The New Zealand Camp-Meeting
By S. M. Cobb
HAVING been asked to connect with the work in New Zealand, I reached this field Nov. 1, 1905, and at once took up my duties in this conference. Our camp-meeting was planned for Jan. 12-28, 1906, and after spending some time with a few of our churches, with encouraging results, we made ready for the meeting. This meeting was held at Island Bay, a beautiful suburb of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. Our camp was pitched on a beautiful site near the seashore. This camp-meeting was the largest ever held in New Zealand, and certainly the Lord has done great things for us during this annual feast of tabernacles. A goodly number started for the first time in the divine life, and all our people were much encouraged. Twenty-six were baptized during the meeting. The outside attendance was very good, and a deep interest was manifested in the truth as presented from the desk, and already some have decided to obey. We shall follow up the interest with a tent effort. Elder O. A. Olsen, president of the Australasian Union Conference, has spent one month in this field, having been with me two weeks before the camp opened, and we greatly appreciated his help and counsel. Elder W. A. Hennig and Dr. D. H. Kress were also with us, and rendered valuable assistance. The business of the conference was very interesting, and steps were taken to increase our facilities, and to advance the work in all its different phases. We are now entering the field with three tents, and are also taking up the Maori work, that is, the work for the natives of this field. We have “Christ Our Saviour” and one tract in the language of this people, and have set apart one man for this work, and shall add to this force as we can. The conference has also decided to open an industrial school for New Zealand as soon as a suitable location can be found, and, as soon as consistent, to start a food factory and a sanitarium, and to purchase sufficient land to permit these institutions to be located in one place, or on the same property. While at the camp, we raised about three thousand five hundred dollars toward the school. The work at our present sanitarium in Christchurch is also to be encouraged and built up. The usual officers of the conference were elected, and the camp-meeting closed with good prospects for the future of our work in this field.