p. 14 | The South Dakota Camp Meeting by Arthur G. Daniells

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 28, 1916

The South Dakota Camp Meeting

By Arthur G. Daniells

In many respects one of the best camp meetings I have attended for some time was the one held at Watertown, S. Dak. The ground was four blocks from the center of the city, and was the same that was occupied last year, and everything about the camp was in readiness for the opening meeting.

The attendance was good. The camp was just about equally divided between those speaking English and those speaking foreign languages, with tents for English, German, and Scandinavian meetings. Workers of the foreign nationalities were present.

The president of the conference, Elder E. T. Russell, rendered a report that spoke well for last year's work. Since last year's meeting, two hundred had been added to the membership. Three church buildings had been erected. Twenty church schools had been operated. Plainview Academy, at Redfield, had a very successful year.

The young people of South Dakota are showing commendable activity in missionary lines. Those connected with the twenty Missionary Volunteer Societies had set a goal of $606 for the support of native workers in India, and had exceeded the goal by over $102, raising exactly $708.87.

The forty-nine Sabbath schools of the conference, with a membership of 1,239, gave for missions during the past year $5,325.67, an increase of $1,465.55 over the amount of the previous year.

The total offerings to missions of the conference for the year amounted to $10,907.72, exceeding the quota on the Twenty-cent-a-week Fund by more than $1,000.

The offerings to home missionary work amounted to $7,209.48, making the total amount given to home and foreign work $18,117.20, or $19.46 per capita of the conference membership. The tithe for the year was $24,386.69, or a per capita of $25.82. The literature sales for the year amounted to $10,620.46.

Thus in all lines of conference work, most encouraging advancement was made. As nothing succeeds like success, it may readily be seen that the South Dakota Conference is facing a prosperous future. Six or seven more workers were employed last year than the previous year. With the conference finances in such good condition, and with a fine company of workers, the coming year should show a splendid record.

All the services of the meeting were well attended. Much interest was shown in the talks on foreign mission work, and in the stereopticon views showing missionary progress. The people from the city shared this interest.

Local workers, under the leadership of the union missionary secretary, Elder S. A. Ruskjer, visited the homes in the city, inviting the people to attend the meetings, and giving out the tract containing the lecture “The World War.” Similar work was done by Brother Ruskjer at all the camp meetings in this union. The spirit of earnestness and enthusiasm manifested by him was communicated to many others, with marked results.

The South Dakota Conference is strong in its resources. Especially to be appreciated are its prospects for developing young people for work in other fields. We are glad for the spirit of liberality shown in this respect. This is as it should be, that conferences train workers to be called into the service where most needed. A rich blessing from God will surely attend such a course.

It was more than a pleasure again to join Elder E. T. Russell in labor, with whom I had been pleasantly associated in past years. It was especially gratifying to find him in such excellent spirits and his work showing such marked progress. He holds the fullest confidence and coöperation of his coworkers, which he greatly deserves.

A. G. DANIELLS.