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The Iowa Camp-Meeting

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 17, 1875

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 45, No. 25.

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The Iowa Camp-Meeting.

By Uriah Smith

Sabbath, June 5, was a day of the meeting which will long be remembered by those who were present. It commenced with a rich measure of the blessing of Heaven, and increased in interest till the close. The morning meeting at half past five was one, the equal of which, in intensity of feeling and Christian activity, is rarely seen. It seemed, as it is sometimes expressed, that the people were making a “rush for the kingdom.” Seven were sometimes on their feet at once. One hundred testimonies were borne in three quarters of an hour.
Following this, the morning season of family worship at the tents was an occasion of great feeling and deep searching of heart. And when the hour came for another season of public social worship at the stand, many came from their tents weeping, not tears of sadness and disappointment, but such as arise from a sweet feeling of contrition on account of the presence of the Lord, and his love shed abroad in the heart. Thus this meeting opened with the same degree of spirituality with which the preceding one closed, and continued in the same spirit.
Some remarks were made by Bro. White of a very encouraging nature. He referred to the discouragements which the brethren in Iowa have met in times past, the apostasies that have taken place in their midst, and the goodness of God in sustaining the cause through it all, and raising up friends and laborers among them. The prosperity of the cause in this State, notwithstanding all adverse circumstances, is an evidence, strong and irresistible, that God’s hand is in the work, and calls upon every heart for thanksgiving and gratitude. His remarks took deep hold upon the feelings of the congregation. Many testified that they never witnessed a better state of feeling in a social meeting than was manifest upon this occasion.
Bro. White spoke in the forenoon with great freedom, bringing out things new and old from the great treasure-house of God’s word, giving such instruction as was adapted to the condition and wants of the people of God at this time.
Sister White spoke in the afternoon on Luke 19:41, 42: “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things that belong unto thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes.” She spoke with unusual liberty, closing with a powerful appeal to those who were present, not to be unmindful of this the day of their visitation, lest their condition become like that of the Jews, and the things that belong unto their peace be hid from their eyes. And when an opportunity was given for those who wished to start anew in the service of Christ to come forward, about fifty came to the front, many of whom were for the first time making a move in this direction, and were very interesting cases. After prayers, this company was distributed into three tents, and the work of labor continued. Some touching and impressive testimonies were borne, which it was good to hear.
On Sunday, the congregation numbered upward of two thousand. Bro. White spoke in the afternoon, Sr. W. in the forenoon and evening. The readers of the REVIEW are so well acquainted with their labors that it is only necessary to say that they probably never enjoyed greater freedom. Yet this can give but a very inadequate idea of the interest of the occasion. In the evening, when perhaps the congregation was the largest, though the evening was unusually chilly, the large crowd was held as if spell-bound under the powerful address of Sr. W., and many of those who had come in from without were moved to tears.
On Monday, another move was made for those who were here making a new start in the service of God. Fifty-five came forward, giving evidence of a good work wrought upon their hearts; and all bore testimony to their desire and determination henceforth to live the Christian life.
The business sessions of the Conference passed off harmoniously, and its action showed a good degree of zeal for the prosperity of the cause in this good State. The credentials of the nine ministers belonging to the Conference were renewed, and licenses granted to ten young men to exercise their ability in publicly presenting the stirring and important truths for this time to the people. The list included four who received license for the first time at this meeting. And there are still others who may yet labor publicly in the work. The wants of the cause are urgent. Calls are pressing in from every quarter. Would that there were a hundred, where now one can be found to respond to these calls, and enter the openings that are multiplying on every hand. May the little army of workers in Iowa, who feel the wants of the cause, have strength and wisdom imparted to them to accomplish a measure of what their zeal would prompt them to do.
Six new churches were added to the Conference, increasing materially its membership. The truth has secured a good foothold at many points, and accomplished a good work. It was remarkable to learn, as one after another of noble men arose to speak in the social meetings, how this one had been rescued by the truth from infidelity, that one just saved by it from going into spiritualism, another recovered from the saloon and gaming table, and so on. Truly the truth has effected marvelous things in many cases here.
From the citizens of Newton and vicinity we have received the utmost respect and courtesy. Not the least manifestation of rowdyism, or disposition to make disturbance, was witnessed, and it was not even found necessary to establish a night watch, so undisturbed were we in the enjoyment of our privileges. W. S. Benham, editor and publisher of the Newton Free Press, in his issue of June 2, gave quite a full notice of the meeting, from which we make the following extracts:—
“The Seventh-day Adventists of Iowa and Nebraska, both States being included in one Conference, held their annual Conference and camp-meeting at Evan’s grove, just southwest of Newton, commencing last Thursday and closing on Tuesday. This is the second year of the Conference and camp-meeting at this place, and its central location and pleasant remembrances may make this the place for its permanent establishment. The grounds were admirably arranged, the great pavilion located on the east side, with a semicircle enclosing over two acres, upon which ample seats were spread before the platform, while in the adjacent timber the teams were hitched and fed, a well dug on purpose, furnishing the requisite amount of water for all.”
“It is proper to state right here that no orders were given in regard to deportment on the grounds, no guards or sentinels placed on duty,and that from the opening to the close there was not an attempt at disorder or a symptom of rowdyism manifested. The people who came together for the camp-meeting attended strictly to business, and the spectators at all the meetings showed that respect which was due to them as strangers and fellow-citizens. We do not mention this fact as being unduly creditable to Newton and vicinity, but it is well known, the country through, that it is not very unusual for camp-meetings held by any denomination to be interrupted by rowdies, and that a kind of police has to be established to maintain order. In fact, in years past—we trust not to be repeated—the local officials have had to be called upon to make arrests of this class of offenders.
“The rains along early in the week made the roads quite muddy for a while, and the grounds at first were rather disagreeable, but when it was rainy the spectators were few, and the regular attendants could crowd into the pavilion, so the meetings, three times a day, with committee meetings, business meetings, &c., went regularly on, the same as if the weather had been all the time pleasant.”
“In nearly all the States the membership is sufficient to make up a Conference, the largest being in Michigan, with the publishing headquarters at Battle Creek, where two newspapers and all the books and tracts for the Society are issued. There are few so extensive publishing houses in the country, about $100,000 being there invested in the publishing business. At Battle Creek they have a College just fairly started, with an endowment of about $60,000, and a Health Institute where chronic diseases are successfully treated without medicines.”
“The Conference arranges the work for the coming year, assigning the elders to duty in the several locations, appoints both clerical and lay missionaries, and acts upon all questions that may come up from the people affecting the faith, conduct, and progress of the sect. The attendance at these camp-meetings is voluntary, and we were informed that this meeting had about the average attendance of members. There certainly was about the same number present as last year.”
“An incomplete computation showed that there were present as regular attendants of the meeting about five hundred persons, and among them were delegations from Knoxville, Poweshiek Co., Kellogg, Monona Co., Burt Co., Nebraska, Pella, Fort Dodge, Afton, Mt. Pleasant, Caloma, Brighton, New London, Washington, Hook’s Point, Victor, Pilot Grove, Woodburn, West Union, Monroe, Osceola, Elkhorn, Pleasantville, Adel, State Center, Richmond, Anamosa, Marion, Richland, Sigourney, Frederick, and Winterset. The bulk of these delegations had commodious tents, of which there were about thirty, in some of which as many as twenty-five persons were well accommodated, while many who came in wagons made their conveyance a comfortable home during the meeting. Probably a dozen families and delegations were assigned space in the pavilion, and with appropriate partitions therein found pleasant quarters. There were quite a number of individuals who came singly and without conveniences, and to all these the kindest hospitality was shown by their brethren, and they were made to feel themselves as much at home as if they owned the best tent on the grounds.”
“Of the elders in attendance and taking an active part in conducting the exercises, we may appropriately mention James White, U. Smith, Ellen G. White, R. M. Kilgore, Henry Nicola, C. L. Boyd, C. A. Washburn, J. T. Mitchell, and Henry Morrison.”
“Eld. White has made the subject of his present discourses his life-study, and its propagation his life-work. He is the associate of Elders Smith and Andrews in publishing the REVIEW AND HERALD, Voice of Truth, and Signs of the Times.”
“Mrs. White is a preacher of great ability and force, much called for as a speaker at the camp-meetings of the denomination all over the Union, and a large share of her time is given to this work.”
“Eld. Smith is pleasant in appearance, an earnest advocate of his doctrines, and preaches with good effect.”
“The tents are being struck as we go to press, and directly those attending the meeting will return to their respective homes, firmer and stronger after this season of instruction and mutual pledges to each other of faithfulness to the faith.”
“The meeting has been in all respects a success, and while the people of town and vicinity have every reason to be pleased, we trust that the visitors from abroad will have none but pleasant recollections of the second camp-meeting at Newton.”
Thirty-two rose to signify their desire to receive baptism at the first opportunity.
At the closing meeting Tuesday morning, Bro. J. Bartlett and Bro. J. W. McWilliams were ordained to the work of the ministry. The occasion was a most interesting one.
Thus the meeting closed, the brethren we believe all feeling that this, the opening meeting of the season, has furnished a most encouraging beginning. May they remember that the real success of the occasion is mainly to be determined hereafter, as it will depend upon the way in which the impressions received shall be cherished, and the resolutions formed shall be carried out. U. S.