p. 340 | The Camp-Meetings by James White

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Sep 2, 1875

The Camp-Meetings.

By James White

The Battle Creek Camp-meeting is passed. Many circumstances were unfavorable; but the Lord helped, and results are good. The influence of this meeting will be lasting. The business sessions of the several Societies passed off rapidly, harmoniously, and well.

We are again greatly indebted to our S. D. Baptist brethren for the presence of another delegate from their body in the person of Elder N. V. Hull. His assurances of a desire of Christian union between the two bodies on the part of his people met with a hearty response from more than a thousand glad hearts of our people. God bless the Seventh-day Baptists. The coming to us of Bro. and Sr. Hull with good words has done us good. Our labors before, and during, this meeting, were such as to nearly disqualify us to meet the large congregations on first-day, and to enjoy the closing labors and blessing of this great and good meeting. And now we feel fearfully worn as we pencil these lines on the train bound to the Vermont meeting. But the pleasant reflections of what God has wrought the past two weeks, and the triumphant hope of reward in the future, make us very happy. We were all made joyful to see Elder Butler moving out from his trials at the close of the General Conference.

We were indeed happy to greet Elder Canright on the camp-ground the last day of the meeting. He helped just where help was most needed. He is now with us on the way to the meetings in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine. Bro. Smith will join him at the Rome, N. Y., meeting while we shall hasten from Maine to the Kansas meeting to be holden the same time. These brethren will also attend the camp-meetings in Northern Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.

Before we left California last May, we promised to return to the California Camp-meeting provided that the brethren there would put up the new office building ready to take in the new press in season to advertise therein a series of tent-meetings in San Francisco, to be holden immediately after camp-meeting; and provided the church in that city would have their church ready to dedicate at the close of the tent-meeting. There is no drawing back on the part of the Californians. They are fulfilling on their part, and the Conference Committee and nearly every church in the State have sent us unanimous requests to be at their camp-meeting.

In view of urgent requests from New York, Northern Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana, we had decided to divide forces at the New York Camp-meeting, Mrs. W. to go directly to California, and the writer to remain at present and attend all the camp-meetings east of the Plains. But the coming of Elder Canright has decided the matter, that we both be at the California Camp-meeting, and by the grace of God, fulfill on our part, to the best of our ability, the contract to which the brethren in California hold us. JAMES WHITE.