Kansas Camp-Meeting by J. N. Ayers

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 20, 1876

FromThe Review and Herald, Review and Herald, Vol. 47, No. 16.

Kansas Camp-Meeting.

By J. N. Ayers

The time for this gathering is drawing very near. We hope all the brethren in the Conference will do their utmost to make this the most interesting meeting ever held by our people in the State. There is no reason why it should not be, if we individually take hold of the work as we should. Let none commence making excuses; but let all come up to this meeting. As a people, we very much need the benefit to be derived from such a gathering. We therefore urge our brethren not to allow the cares of this world to keep them away.

Come, brethren and sisters, and bring your children and friends. God has promised to meet with us at these yearly gatherings; and we know that he will not fail on his part. This may be the last opportunity many of us will have on earth of uniting our voices in praise to our Heavenly Father. We would esteem it a great privilege to meet with our brethren from the Missouri Conference. As we have been so long connected in one Conference, we still have the warmest feelings for them.

This meeting will be held about midway between Long and Rock creeks on the Marias-descygnes river, about eight miles north-west of Williamsburg, and three miles north-east of Melvern. Teams will be at Osage City and Williamsburg the day before the meeting to take all that come on the cars to the grounds. All coming by rail will please notify E. M. Kalloch or Wm. Fleak (by mail at Melvern, Osage Co.), at which place they will be, so that they can make arrangements to accommodate all.

The Kansas Conference and Kansas Tract and Missionary Society will hold their annual sessions in connection with this meeting. Let all the churches see that their delegates are duly elected and furnished with credentials and church reports. Let the T. & M. Societies have their reports ready before they come to the meeting. Then the directors should hand them to the proper officer as soon as they arrive on the grounds, that there may be as little time spent in business meetings as possible. Delegates should try to be on the ground the day before the meeting, as we design having one session of the Conference the night before the meeting commences, in order to have the different committees appointed, so they can be at work, and not have all the business to do just at the close of the meeting.

Come in season to pitch your tents the night before the meeting, as it not only disturbs the meeting to have the noise and bustle of pitching tents after it has commenced, but you are unprepared to engage in the worship of God, as it is your duty to do in order to secure the blessing that God would be pleased to have you receive by going to such a meeting.

Let all bring tents that can. Thirty-two or forty yards of heavy sheeting make a very good tent, and can be used for other purposes after the meeting is over. Those coming without tents should bring plenty of bedding. There will be tent room on the ground. And if you can bring neither tent nor bedding, come yourselves, and there will be ample provision made for all who may attend. Come praying for the blessing of God. Come determined to do all in your power to obtain it, and then work for it while here. We all need more of the spirit of Christ, that we may be able to lead others into the truth. Shall we have it? Do you want to see your friends in the kingdom? Do you want to be the instrument in God's hand of leading some poor sinner to Jesus? Do you want to hear Jesus say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord”? If you do, come to this meeting determined to draw nearer the Lord than you have ever been, that you may receive more of his Spirit, and be prepared to work in his vineyard. J. N. AYERS.