Camp-Meeting in Madison, Wisconsin by Stephen Nelson Haskell

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 8, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 26.

Camp-Meeting in Madison, Wisconsin.

By Stephen Nelson Haskell

THIS camp-meeting closed Tuesday morning, June 22, and it can be truly said that the best of the wine was at the last of the feast. Madison is a city of about twelve thousand inhabitants, and the capital of the State. The State tract depository is located here; and a city mission which has been in successful operation for nearly a year had awakened quite an interest in the truth.

The meeting commenced Wednesday, June 16. There were eighty-five tents pitched on the ground. Meetings were conducted in the German and Scandinavian languages, besides the regular services in English. The camp was located on the fair ground, about two miles from the center of the city. Each night there was a good congregation from the city, of individuals who had become interested in our views. Wisconsin is among our largest Conferences, having about sixteen hundred members; and it is estimated that not far from six hundred of these are Scandinavians. But the number that attended the camp-meeting was not as great in proportion as in many of the other Conferences.

In many of the meetings the Spirit of the Lord came especially near; but at other times a spirit of coldness seemed to come over the people. The meetings in the Scandinavian tent were of great interest throughout. Many expressed themselves as thinking they were the best meetings that they had ever attended. We spoke to these brethren upon the rise and progress of the cause, and of God's work in Australia, Brother Lewis Johnson translating what we said into their language. God is evidently giving this people a deeper interest than they have ever before felt to labor for others. They seemed to have an earnest desire that the truth might go to those of their own nationality in other countries. We learned here, as in Iowa, that there are Scandinavian settlements in New Zealand and Australia, and through correspondence by some of that nationality in this country an interest has been awakened in them to learn more of present truth. Thus there are links connecting our people in America with almost every nationality and country in the world.

The report of the tract society showed that much labor had been put forth in the distribution of reading matter. But while this work had been blessed of God, we did not see so many evidences of his special providence in bringing men and women into the truth as we have seen in some other Conferences. We have reached a time when God is going before his people to prepare hearts for the reception of his truth, and home and foreign missionaries are wanted everywhere. If in the past our tract societies could take 20,000 copies of the SIGNS for missionary work, in view of the prospects before us, the number should now be greatly increased.

The Sabbath-school Association received much attention, and a deep interest was manifested in this branch of the work. On Sabbath afternoon the Spirit of God came into the meeting, and about one hundred persons came forward for prayers. Quite a number of these declared themselves blessed upon the occasion.

For a number of years there has been a lack of harmony in the Conference, though in the main the brethren and sisters have been in sympathy with the work at large. Brother Breed, who had served the Conference the past year, as president, felt that he could not take the office again under existing circumstances; and he was the only one that the minds of the brethren rested upon. Finally a spirit of confession and earnest seeking of the Lord was manifest. Some votes that had been previously taken were rescinded, and the brethren unanimously declared themselves in sympathy with the action of the General Conference in every respect, and expressed an earnest desire to work as a Conference in harmony with our people. Brother Breed, who was the unanimous choice of the people, was elected president of the Conference for the coming year, and finally consented to take the position. The Spirit of God then began to come into the meeting as it had not before.

After the Conference adjourned, the tract society had its closing meeting. The brethren felt that they had made a mistake in not having district secretaries, and voted that such secretaries should be appointed throughout the State. In large Conferences it is impossible to keep up the interest in the missionary work without district quarterly meetings, and if there are such meetings, it is necessary that a record be made of them, which makes it necessary that there be district secretaries. Then with a small amount of publications on hand they can supply the various societies without waiting for small packages to come from the State depository. This also saves a multiplicity of accounts with the State secretary. The director of a district is really the same to the district as the president is to the State Society.

Our closing meeting Tuesday morning was one of unusual interest; many feeling testimonies were borne in quick succession. It seemed almost impossible to bring the meeting to a close. In connection with this meeting Brother Westfall, a German,

and Brother Hyett were ordained to the work of the gospel ministry. The Spirit of God rested down in large measure, and from this time until our brethren left the ground a spirit of freedom was felt by all. After the meeting closed the ministers met to deliberate upon their future labors, and the same good spirit characterized their consultations; and the friends returned to their homes with far better courage than they would have felt had they gone before the meeting on Tuesday morning.

There were many interesting things connected with this meeting. Brother Jordan, who had been at the Sanitarium at Battle Creek, and had been unable to labor on account of feebleness of health, felt to seek the Lord for help, and at a season of prayer with him the sweet Spirit of God came down, and we felt of a certainty that he witnessed to the move. We had another season of prayer with Brother Jordan just before we took the 'bus to leave the ground, Tuesday afternoon. Here again we had the most signal evidence that God approved of the steps that had been taken.

We look for a degree of prosperity in the Wisconsin Conference that will far exceed anything which has yet been seen. There are many different nationalities in that State, in settlements from a few hundreds to thousands; and there is therefore no better missionary field in the world. With proper missionary effort there may be open doors through which the truth will go to all parts of the world. Ours is a world-wide message, and where we can find the greatest number of representatives of different nationalities, there is the best missionary field.

Tuesday night we took the train for the Minneapolis, Minnesota, camp-meeting, which we reached this morning, June 23. Already they have about one hundred and fifty tents pitched, and others are continually arriving. Over the preachers' stand is the motto, "Hear the Word of the Lord." Around, inside of the pavilion, which is 80x120 feet, are the various mottos: "I Am the Way," "Thy Word Is Truth," "Ye Are All Bought with a Price," etc. The camp is in the midst of a thickly settled grove. For the first time, we found a tent pitched over the tops of the trees, which create a shade besides those outside of the tent. The brethren seem to be of good cheer. About eight hundred are present. The prospects are that we shall have not only a large gathering, but a successful meeting. The camp is six miles from the city. A portion of the way the cars from the city to the grounds are run by electricity. The meeting commences to-night. The ministers from abroad who have already arrived are Elders Butler, Canright, Daniels, McCoy, and the writer.

S. N. H.