The Pennsylvania Camp Meeting
By R. A. Underwood
The readers of the Review may be glad to know that the prospects for success in the camp meeting in Johnstown, Pa., are being realized. From the very beginning, the Spirit of God has been with us in a marked manner. The first Sabbath was a glorious day. Near the close of the Sabbath the congregation repaired to a stream running by the camp ground, where nine precious souls were buried in baptism. The attendance from the outside has been large. Sunday afternoon was occupied by a temperance meeting. Elder Fitzgerald, of Philadelphia, addressed the audience, and was followed by W. F. Schwarts, Dr. A. J. Read, and E. E. Franke. Several ministers and lay brethren of other denominations also entered into the spirit of the meeting. Nearly every phase of the temperance question was dwelt upon. The meeting occupied about two hours and a half, and almost every one of the three thousand persons remained until the close of the services. On Sunday evening a still larger number listened to the sermon by Elder Franke on “The Glorious Appearing of Christ.” The Lord is giving his servants freedom, and large congregations are present at all meetings. We are encouraged to believe that excellent results will follow the work of the camp meeting. The conference reports already received show a general growth of the work of the State. During the last three years there has been an increase of over six thousand dollars in the amount of tithe paid, an average of over two thousand dollars every year. I never before attended a camp meeting which had so little preaching. Practically all the hours during the day are occupied either in giving instruction or in studying with the congregation the different phases of our work. The Lord is blessing this method of conducting the meeting. The Sabbath-school work, the health and temperance work, the work of disseminating the truth by means of the printed page, the school work, and other lines are being studied. During the canvassers’ institute, held just before the camp meeting, the canvassers sold nearly a thousand dollars’ worth of books in this place. This was an excellent preparatory work for the camp meeting. We hope that the readers of the Review will remember us in their prayers, that God may greatly bless our efforts during the remainder of the meeting, and the work that shall follow.