p. 336 | Kansas Camp-Meeting

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Nov 7, 1878

Kansas Camp-Meeting.

THIS meeting was held October 16-21, in a sheltered nook familiarly known as "Ash Thicket," within about half a mile of Bethany. There were fourteen tents and eighteen covered wagons on the ground. It was estimated that there were about two hundred Sabbath-keepers in attendance. This was a much larger number than we expected to see in this new country. There was no effort made to tickle the ear with flowery speeches and well-rounded periods. We cried to God for help, realizing, in some measure, our dependence upon him, and, blessed be his name, we did not call upon him in vain.

After the sermon on Sabbath afternoon, a call was made for the unconverted and back-slidden. More than sixty came forward for prayers. The Lord came very near, and hard hearts were melted to tenderness before him. The early morning meeting on first-day was devoted to a consideration of our work and duty as believers in the "third angel's message." The good Spirit of God was present, and when we called for pledges for the English mission, and Kansas State Conference Tract Society, the sum of $1,527 was pledged to the former and $400 to the latter, and this was done without urging.

At the close of the Sunday afternoon service, Brother Sharp baptized twenty-one. Sunday evening good attention was given to a discourse on the prophecies, showing the work of the papacy in mutilating the law of God, and proving the restoration of the Lord's Sabbath before the second advent of Christ. Monday morning we held our last meeting, and it was a precious season. One hundred testimonies were borne in thirty-five minutes, and many of them were well wet down with tears. The brethren all seemed encouraged, and determined to take hold anew. The following resolution was unanimously adopted :—

Resolved, That we hereby pledge ourselves to come up to the Bible standard of giving, to sustain the cause of God in our Conference, and that we will commence immediately to pay what we have already pledged on systematic benevolence.

R. F. A.

Beloit, Kansas, October 22, 1878.