Southern California Camp-Meeting by John Norton Loughborough

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 5, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 42.

Southern California Camp-Meeting.

By John Norton Loughborough

THIS meeting was held, according to appointment, October 17-26, in a park of pepper trees near the center of the beautiful village of Santa Ana, Los Angeles County. There were twenty-five tents in the camp, and about one hundred campers. There was a fair attendance from the country, and about thirty from San Diego County. These latter came with their teams about eighty miles, for the purpose of attending the meeting.

There were sixty-two meetings held during the ten days of the encampment, of which twenty-five were sermons. There were six sessions of a Biblical Institute, and four meetings of our Sabbath-school Convention. Besides these, there was one meeting for instruction in church work and the keeping of church records, five missionary meetings, two Sabbath-schools, two business meetings, ten prayer and social meetings, and seven meetings of the youth and children. Of the sermons, Brother St. John gave seven, Brother Ings six, Brother R. S. Owen five, and the writer seven. The first Sabbath-school was composed of seventy-four persons, arranged in fourteen classes, and on the second Sabbath the school consisted of ninety-eight pupils, arranged in fifteen classes.

There was a spirit of harmony and solemnity pervading the entire camp-meeting. The outside attendance increased from the opening of the meeting to the last, and the interest was such that Brother St. John decided to remain and follow up the work by meetings in a hall which has been secured for that purpose. At the close of the camp-meeting six persons were baptized, and our people returned to their homes greatly encouraged and strengthened.

In the business meeting all voted in favor of another camp-meeting in this southern field next year, to be held about the same time of this one this year. They also readily responded to the suggestion that these local camp-meetings meet their own expenses. Pledges of over two hundred dollars were made for a southern camp-meeting fund. This sum will doubtless be added to by others who were not at the meeting. The camp-meeting has exerted a great influence in giving permanence to the cause in this part of the Conference.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.