p. 17 | The Iowa Camp-Meeting by E. W. Farnsworth

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Jul 14, 1904

The Iowa Camp-Meeting

By E. W. Farnsworth

THIS meeting was held at Colfax, and was attended by eight hundred Sabbath-keepers. This was about one fifth of the church membership in the State. Only about one half of those who did come were there at the beginning of the meeting. There were one hundred and twenty-four family tents, and five large meeting tents. Quite a number obtained rooms in the sanitarium building near by.

The weather was all that could be desired. Only one or two showers fell, the days and evenings were cool, and every external circumstance connected with the meeting was such as to make it enjoyable and successful.

Meetings for the young people were conducted by Brethren Luther Warren and Floyd Bralliar, and others, and children’s meetings were also held by those appointed for that purpose. God blessed all these laborers, and quite a number were converted and brought to the Lord. Thirty-two persons were baptized.

Recommendations were passed favoring the following propositions: First, to place at the disposal of the General Conference one half of the laborers and one half of the tithes of the Iowa Conference for the extension of the work in regions beyond, and that the policy of the conference in the future be to use the forces and resources of the conference as a training and recruiting ground for needy fields. Second, that a fund of fifteen thousand dollars be raised during the coming year; that fifty per cent of it be devoted to the work at Washington, fifteen per cent to the work in the Southern field, and the remainder to be applied to local work. Recommendations were also passed encouraging the canvassing work, the missionary work, the medical work, and also the Sabbath-school and young people’s work. The Sabbath School Worker, The Signs of the Times, and The Southern Watchman were each recommended as being worthy of special consideration and effort to increase their circulation. The educational and young people’s work received earnest and careful attention. The Bible training-school at Des Moines was encouraged to go on with its work, which has already been so successful. The sanitarium, the health food factory, and the industrial school received consideration, and encouragement to continue in their respective lines of work. The preceding were the most important topics that were introduced for discussion in the conference.

There was much earnest discussion of the canvassing work, and two general agents were appointed, and a portion of the State given to each. The circulation of our missionary papers was carefully discussed, and the conference committee was instructed to favorably consider the plan of subsidizing agents to sell them.

The Sabbath-school collections during the camp-meeting amounted to $69.18. Cash and pledges were received on the fifteen-thousand-dollar fund to the amount of $842.49.

The president reported that during the past year five camp-meetings and eight general meetings had been held, and that two hundred and fifty-four persons had been added to the churches. Still the records showed that on account of numerous removals, and from other causes, the church membership had increased but little.

During the past few years Iowa has given thirty-four thousand dollars to fields beyond its own borders. This has been a great blessing to the conference; but after careful consideration, the brethren deliberately voted that the time had come when traditional policy should be abandoned, and that they should act as though the third angel’s message must be given to the whole world. For this reason they said to the General Conference, “You may take one half of our men and one half of our money for foreign work.” Such a step seems to the writer to indicate faith that this message must go to all the world, and that we are debtors to it.

The same spirit was indicated by another recommendation. The conference voted to take their annual camp-meeting to one of the largest cities in the State next year. For about twenty-eight years the camp-meeting has been held at or near Des Moines, and the other large cities in the State have never had the benefit of these great gatherings. We believe the plan adopted by our Iowa brethren is one that should prevail in all our conferences. To locate a camp-meeting year after year in a certain locality, simply because it may be convenient for our own people, is surely acting selfishly. These meetings have two objects in view,—first, they should be a great blessing to our own people; second, they should be used to bring a knowledge of the truth to the people in the cities where they are held. If they fail in either of these purposes, it is a serious loss. Camp-meetings should be made great missionary conventions.

The camp-meeting in Iowa this year was a blessed occasion. It will be remembered by those who attended it as an oasis in their Christian experience. Many more ought to have been there. Those who did not come can never know what they have lost. God gave his servants great freedom in the message they bore, they were blessed in giving it, and the people were blessed in receiving it. To me it was in every way a most pleasant and enjoyable occasion. It was in this conference that I began my ministerial labors, and was ordained. When called to other fields fifteen years ago, I was acquainted with nearly all the brethren and sisters in the State, and after these years of separation to return and renew old acquaintances and make new ones, was a very pleasant experience. The conference has greatly changed since I went away, and yet its members still love God and the message. Many of the older believers are with us no longer, and duties and responsibilities have come to younger hands. When Moses, at the age of one hundred and twenty, dropped the burdens he had carried so long, Joshua, a young warrior, took them up, and the people showed a just appreciation of the situation when they said: “All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. According as we harkened unto Moses in all things so will we harken unto thee.” Joshua 1:16, 17. The cause suffered no real loss. The time had come for change. It comes to us all, and happy are the men in responsibility, and happy the people, who can adapt themselves to the situation.

I shall long remember my visit at the Iowa camp-meeting with great pleasure.

E. W. FARNSWORTH.