INDIANA CAMP-MEETING by S. H. Lane

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 23, 1879

INDIANA CAMP-MEETING.

By S. H. Lane

The second camp-meeting of this season for Indiana was held at Rochester, according to appointment, Sept. 30 to Oct. 6. The ground was nicely prepared, and many of the brethren and sisters were present at the first meeting. The turnout was quite general from the northern and central parts of the State. There were between thirty and forty tents on the ground, and some two hundred and fifty or three hundred Sabbath-keepers present during the meeting. The turnout of the people from Rochester and vicinity was large, especially on Sunday.

The meetings from the first were good. Thursday we were all cheered by the arrival of Bro. and Sr. White and W. C. White and wife. They took hold in their usual earnest manner. The temperance and Sabbath-school work received much attention, and excellent results followed the efforts. Bro. Colcord of Illinois was present, and aided much in all the meetings.

The annual session of the Indiana Conference was held, and if ever the counsel and advice of Bro. and Sr. White were timely, certainly they were upon this occasion.

Monday morning Sr. White bore a straight testimony to the ministers and members of the Conference, presenting important facts to the satisfaction of all on many points which had been matters of sore perplexity, clearing up and dispelling difficulties which would ere long have proved a source of distraction and ruin to the cause and Conference. Hearty confessions were afterward made, publicly and privately. The Lord blessed. Light came at last, union and harmony revived, and a good state of feeling now exists. As the result, all business sessions of the Conference, the T. and M. work, and other organizations connected with the Conference, passed off pleasantly and harmoniously. It is well known by the readers of the REVIEW that some two years ago Eld. A. W. Bartlett took extreme views on the subject of sanctification, and that he and several others ran into fanaticism on the subject. This caused the Conference much perplexity, as some sympathized with him and were gradually losing sight of the message, and drawing off from the body. Sr. White bore a very plain testimony to Eld. Bartlett and his sympathizers, and to the Conference in general, in regard to the subject of sanctification as held by Eld. B., showing that it was the work of Satan to distract and draw away precious souls from the truth, and lead them into darkness where they would be blinded to their own danger.

Eld. Bartlett was deeply affected by the straight testimony, and publicly confessed it all to be true, stating that he had often deplored the fruits of the move. He expressed a willingness to surrender his positions on the subject of sanctification, and to labor to build up that which his course had torn down.

The Lord gave victory, and Bro. Bartlett's heart seems to be again united with the cause of God.

Bro. and Sr. White left us Monday noon; and as they rode off the ground we felt like saying, The Lord's hand is in this work.

Sabbath was a good day. Quite a number came forward for prayers, and some were converted to God. Monday twelve were baptized in the beautiful stream of water which runs close to the ground.

Through the blessing of the Lord, quite a large number have been added to the Conference during the past year. Three new churches were added. The tithing system has proved a success, nearly eight hundred dollars being paid in more than last year. To the Lord be the praise. S. H. LANE.