The West Virginia Camp Meeting by B. G. Wilkinson

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

The West Virginia Camp Meeting

By B. G. Wilkinson

The brethren who attended the annual camp meeting of the West Virginia Conference held this year at Parkersburg, August 20-30, considered it an excellent meeting. Although this conference numbers but little more than two hundred, about one half the membership was present at the meeting. The report of the president showed that the conference made splendid gains this past year. In fact, it was evident at this meeting that the brethren in West Virginia are getting in the habit of attempting great things for God. For 1913 the conference raised twenty cents a week per member for the whole year, a record which was not surpassed anywhere.

There was a splendid interest on the part of those not of our faith. The subject “The Present Crisis From the Bible Standpoint” drew a large audience. Each succeeding night the interest deepened, and on two special occasions during the middle of the week revivals were conducted by Professor Benson and Elder Lindsey.

Especially worthy to be noted was the Sabbath school donation of $300 the last Sabbath. Sabbath school was followed by a deep and powerful revival which swept over the whole congregation, binding off the work of the camp meeting.

But what surprised every one was the splendid donation in response to the emergency call. Over $1,000 was raised by this little company, not only making up any deficit which they might have had on the Twenty-cent-a-week Fund, but sweeping them way beyond this mark. The blessing of God was upon the meeting as the brethren made sacrifices out of their poverty to express the riches of their liberality toward God.

Elder W. J. Tanner, formerly of the Canadian Union, was elected president of the conference. He had already been in the field a few months, and had the work well in hand. Otherwise, practically the same corps of officers were re-elected. The only general laborer present at the camp meeting was Professor Benson, who gave excellent help. The union departments were ably represented in Brethren Dowsett, Stone, Richardson, and Horton, and Professor Salisbury of Mount Vernon Academy. This camp meeting cannot fail to have a splendid effect upon the work this coming year.

B. G. WILKINSON.