The Southern California Camp Meeting by Ole Andres Olsen

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 24, 1914

The Southern California Camp Meeting

By Ole Andres Olsen

JULY 30 I left Chicago, Ill., for the Western tour. Arriving at Colton, Cal., August 2, I left the train to make a short call at Loma Linda. It was my first visit to this place, which has now become of so much interest to our people. The location is certainly all that it has been described to be, and marvelously fitted for the use to which it has been put. One is also much impressed with the facilities that have been provided for carrying forward the sanitarium work and the medical college; indeed, they are far more complete than I had expected to find at the present stage of the institution. It was pleasing to learn of the good patronage and of the blessings of God attending the work.

After spending a pleasant day at Loma Linda, I proceeded to Alhambra, where the Southern California camp meeting and conference were to be held. Alhambra is practically a suburb of Los Angeles, and very conveniently located in the center of a populous part of Southern California. The camp was a mammoth one, composed of 500 tents and about 2,000 campers. On Sabbath and Sunday there were fully 3,000 in attendance. The camp was laid out in a most systematic and orderly manner, and the organization and arrangements seemed to be the most complete and perfect that I have seen at any time. This was necessary for the best success of so large a meeting. The city authorities of Alhambra did everything possible to make our meeting a success, and this was much appreciated.

From the beginning, there was a good spiritual atmosphere and the interest continued to grow as the meeting progressed. The early morning devotional services were well attended, and were seasons of real spiritual refreshing. The preaching was stirring and practical. The events in Europe gave opportunity to present both the importance and the perils of our time with greater emphasis than ever in the past, and these earnest messages and appeals met a hearty response. A goodly number of the citizens of Alhambra and the adjacent country attended the public services, and were much interested. Elder E. E. Andross, the union conference president, labored earnestly and faithfully for the spiritual good of the meeting, and he was heartily supported by Elder F. M. Burg, the conference president, who carried the heavy burden of the meeting, and by the local and union conference laborers present.

Elder George Enoch, recently returned from India, presented the needs of the great foreign mission field, especially India, with good effect. This conference has been considerably behind in meeting its part of the mission funds up to the present this year. An earnest effort was made to change this situation.

and the Sabbath school and mission offerings on the two Sabbaths of the meeting amounted to $1,125.62, and cash and pledges to missions at other meetings to $2,804, making a total of $3,929.62 in cash and pledges for missions.

Regular services were also held in the German, Spanish, and Scandinavian tongues. An interest has been started among the Russians, of whom there are many in the conference, and they are calling earnestly for a Russian laborer. This the conference decided to supply.

The business proceedings of the conference were interesting and harmonious. The president's report showed an encouraging growth in all the different departments of the work. Five new churches had been organized during the year, with a combined membership of 119, while 256 had been baptized by the several workers and added to the church.

The report showed some gain in tithe and Sabbath school and missionary offerings, while the book sales showed a very substantial increase over the previous year. The various departments of the work were carefully considered and given all the attention the time would permit. Elder Burg was reelected president of the conference for the coming year. May the Lord greatly bless him in the many and weighty responsibilities of this large conference.

This was my first visit to this conference, and I greatly enjoyed the privilege of meeting many former associates in labor, and many of our people whom I had met in earlier years, and was especially glad to find them strong in faith, waiting for the glorious consummation now soon to be realized. Evening after the Sabbath, August 15, I left for San Francisco, and the Western Washington meeting at Auburn, Wash. O. A. OLSEN.