the Lord fully. A revival spirit seemed to pervade the camp. The young people's and children's meetings were fruitful seasons, and quite a number made a start in the Christian life. In the past the Dakota Conference has consisted of both North and South Dakota, but as a knowledge of the truth has spread quite rapidly through North Dakota, and quite a number have recently moved into the State from South Dakota and other States, it was thought proper to organize North Dakota into a separate conference, which was accomplished at this meeting. The organization was completed with union and harmony, which was refreshing. All the officers were elected without one dissenting voice. Brother John W. Walker was elected president, with a full corps of workers. The headquarters of the conference will be located at Fargo. For the erection of proper buildings to accommodate the work of the conference and tract society, and for the creation of a tent fund, four thousand dollars was pledged, a portion of which was paid in cash. Six hundred dollars or more was pledged to the Missionary Acre work, nearly two hundred dollars being given in cash. The meetings at which the money was raised were among the best of the entire series. The leaders simply stated what they desired, and the blessing of the Lord seemed to accomplish the rest; and as the brethren and sisters pledged, they bore testimony to their love of the truth and their willingness to help it. Several Germans were present who had been imprisoned in Russia, and they said, with hearts filled with gratitude, that while they had filled sentences in prison in the Old World for the truth's sake, they were indeed glad that they now had their liberty, that they might earn money to aid the Lord's cause. Including what was given to the Sabbath school, the foreign mission work, etc., five thousand dollars was pledged and paid in cash by the three hundred and fifty people who were encamped. The German brethren seemed to vie with one another in helping the work, and many acres of wheat and flax are growing in North Dakota to aid the Missionary Acre Fund, and we trust that the liberality of the devoted souls may be abundantly blessed of the Lord. The laborers from outside of the conference were Dr. W. A. George and Elder L. A. Hoopes, of College View, Neb., who represented the medical and the educational work. Elder Allee, the president of the South Dakota Conference, conducted the meetings of the organization of the new conference. Once each day a union service was held, in which the Germans, Scandinavians, and English all took part, and what was said in the Scandinavian and English languages was interpreted into the German. The writer dwelt at length19upon the rise and progress of the message. These discourses were of interest to the German brethren, who had heard but little about this, and it seemed to do them good. Dr. George's talks on health reform were well received, and many resolved to carry these principles out in their lives as never before. These German brethren are certainly alive in the work, and not only anxious to see it carried forward in this part of the country, but also in their fatherland and in Russia. The last day of the meeting twenty-three were buried with their Lord in baptism. The singing and the praying in the tents reminded us of former times, and the absence of loud talking and jesting indicated that the consecration of former days is to return. The canvassers laboring in North Dakota are doing well, and are selling hundreds of the larger books. They have discontinued almost entirely the sale of the smaller books, and are confining themselves more closely to the sale of the large volumes, and as a result, are doing better than usual. Money is abundant in the State, and crops are looking well. The thousands upon thousands of acres of wheat, oats, and flax will bring large returns the coming fall, and now is the time for our books to be sold in North Dakota. The Lord is certainly blessing the work in this State; and as our last meeting was dismissed and the hand shaking took place, many left with tearful eyes and gladdened hearts, declaring that the meeting just closed was certainly the richest feast they had ever enjoyed.