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TEXAS CAMP-MEETING

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 20, 1901

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 78, No. 34.

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TEXAS CAMP-MEETING.

By Arthur G. Daniells

As it was necessary for me to leave the Texas camp-meeting before its close, I cannot report the entire meeting; but there are some features of the meeting that I am pleased to place before the readers of the REVIEW.
The Location.—One of the most important questions relating to the State camp-meeting is its location, for upon this, to a large extent, depends the success of the meeting. The primary object of the State camp-meeting is to make known to our fellow men the glorious truths God has given to us. In order to accomplish this purpose, we must succeed in getting the public to attend our meetings, and our success in this will depend very much upon the location of the camp-ground.
It must be in a town of sufficient size to furnish a large attendance. It must be in a town that is ready for the meeting—one that will be impressed by such an occasion. As a rule, it should be a town in which a camp-meeting has not been held previously, at least for some time. Then the camp-ground itself must be in a suitable place in the town. It must be easy of access. It must be close to the people, so they can get to the ground without much expense or labor. People will not walk a long distance, to an out-of-the-way place to attend religious meetings which are no more popular than ours.
The camp-meetings this year have not done for the public what we had fondly hoped they would. They have not drawn the masses, nor created the interest they should in order to be followed by a rousing, successful series of meetings. There may be a number of reasons for this; but from observation and inquiry, I am sure that one great reason is because of the unfavorable location of the camp-ground. Much has been lost this year by this mistake. May the Lord pardon us, and save us from repeating it another year.
The Texas camp-meeting was wisely located. It was placed where we could consistently expect the people to attend, and we were not disappointed. They flocked to the camp-ground from all parts of the town, far beyond all expectations. The first night the large pavilion was nearly full. The second night it was packed. The third night there seemed to be nearly as many outside the tent as could be seated inside. Between two hundred and three hundred chairs were brought onto the ground, and placed outside the tent. The campers brought all their seats to the large tent, and yet many had to stand. Sunday night, the fourth evening of the meeting, the attendance was wonderful. It was all that could be asked; for it was all that could well be reached by the voice of the speaker. As I looked over that sea of upturned faces, with eyes riveted on the preacher, and ears catching with deepest interest the words of truth that were being spoken, I asked, “What occasion is so glorious, what privilege so much to be coveted, as this?” But this is just the privilege God will give His people everywhere as soon as we so fully surrender to Him that we shall continually pray, “Thy will, O God, be done.”
The Texas camp-meeting was held in the town of Cleburne, and the camp-ground was within a few blocks of the courthouse, which stands in the very center of the business portion of the town. Cleburne is a thriving place of about thirteen thousand inhabitants. It is located on the main line of the Santa Fé Railway. Two branch lines of the same company run from Cleburne, one to the northeast, and the other to the northwest. It is the principal railway station and commercial town for Keene Academy, which is five miles distant in the country.
This is the first camp-meeting we have held in Cleburne. Tent-meetings have been held in the town by different laborers during the last twenty years, but none have been attended with very great visible results. But it has been a time of seed-sowing, and the camp-meeting has proved to be the means of arresting the attention of hundreds, many of whom never attended the tent-meetings.
Having secured for the camp a clean, grassy piece of ground close to the people, the committee put forth the most earnest efforts to interest the public in the meetings. They devoted one entire number of their Conference paper to camp-meeting matter, and endeavored to have a copy placed in every house in town. These were carried to the people by Conference workers, who gave a personal invitation as they handed out the printed announcement. In addition to this, full announcements were printed in the daily papers.
The camp was made as clean and orderly as possible under the circumstances. It was splendidly lighted with electricity, and supplied with an abundance of good water. The dining arrangements were under the supervision of a sanitarium-trained cook, who provided a most excellent camp-meeting menu. This sort of help is an unspeakable blessing on a camp-ground.
Owing to the drought, it was feared by some that the attendance of our people would be smaller than in past years; but in this we were happily disappointed. They came in by trains and teams from all parts of the State, until there were present a very large proportion of the membership of the Conference. When the brethren had done all they could by the help of the Lord to make the meeting what it should be, they could consistently pray the Lord to send the people to the camp to be blessed. Their prayers were answered by the excellent outside attendance, as stated above.
As but little of the Conference business had been done when I left the meeting, this part of the report will be supplied by others. From the first, all the speakers enjoyed great liberty. They were conscious of a hearty response from the congregation. The general laborers in attendance were Elder A. T. Jones, the Drs. Paulson, Brethren McReynolds and Spicer, and the writer. Dr. Paulson and his wife not only gave timely and deeply interesting instruction regarding health principles, but rendered valuable service in revival work, especially for the young.
It is the earnest desire on the part of our brethren in Texas that the interest awakened by this camp-meeting will result in the establishment of a good church in Cleburne. The camp-meeting will be followed with a series of tent-meetings under the management of a large company of workers. Will not the readers of this report pray for the salvation of souls in Cleburne? A. G. DANIELLS.