California Camp-Meetings by Stephen Nelson Haskell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 10, 1910

California Camp-Meetings

By Stephen Nelson Haskell

The Northern California Conference has for some time followed the instruction given by the spirit of prophecy in regard to disconnecting conference business meetings from the camp-meetings. Our camp-meetings are devoted entirely to evangelistic, missionary, and instruction meetings. As the membership of the conference is about five thousand, and the territory is large, four camp-meetings were held this season. Three of these were local, and one was a general meeting. The local meetings were held at Sacramento, Napa, and Visalia; the general camp-meeting was held in Berkeley. The attendance was good at all the meetings, and three of them are being followed up with tent-meetings.

Missionary work and Christian education were the leading themes at each of the camp-meetings this year. At the three last meetings one day was devoted to church-school work, and one day to each of our advanced schools in the conference. Practical instruction was given in these meetings, and the importance

of providing for our children and youth a Christian education was brought close home to every parent. As a result, all the schools in our conference have opened with a larger attendance than before, and all report that the work is going forward more rapidly than in former years. The Pacific College and the Lodi Normal Academy both opened with a large attendance, and our two intermediate schools at Armona and Sanitarium are well filled.

Keeping the importance of Christian education before our people at the camp-meetings has not only filled our higher schools, but has created a demand for church-schools throughout the conference. Quite a number of churches that did not have church-schools last year have opened them this year; others have applied for teachers, and hope to open schools this month.

We consider that to secure the salvation of our own boys and girls, and the salvation of the outside world, is the most important work on earth. Keeping the following words before us, we have tried to make Christian education and missionary work the leading topics at our camp-meetings:—

“Properly conducted, the camp-meeting is a school, where pastors, elders, and deacons can learn to do more perfect work for the Master. It should be a school where the members of the church, old and young, are given opportunity to learn the way of the Lord more perfectly, a place where believers can receive an education that will help them to help others.”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. IX, page 82.

We found that our meetings in the interest of Christian education were well received by strangers. The earnest appeals made to parents to save their children from error met an answering chord in the hearts of parents from other denominations as well as our own. Care was taken by all to speak in the highest terms of our public-school system; while at the same time showing in a way that would not offend any, that infidelity is woven into many text-books used in public schools. At the first three meetings the teachers from the Lodi Normal Academy had a fine display of the manual-training work done in the grades, also outlines of work in different studies. These attracted considerable attention, especially at Berkeley, as the camp was near the State university. Many teachers carefully inspected the work, and favorable comments were often made by them. One teacher said, “Why, I had no idea you had anything like this; I thought you had nothing but religion.” She did not realize that Christian education is included in true religion.

The converting power of God was manifested in all our meetings. Eighty-six applied for baptism at the four camp-meetings; sixty-two of these were baptized on the grounds, and twenty-four were baptized at their home churches immediately following the meetings. We feel that our camp-meetings are profitable, as a large proportion of those baptized were young people from Seventh-day Adventist homes who were drifting toward the world. Many of this class are reached more easily at our camp-meetings than in any other way.

Three years ago, when we began selling literature from the desk in our missionary efforts at the camp-meetings, some conservative brethren said we would overstock the people, and then nothing would be done the next year. They said, “It will react.” Well, I am glad to say it has re-acted, or acted again and again. The literature sales the second year were larger than those of the first; and those of this, the third year, have surpassed them all. The lay members are just beginning to learn how to do active home missionary work. Some who hesitated the first year before spending one dollar for literature now do not fear to buy several dollars’ worth at a time; for they have found out that they can sell it to others, and thus help hasten the coming of the Lord.

Our entire literature sales at all our camp-meetings last year amounted to $5,135.75. The entire literature sales of all our camp-meetings this year amounted to $8,380.55, being an increase over last year of $3,250.80. The circulation of this literature can not but win souls.

An effort has also been made to visit the churches in the conference, and encourage each company to introduce a systematic distribution of tracts. Nearly every church has taken up this work, ordered one or more of the large five-dollar packages of tracts with envelopes, and is carrying forward this line of missionary work in its immediate neighborhood. We fully expect the Lord of the harvest will fulfil the following words in his own good time: “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”

S. N. HASKELL.