p. 196 | THE CAMP-MEETINGS by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 21, 1877

THE CAMP-MEETINGS.

By James White

We receive the glorious news of the Western New York and Iowa camp-meetings with joy, and are very happy to give these triumphant reports to the readers of the REVIEW. We have marked the fact with great interest, that for several years past our camp-meetings each year have been blessed with greater outpourings of the Holy Spirit, and power attending the word spoken, than the previous one. These are God's meetings, and he tempers them to the wants of the people and cause, to his glory. We expect cheering reports from Wisconsin and Missouri, where camp-meetings are being held at the same time.

Mrs. White and the writer did most of the speaking at our first camp-meeting, held in 1868. We have gone the yearly rounds of all our camp-meetings, with few exceptions, from the first. We are nearly worn out. Our dear brethren have urged us to attend their camp-meetings this year, and it has been very hard to refuse them. We have feared that our absence would be felt, but we are relieved from such fears, and are made very happy in learning that the Iowa and Western New York camp-meetings just past were better than those of former years.

Our people are learning to trust in God as never before. Our young ministers are learning to take responsibilities. Let them have a chance. It is a great mistake for a set of preachers to get the idea that nobody is exactly qualified to speak at our camp-meetings excepting themselves. We fear that in some cases we have been in the way of younger men. The history of our camp-meetings the present year, as it shall be made, will be watched by us with deep interest. It takes the Lord to make a good camp-meeting. We should keep out of his way, and let him use whom he pleases. J. W.