To the Friends of the Cause in Kansas and Missouri.
By George I. Butler
As the camp-meeting in your Conference is drawing near, I wish to say a word to you, feeling, as I do, the greatest interest in your spiritual prosperity. Having in past labors become acquainted with many of you, and understanding your circumstances to a considerable extent from personal observation, I trust it will not be improper for me to thus address you. I have ever regarded our little camp-meeting at Centerville last year as a success. This was not because the number in attendance was great, nor because there were no discouragements to meet, for we had a plenty of those, but because the Lord was graciously present by his Spirit, and the hearts of many were deeply stirred by its power. If I do not greatly mistake, those who went forth from that meeting to labor, went with new hopes and courage, and with clearer views of duty than before. God has been moving upon the hearts of the people in your Conference. Although the ministers from abroad who had labored in your midst were withdrawn, yet more have embraced the truth than before in any year since the truth was preached there, and openings have appeared in various directions, and urgent calls for help. This increase, in my judgment, was not caused, by any means, because those who were among you did not labor faithfully before; we know they did labor earnestly. Neither was it because those who went forth to labor the past season were great men of wonderful talent and experience, for we know most of them were young in experience. But it seems clear to my mind that the Spirit of God was moving upon the hearts of the people. Never had there been one-half of the interest and sacrifice manifested before to attend the camp-meeting which was shown last June. Before, it seemed almost impossible to get the people out. They were poor. The distance between the churches was very great. They were driven with work, settling as they did in a new country. Last season the going was far worse than common, and the difficulties greater; yet there was a far larger attendance. I was most happily surprised to see so many who had come from one to two hundred miles over the most terrible going, and through the high waters, so bad that in some instances they had to leave their teams and come by the railroad. God signally blessed such efforts, as he always will, and in my soul, I believe it was the beginning of better days for your Conference if you become not weary in well-doing. The question I now wish you to consider is, Whether that shall be indeed the commencement of a series of determined efforts to move the cause of God forward, or whether it was merely a spasmodic movement, while you settle back into your old habit. In the former case you will see the Lord bless, and his work grow up mightily in your midst, and the cause of truth prosper, and you will have a strong Conference; while if the latter be true you will sink down more lifeless than before. You can find a plenty of apparently good excuses for staying at home this year, no doubt. The meeting will be a long way off to many of you. You are poor, and it will take a great effort to get to the meeting. It may take some of you a fortnight to get round home again. Some of you have just embraced the truth, and have never learned to go to meeting very far. To think of going fifty, one hundred, or one hundred and fifty miles to a meeting, looks like a big thing, perhaps a foolish thing. The way this is viewed all depends upon the value we attach to religious things. I dare say any of you if you expected to lose fifty dollars unless you went, would manage to be present. If a hundred, you certainly would. But, my friends, the day of God will disclose the fact that the value of a good camp-meeting to us, when rightly improved, is not to be estimated by thousands of gold and silver. I can point to many instances of individuals who always expect to be at every camp-meeting in their Conference. They generally are in earnest, and have the love of the truth in their hearts, and the truth to them is important. They are preparing for Heaven. I can point to others just as good by nature, who let the world hinder them from attending these meetings. As a universal rule, they are drying up, growing weaker and weaker, and bid fair to lose the eternal weight of glory. Why is this? Because they do not use the precious means of grace placed within their reach. The camp-meetings cost the cause something. Ministers, supposed to have some experience, and knowledge of the wants of the people, give the most earnest, wearing labor to these meetings to help the people where they are. They go from State to State, under a burden and pressure that is terrible, just to help and encourage the people, and lead them on toward God and Heaven. There is a great pecuniary expense involved in these meetings. There are many openings everywhere where they might enter with a good prospect of bringing souls into the truth. But these camp-meetings are thought to be more important, and thus others lying in darkness are deprived of this very labor for your sakes. The people at these meetings have the opportunity to learn in regard to the general interests and wants of this great cause of reform, which is designed to prepare a people for Christ's coming. Now, in view of all this and much more that might be said, if our people are not willing to make a sacrifice to obtain these privileges and blessings, thrown within their reach, it seems to me little short of a criminal negligence, sure to result in spiritual loss, and final ruin. I know there are persons so situated that they cannot attend. But I do not mean by this those who would merely suffer a little pecuniary loss. Brethren of Missouri and Kansas, make another effort at the coming camp-meeting, greater, even, than last year. Let every church be represented. Perhaps some of you are disappointed because there are not two camp-meetings appointed in your States instead of one, thus bringing it nearer to many of you. We considered the arguments of those in favor of this plan, and could not accept them as sufficient to justify having two. In the first place, those of us who have to attend the camp-meetings, find so much to do that it would be well-nigh impossible for us to attend them. In the next place, we do not believe it would be best for the cause there. Two years ago, three were held at great expense in different places. But two of them were little more than mere local meetings of the church living at the place. This course destroys the very object the camp-meetings are designed to accomplish. They ought to be general meetings of the Conference, attended by brethren from all parts of the State, where the wants of all parts may be considered, and the people may become acquainted with one another, and thus learn to feel that they are a part of the whole Conference. We want a large meeting. There is an encouragement to the people and ministry from this very consideration. When there is only a little handful present, it has a depressing influence. It is through these very sacrifices, designed to be saved by having several meetings taken round to convenient places for you to reach, that great good comes to you. In my soul I believe this was a special cause of our good meeting last year. The Lord looked down well pleased to see this spirit of sacrifice arising in your midst, and you beginning to feel a determination to bear your own burdens and lift in his cause and not leave it all for others to do. The cause in your Conference is comparatively feeble. Especially is this so peculiarly. Some who have labored in your midst have done so with the barest pittance, in sacrifice and poverty. You should come up to the camp-meeting prepared to help these men to your very utmost. The General Conference has helped to bear the burdens of your local labor, during the past year. Do all you can, pay up your s. B. pledges, and bring with you all available means. You are poor, but do what you can, and in this way God will bless you. I want to meet a large attendance at Lee Summit, the last of this month. If you want to discourage the hearts of God's servants, stay away. But if you want to encourage, and build up the cause in your midst, lay your plans for a general turnout. In your broad prairie country, you are used to long journeys with comparatively small expense. Let this be the most general rally ever seen in Kansas and Missouri, and we are certain God will add his richest blessing. GEO. I. BUTLER.
Battle Creek, Mich., May 3, 1874.