THE GALLATIN, MISSOURI, CAMP-MEETING
By George I. Butler
This meeting has proved a real success. Many of the brethren came upon the ground in season, and quite a number of the tents were erected Wednesday, though on account of delay in getting the new tent up, meetings did not commence till Thursday afternoon. Our ground was one of the nicest I ever saw. A high grassy knoll, in a beautiful grove a few rods from the main road and within a short distance of Gallatin, with a little stream in front, plenty of woods all around for places of retirement, and a fine greensward cropped close all about us, constituted its main features. We had about seventeen tents up, in all. These looked clean and nice. Our new 50x70 foot tent, made by Bro. Armstrong, of Chicago, was pitched in front of our little semicircle of family tents. He did us a splendid job. I never saw a better one. Our other fifty-foot tent was also pitched, and was well filled by those who had no family tents. There was a neat appearance to the whole ground, the most attractive I have ever seen in Missouri. Our Indiana friend was present with his “burden.” But as soon as he had finished speaking in the first social meeting, a presentation of his case was made to the brethren, fortified by what had appeared in the REVIEW and letters from his own Conference Committee, and his course in the two past meetings was pointed out. A vote was soon taken that we did not wish further molestation, and he started at once for the Minnesota camp-meeting. It was quite a relief to us to be left to ourselves and our work. Upwards of two hundred Sabbath-keepers, I judge, were present on the Sabbath. The preaching was pointed and the social meetings encouraging. Sunday the crowd was not large, only about enough to comfortably fill our tent. But the weather was threatening, and the presence of small pox in the town kept many away, it was thought. The interest to hear among those without increased till the close. Our meetings Monday were spiritual. A number started for the kingdom in earnest. Among these were two strong men almost on the verge of infidelity, who made a good confession and sought the Lord with tears. Our hearts were much rejoiced. There were many things connected with this meeting very encouraging to me. Some precious testimonies were given, which melted our hearts in tenderness and love. The general spirit of the meeting was hardly equal to that at Appleton City, yet there was much to encourage us. The number of those who know the voice of the True Shepherd is greatly increasing in Missouri, and a determination to do something for God and humanity is getting hold of many. While there are some so dead they will probably never move,—some who would not come ten miles to the camp-meeting,—many others are wonderfully aroused, and God is greatly blessing them. We made earnest appeals to the friends of the cause on the importance of the tract and missionary work. Our fund of $1000, started last winter when Eld. Haskell was with us, has subscriptions to the amount of over $700 already, between two and three hundred having been added at this meeting. We expect to raise it, and this will pay all our debts and give us a good supply of publications with which to work. We hope to see the day when Missouri, instead of being behind all her sister Conferences and an object of charity, will be able to help herself and others. We have plenty before us yet to do, but we can begin to see out of the woods. We feel we have got past the worst point. With four hundred copies of the SIGNS distributed weekly in the Conference, and much other work of the tract society, and a feeling of deep interest kindling up among the membership, we hope for much good. Already we hear most encouraging reports. Some are embracing the Sabbath. There are many interested readers. One sister who travels much from town to town says she can find interested readers for all the copies taken in the State. We can circulate many more copies than we can pay for. Quite a number are taking from eight to twelve copies apiece, and they are not very well off either; and many of these are read by two families near by, and then sent a distance to others. This takes work. But we find the more we work for the Lord the better we love to do so. He is a good pay-master, while the devil and the world are very poor pay. The more we work for them the worse we feel. Seven were baptized at our camp-meeting. The members went home much encouraged. I am fully persuaded that our people have not yet seen the importance of these general meetings. We have supposed it was necessary to have our annual meeting in which to transact our Conference business, and look after the general wants of the cause. Of course this is necessary. But my experience has proved to me the past year that much can be done by having general meetings in different sections of the Conference. We have so much for our preachers to do that our brethren can get but little preaching comparatively. Our people cannot all get out to the annual meeting, as the distance is so great for many of them. If our preachers go around to every church, it takes all their time. Where there is some central point where several hundred can come together, a camp-meeting will accomplish a great amount of good. And it does the people good to make the effort. They are called away from home cares. More can be accomplished in one such four-days’ meeting in rousing the people, firing their zeal, and instructing them, than in three months’ labor in each little church. At least we have found it so here. Our two meetings last fall and two this spring have been so managed as to cost the Conference funds nothing, and they have wonderfully helped forward the work. Instead of having a smaller attendance at our State camp-meeting this fall, we expect many more will be present, because our people have found it good for them to attend, and many say they must be there. There were many camp-meetings in 1844. Ancient Israel used to assemble three times a year. Do we not need such help? We feel very grateful to God for what he is doing for Missouri. Our funds are coming up some. We have raised subscriptions of upwards of $1200 for tent and camp-meeting fund and T. and M. fund, and some $600 for the circulation of the SIGNS. We expect these will help us out considerably. Our S. B. is still much behind; but this will increase after a while, when our ministers all go to work for the Lord as hard as they ought to. We pitch our large tent in Sedalia, Mo., at once. That will be my address for the present. We hope for great good there. For some months to come I shall give my whole strength to lecturing and bringing souls into the truth. I must not forget to state that Bro. Farnsworth’s labors among us were greatly blessed of God. He has a large place in the hearts of all our brethren here. I could not have had better help. May the rich blessing of God go with him as he returns to our dear Iowa Conference to bear the many burdens placed upon him.