Michigan Camp Meeting by J. D. Gowell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 19, 1902

Michigan Camp Meeting

By J. D. Gowell

WE believe that God will be pleased to meet with us at the coming camp meeting, and grant his blessing in a special manner. It seems that we have come to a time in the history of the message when we must have more than an ordinary blessing. We are very near the close of probation. All things are now ready for the closing scenes of our world's history, except God's people, and the command to them is, “Get ready, get ready.”

Now, dear brethren, let us come up to this annual feast praying that God will pour out a special blessing through the meeting. May we endeavor to be brethren, and help one another in getting settled in our camp, leaving all frivolous talk and actions behind. We hope all our assistants at the dining tent will labor to set a Christlike example before those with whom they come in contact. We want our table at the dining tent to be an example. We trust many will come together in small companies for fervent prayer, and that each person will feel the need of earnest, silent devotion. We trust that all will remember to pray that God will grant wisdom to his servants in the administration of affairs that have been placed in their hands. Let all be a daily example while upon the camp ground of Christianity, in keeping our camp neat and tidy, and in taking special care to help those coming on the ground to feel that they are welcome.

I want to urge all to be careful in their diet, and to endeavor to live as nearly as possible as they do at home.

When public worship is called, let us not feel that it is a proper time to be loitering about the grounds, but let us attend the meetings or secret devotion, asking the Lord to direct in the services being held. The executive committee will endeavor to do everything that can be done for the comfort of the camp, and in order to have the blessing of God we must unite in prayer, and labor to the same end. It will take all who attend the meeting to make it a grand success. We shall have able help from the general workers, and we trust that they will be remembered at the throne of grace, that they may be able, as under-shepherds, to feed the people with the bread of life.

We hope that all will send for their tents in time for them to be pitched prior to the meeting. Send to R. E. Taylor, 271 Champion St., Battle Creek, Mich. We have new flies for our tents this year. The price will be $2.50 for 12 x 16 foot tents, and $3 for 14 x 22 foot tents.

The General Passenger Association has granted us special rates to this meeting, giving us one fare for the round trip, good to return as late as September 12. If any agents fail to receive their instructions, as they sometimes do, we ask our brethren and sisters to pay full fare to the meeting, taking a receipt for the same of the agent, and then we shall have no trouble in getting them a return free. We trust all the agents in the State will receive this notice in time. The camp ground is about one-half mile from Alma, in a meadow close to the Toledo & Ann Arbor, and Pere Marquette Railways.

We are glad that we have instructions in regard to holding our business meeting separate from our camp meeting, so that our business will be out of the way, that nothing may hinder all from uniting in the spiritual meeting from the first, and we expect that the message will be given to the people in harmony with the testimony of God's Spirit.

Let me urge again that all attend the meeting.

J. D. GOWELL.