The Arkansas Camp-Meeting for the Colored People by J. W. Dancer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 11, 1913

The Arkansas Camp-Meeting for the Colored People

By J. W. Dancer

This meeting was held on the campus of our intermediate industrial school, which is located about five miles from the village of Devall Bluff, Ark. There was quite a full attendance of the believers in the State. We expected some outside help, but no ordained ministers were present except the conference president and myself. Therefore I had to do all the preaching at night, as it was not thought best for any white Seventh-day Adventist to be on the premises even, at night. But during the day, as often as it seemed wise to do so, the president and State missionary agent were with us, and rendered valuable help, returning to the village every night, where they had a rented room.

This might seem strange when I state that the greater part of our audience every night was composed of white people, and one night there was not a single colored outsider present, the white people filling the tent so full that we could scarcely find room for our own folks who had come from different places. These country white people came in wagon-loads, and some in buggies; some of them I learned came as far as five and six miles to attend our meetings. I never witnessed the like before. And they were as orderly as if it had been a meeting conducted by white people. Of course our manner of carrying on the services was something uncommon for colored people, who usually connect much emotionalism with their worship; hence these white people were constrained to respect us and our services. How I wished I could shift this white audience over to our white brethren there! But it was out of the question, as the meeting was distinctly colored, and held on the premises of a colored institution.

The Spirit of the Lord was in our meeting in a marked manner from the beginning to the close. The first manifestation of his presence was the voluntary confessing and putting away of sins. There was a marked degree of harmony and fellowship generally among those on the ground. Some doubted our success in holding a camp-meeting out here in the country, but when it closed, it seemed to be the unanimous opinion that this was the best camp-meeting we ever held in Arkansas, from almost every point of view.

J. W. DANCER.