p. 425 | The Missionary

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 14, 1887

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 13, No. 27.

The Missionary.

TOUR TO THE CAMP-MEETING AT MOSS.

THE following is the report which appeared in the Christiania Morgenposten of June 14:—

Life in the large cities becomes very tedious in summer when the sun is heating the tall brick houses as hot as an oven, and when every little breath of air which is expected to bring refreshing comes laden with great clouds of dust, which settles down, dirty and disgusting, everywhere. Anyone having read Kjellan’s “Arbeidsfolk” has a good idea of a summer day on Karl Johan, and can understand what enjoyment it must be for a person living in Christiania to once in a while shake the dust off his feet, and get out of the city. This desire to escape from the tumult and dust of the town has also entered our religious societies and sects lately; especially, since they have noticed that people like much better to hear a sermon when they are permitted to sit down in a cool, green grove, than when they are compelled, on a warm summer day, to sit in the close air of a church or hall.

The camp-meeting of the Seventh-day Adventists in the Bellevue Grove on Jel Island, near Moss, from the 8th to the 14th of June, was nevertheless something new. It was new both on account of the length of time the meeting was to continue, and because the people were going to dwell in tents. Besides this speakers were to be present from distant lands.

As far as we know this is the first camp-meeting ever held in Europe, but in America such meetings are very common, and in Michigan, where the Adventists are most numerous, from 2,000 to 3,000 people may be found in such a camp. They hire the ground, arrange regular streets, and appoint everyone a place for his tent. They have a camp directory by the help of which anyone can be easily found. It is a perfectly organized though temporary city. At the services in such a camp ten to twenty thousand people often gather.

The meeting at Moss, of course, was not so grand an affair, yet they have a large tent sixty feet long and forty feet wide for the congregation. We found also eight smaller tents in which about one hundred persons lived. The tents are very fine and pleasantly and neatly arranged, generally for two families. Altogether we received the impression that the people occupying these tents must be an economical and well-to-do people. Nothing was seen in the line of taking up collections, for which the Adventists deserve praise.

Besides the one hundred living in the camp, there are about fifty persons taking part in the meetings who live in different places in

the city. There are also in the camp about forty children belonging to Sabbath-schools in Christiania. The churches represented at this meeting were: the church at Christiania, numbering about one hundred and fifty members; Moss, fifteen; Drammen, twelve; Laurvig, twenty-one; Copenhagen, fifty-four; and Stockholm, ninety-two. Besides these there were representatives from two smaller companies in Sweden and Denmark. This society numbers altogether about thirty thousand members, most of whom live in America. In Europe, Sweden has the greatest number of Adventists.

The Adventists, though not numerous, manifest wonderful activity in their work. They have no less than seven printing-offices, employing altogether about three hundred and thirty-four hands. Most of these offices are owned by the denomination, and have cost quite large sums. For instance, the building in Basel, lately finished, has cost about $30,000. From three of these offices no less than sixty-five million pages of tracts and periodicals have been issued. Besides these, the society has two colleges, one in California and one in Michigan; and also an immense Sanitarium at Battle Creek, Michigan, said to be the largest in the world. In Christiania, as we all know, they have their own meeting-house in Akersgaden (alongside the Lutheran meeting-house), a building which is said to have cost about $14,000, in which is also their printing-office. It was principally through the efforts of Mr. J. G. Matteson that Adventism was first introduced among us. He commenced the work in Christiania in 1878. There are now eight churches in Norway. This society has well-conducted city missions, as well as ship missions in our largest cities.

Judging from the programmes posted in the tents, giving the order of exercises, which is here the same as commonly arranged in all their camp-meetings, the time is pretty fully occupied. The programme is as follows: Hour of rising, 5 A. M.; prayer-meeting, 5:30; breakfast, 7; morning prayer, 8; business meetings, 9; preaching or missionary meeting, 10; dinner, 1 P. M.; preaching, 2:30; business meeting, 5; preaching, 8; hour for retiring, 10.

The camp-meeting is held not only for preaching services, but the European Council is also in session for the transaction of business. Its decisions, however, are not binding until ratified by the General Conference, which meets every year in America. The operations of this society are directed by a committee of seven members, the chairman of which is Geo. I. Butler; and of this committee, Messrs. S. N. Haskell of America, O. A. Olsen of Norway, and W. C. White of America, were present at this meeting. Among other speakers present from abroad we may mention from America, Mrs. E. G. White, J. H. Waggoner, D. A. Robinson, C. L. Boyd, and Wm. Ings; from England, S. H. Lane and J. H. Durland; from Germany, L. R. Conradi; and from Switzerland, B. L. Whitney.

The meetings on Sunday were attended by about one thousand people. In the forenoon a defense was made of their practice of keeping holy the seventh day; in the afternoon Mrs. White spoke of the doctrine of the second coming of Christ. Later in the afternoon Mr. J. G. Matteson spoke.

We noticed in the camp, besides the dwelling tents, a tent for the sale of books, and a tent where victuals could be obtained. According to the announcement at the meeting Sunday, they intend to continue on Jel Island one week longer, not leaving until the 21st of June.

"HE that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much." Luke 16:10.