The Wisconsin Camp Meeting
By W. A. S.
Our Wisconsin brethren closed a profitable camp meeting in Grand Rapids, August 24. The camp was in the edge of the town, easy of access, and large numbers of the citizens attended the evening services. Elder Brunson occupied the evening hours with studies of the great fundamentals of Christian experience. From the general expression of appreciation on the part of the people, there is reason to hope for the reaping of definite fruit of the meeting in the effort now being made to follow up the interest. Brethren Ritchie and Moody are continuing the meetings in the town. We all felt that the business meetings were seasons of special blessing. When the business is the Master's work, there is no reason why the business meetings should not have all the business temperature of a consecration service. Goodness that is not good for something is only badness wrongly labeled, and so a camp meeting needs to have constantly before it the work that must be done, and the best ways of taking hold of it. We are saved to serve in these times, or we are not saved at all. The reports and considerations of the various branches of the work showed progress in Wisconsin during the year. Most encouraging of all, however, was the settled determination to make an even more active campaign the coming year. This is the people's war, and all the people must rally to the work of winning souls and bearing the witness into new communities. The paid conference workers can never do it all. Whole conferences of believers must rise up and bear the message. The brethren subscribed one thousand dollars for the sanitarium enterprise at Madison, where there is a specially favorable opening for enlarging the work. The needs of Scotland were presented, and between seven hundred and eight hundred dollars was subscribed, and by vote the brethren instructed their committee to exercise its discretion as to sending a laborer to that field, in addition. The conference also continued its support of Sister Ida Thompson in China, glad of this tie that binds their hearts to the needy East. That which fills hearts' with joy is the thought that the world can be quickly warned if only we as a people rise up and make it the one business of our lives. About sixty of the young people in one of the meetings rose to declare their readiness of heart to go anywhere the Lord might call, whenever fitted for service. Hearts of parents were touched, and in response fathers17and mothers pledged themselves to let the youth go with their blessing, while they at home stood by with the means to send them forth to the ends of the earth. The church schools, and the State school at Bethel, are strong missionary influences. One could but remark the splendid influence of the Bethel school upon the young people who have attended it. I saw the same thing at the Ohio meeting, among students of the Mount Vernon school. Our German and Scandinavian brethren had tents for their special services. The American brethren heartily took up the matter of doing more for the foreign-speaking peoples in the land, of whom Wisconsin has large numbers. During the meetings fifty souls were baptized in the Wisconsin River. In the main, I believe, the conference officers formerly serving were continued, Elder Covert being re-elected president for another year. W. A. S.