The North Pacific Conference and Camp-Meeting.
By S. N. Haskell
THIS meeting was held about half a mile west of Beaverton, eight miles from Portland, in a beautiful grove of large fir trees. Thirty-one tents were pitched upon the ground. The Conference was well represented. One brother came over one hundred miles, quite a portion of the distance on foot, while his wife rode a pony to reach a point where they could take public conveyance. The meeting was as large as any we ever attended in this part of the country, and the brethren manifested much interest to see the work go forward. The reports of the Tract Society showed an increase of interest during the past year. Many had joined it; and its financial standing was far better than one year ago. It was manifest that the blessing of God had accompanied the efforts of the brethren and sisters during the past Conference year. Three churches had been organized with an aggregate membership of forty, which was nearly one-third of the entire membership one year ago. This Conference, as well as the Upper Columbia Conference, presents many advantages for missionary work, over nearly all the Conferences of our people in the United States. Brethren are moving in here from Kansas and other States east of the mountains. Some of these are willing laborers in the cause. Others come with no letters, no church to recommend them, and while many of them no doubt are worthy, having lived alone, yet it is feared that some who come to this field have not left a record behind them such as it would be well to repeat. Also there are thousands of emigrants flocking to this country from all other portions, not only of this land, but of Europe. An interest to hear had been awakened in different parts of the field, so that the Macedonian cry came in from different parts of Oregon and Washington Territory. During the past year our brethren had purchased a new tent 43x60 feet, which was pitched for the first time upon the camp-ground. The burden of the meeting seemed to be to move forward and take advance steps in the work of God. This was heartily responded to by the leading brethren. The testimonies showed that a deep interest was taken in this direction. When the nature and magnitude of the work was presented, and what God is willing to do for those that believe in the Third Angel’s Message, quite an interest was manifested on the part of worthy young men and women to enter the field. The membership of this Conference one year ago numbered about 120; the tithe paid during the year amounted to about $1,450 making an average of between $11 and $12 for each person. It had increased the past two years about $500 each year, but notwithstanding this, when the subject came up of encouraging canvassers to go into the field, and it was stated that the sum raised was simply sufficient to meet the expenses of the ministers now in the field, one brother who had contemplated making a visit East, the coming season, said that that visit, although a desirable one, would cost him about $200, and he would forego it, and devote the sum for the encouragement of young men and women to enter the field as canvassers for the SIGNS and our other publications. Another brother immediately responded that as soon as he returned home he would forward $100 to the treasurer to be devoted to this work. These brethren strictly paid their tithes, outside of this. A good, healthy feeling was manifested in this direction. Nearly $600 was pledged in a few moments for the Reserve Fund, so that the Tract Society might carry a quantity of publications, and thus enlarge the facilities for spreading the truth the coming year. It was thought advisable to move the Tract Society library to Portland which is the head of navigation for sea-going vessels, and the center of the railroads for all of this section of the country. Through this city thousands of emigrants pass on their way to Washington Territory and different parts of Oregon. It presents many advantages over any other point in the northern part of this coast for the head-quarters of a missionary society. We formed a pleasant acquaintance with Bro. Barnes who had been laboring for the past year, and had received the truth less than two years since. It was thought best that Eld. Boyd should enter East Portland with a company of workers who had decided to give themselves to the cause of God, and see if possibly they could work up an interest there, while Elds. Barnes and Raymond would go to another portion of the Conference and pitch a tent, and these two tent companies would make a special effort to educate certain workers for the cause. About $1,000 was raised on the ground for the different enterprises. Near the close of the meeting a petition was drawn up requesting the ministers to remain over one day after the meeting closed to give instruction in the canvassing work, which was cheerfully complied with. The spiritual interest of the meeting from the commencement was good. Sabbath about forty came forward for prayers. Many of these were youth and children—those who had never before made a start to serve God. Nine were baptized Tuesday morning by Eld. Boyd. Our brethren and sisters went home from this meeting in an encouraged state of feeling. The Upper Columbia Conference discussed the propriety, through its president and Tract Society secretary, of having a depository for publications at East Portland instead of ordering from Oakland, Cal. It was the opinion of the leading brethren present that it would be for the interests of the two societies to send out the SIGNS to monthly subscribers from this point, and thus relieve the secretary of the Upper Columbia Conference of this branch of the work. We felt much encouraged at the appearance of things in this Conference. We look forward with a good deal of confidence to see the blessing of God in the coming year more marked in the spread of the truth in this northern field than we have ever seen in the past. The time has fully come when our ideas of this work should be enlarged, and instead of curtailing our work, and lessening our sacrifices to forward it, we should increase them more and more; and in proportion as our faith grasps what God has promised concerning his truth and we appropriate the promises to the present time and work, and act in harmony with that faith, we shall see of the salvation of God. In those Conferences which are thus moving forward God is raising up humble men and women, and the seeds of truth are being more extensively sown than has ever been before in the history of this work. The camp-meeting broke up Tuesday morning, but some fifteen or twenty remained longer to receive instruction in the colporteur work. Six intend to enter the field immediately. Thursday we spent in canvassing East Portland in company with Elds. Boyd and Raymond to ascertain what kind of an opening might be found for tent meetings, and also to locate the Tract Society library. There should be in connection with such a place a free reading-room, and we see no reason why there might not be quite a large selection of good books from all denominations and such a reading-room be made attractive to the public. We found a number who proposed to liberally contribute to such an enterprise. Judging from the prospect which presented itself the brief time we had to investigate the matter, hundreds of dollars might be raised by the citizens of East Portland to assist in such a move. Had not other duties compelled us to take the boat that night for San Francisco we should have considered it a privilege to further assist in establishing the reading-room. A hundred copies of the paper have been ordered for the purpose of canvassing East Portland and vicinity.