Camp-Meetings by J. H. Waggoner

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Sep 13, 1877

Camp-Meetings.

By J. H. Waggoner

THE camp-meeting in Indiana was a decided success. The brethren and sisters of all the churches were mostly there, the outside attendance was large, and the interest manifested to hear was good. The ground was large and well arranged. Some defects in preparation will no doubt be remedied in the future.

The labor for the unconverted was satisfactory in its results. Quite a number of young people, and some older ones, took a good stand for the truth of God. Fifteen were baptized. At a meeting in a small tent appointed especially for those just starting, thirteen young people attended and every one joined in prayer.

At the closing meeting, Brother A. W. Bartlett was ordained to the ministry. The Lord's blessing was there.

I have been impressed this year that the camp-meetings might be more profitable if a few points were generally guarded. Preparations should always be early made to lodge ministers coming from abroad. The Conferences cannot afford to call ministers from a distance and have them spend their time in seeking or preparing lodgings. Their time can be more profitably spent. I speak for others as well as myself, for I am not alone in meeting with this difficulty.

Another serious mistake is in not being prepared to commence meetings at the time appointed. Although considerable work had been done in Indiana, the work stood at the commencement of the Sabbath just where it should have stood on Wednesday evening, to have the full benefit of the meeting, except the book-stand, which was made Sunday morning during a meeting. All who have observed know that the brethren do not generally enter heartily into the meetings till their work is done. To many, there is only a two days' meeting when the work is so delayed.

In Ohio, the sickness and almost unavoidable absence of the energetic president delayed the preparations, and this is liable to be so in any case where both the president and his brethren have not learned that he cannot do everything. There can never be more than the appearance of strength where all the labor is gathered into the hands of one, and all the rest have no burden resting on them. Some mothers find it easier to do all the work than to instruct their daughters, but the daughters grow up weak and inefficient. I do not speak this specially for Ohio, for the difficulty in this respect is found to be greater in some other places.

A fact in the management of the Illinois camp-meeting is worthy of mention. The brethren chartered a car at Freeport and another at Gilman, and ran them down to Clinton on Wednesday. The great body of believers gathered on those lines to avail themselves of the cheap fare, and of course were on the ground in good season. These cars will run back to those points on Tuesday morning, so the brethren will not be scattering off on Monday. And the fare is reduced below excursion rates. This may be the true method to adopt where many believers live on the line of a road.

Clinton is a new field, the truth not having been preached near it. There seems to be a spirit of inquiry, and a large attendance is expected. The ground is rather small, and would hardly accommodate so many thousands as were present in Indiana and Ohio.

Of these three meetings, Indiana alone was privileged with the labors of Sister White. Her testimony there was well received, all agreeing that her discourse on Monday afternoon well repaid them for all the trouble of coming to the meeting.

J. H. WAGGONER.

Camp-Ground, Clinton, Ill., Aug. 24.