Young People's Work at Camp-Meeting by M. E.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 10, 1911

Young People's Work at Camp-Meeting

By M. E.

The readers of the REVIEW will be interested to know that many young people have been converted on the camp-grounds this year. In a letter recently received from Miss May Bell, Missionary Volunteer secretary of Southern Idaho, she says:—

“Last night I returned from our camp-meeting at Ontario, Ore. It was indeed a feast of good things. I thank the Lord over and over for the victories that were gained on that camp-ground. It was our great pleasure to have Elder Luther Warren with us during the latter part of the meeting, and his talks and sermons were ‘meat in due season.’ I am sure there are many of our young people who have gone to their homes to live different lives. Even among those who previously made a profession, a reformation will be made. There were twenty-eight baptized; with two or three exceptions, all were young people.”

A letter from Miss Nellie B. Underwood, Missionary Volunteer secretary of South Dakota, also contains an interesting report. She writes:—

“The young people's meetings were well attended from the first early morning meeting. We had over one hundred fifty young people on the ground (not counting those who would attend the children's meetings), and of course among these were a large number who were unconverted. Elder Ruble stood right by us, and bore a large share of the burden of the meetings. The Lord did not disappoint us in blessings, if they did come through some other channel than we had planned.

“Elder R. D. Quinn bore much of the responsibility of the spiritual services in the English tent, and he also gave us some valuable aid in our young people's tent. As early as Thursday the Spirit of the Lord worked mightily upon hearts, and there was a beginning of the revival at the forenoon service. In the afternoon meeting in the youth's tent we had a continuation of the same blessing, and again on Friday evening at the youth's meeting. These meetings continued until seven o'clock, or after, making them two or more hours in length, but no one seemed to be restless, and the Lord gave us mighty victories. Then on Sabbath all hearts seemed touched, and there was much joy in the camp. Sunday we had baptism; and out of forty-nine candidates, forty-one were young people and children, taking their first stand for God and his truth. We felt that much of this was due to the faithful work done by our prayer bands, and I think that some had such a good experience in this work that we shall have no difficulty in getting them to continue the work in their home churches. You will be interested in the resolution we passed:—

“Recognizing the direct call of God to our young people to organize for prayer and service, that the gospel of the kingdom may go to all the world in this generation; therefore,— “Resolved, (a) That the youth in every church who really love Jesus be encouraged to organize themselves as Missionary Volunteers, making the prayer and personal workers' bands the basis of their effort.

“(b) That our young people be encouraged to cooperate in every aggressive movement adopted by the conference.

“(c) That the Morning Watch be observed in every home.

“(d) That the Youth's Instructor be introduced into every home.

“(e) That the parents encourage their young people to take at least one of the Reading Courses each year, and to strive to secure the Standard of Attainment certificate.

“(f) That every conference laborer become intelligent in regard to the Missionary Volunteer movement, and give it his hearty cooperation.”

Miss Lida M. Ackley, Missionary Volunteer secretary of the Northern California-Nevada Conference, has a good report in her union conference paper. She says:—

“The first Sabbath of the camp-meeting found about one hundred twenty-five intelligent young people in attendance. The numbers increased daily. Each meeting found the tent full to overflowing. Although the Spirit of God was felt many times, yet there seemed to be a cloud hanging over the work, and in some ways it looked discouraging until the last Sabbath, when there were nearly one hundred seventy-five young people present. At the close of the eleven o'clock meeting a call was given to all who wished to consecrate themselves wholly to the Lord. The young people were the first to press to the front, until it was necessary to call them to a separate tent. The Spirit of the Lord was present in a marked degree. The cloud seemed to rise, and we enjoyed such a manifestation of God's presence as had not been felt before.

“The meeting continued for more than three hours. Nearly fifty young persons presented themselves as candidates for baptism. The greater number of these were baptized the following day. Some desired to wait until they returned to their home church.

“Eighty individuals pledged themselves to avoid all literature that tends to separate one from God, and to give themselves more fully to the reading and study of the Bible and the writings of the spirit of prophecy, and to such other good works as will aid in giving the third angel's message to the world. Surely our youth, if thoroughly converted, will be a mighty power for good in the world.”

A copy of the pledge used on the camp-ground has just reached this office, and we give its contents below:—

“Knowing that, as Christians, we should jealously guard our minds against all thoughts that tend to corrupt morals and to undermine and destroy faith and hope in God,—

“We, the undersigned, hereby pledge ourselves against the reading of novels and all other literature which will unfit us to do the work of the third angel's message,—

“And we hereby further pledge ourselves to a faithful reading of the Bible, the writings of the spirit of prophecy, and such other works as will directly strengthen and prepare us for service in God's cause.”

Elder J. J. Reiswig, Missionary Volunteer secretary of North Dakota, writes:—

“Our camp-meeting this year was one of the best ever held in this conference. There were about sixty persons baptized, nearly all of whom were young people. In all, there were about two hundred fifty young people on the grounds. Many of these came unconverted, but those that were on the Lord's side came with the determination to be a help to others. It did not take long to organize our prayer bands, and I believe the success we enjoyed is largely due to them. Some of the societies that did not have prayer bands, have written that such bands were organized when they returned home.”

An excellent resolution, very similar to the one found in the South Dakota report, was passed. M. E.