Ohio Conference and Camp-Meeting by R. A. Underwood

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 12, 1912

Ohio Conference and Camp-Meeting

By R. A. Underwood

This meeting was held on the fair-ground in Springfield, Ohio, from August 15 to 26. It was said to have the largest attendance of our people of any meeting held in the State for a number of years. About nine hundred from the various churches in the State were camped on the ground or occupied rooms in the vicinity. About two hundred of these were young people, and about one hundred were small children representing the kindergarten department. The fair-ground in Springfield is surrounded with quite a large population, and is only about one mile from the center of the city. The close proximity of the meeting to the people of the city encouraged a good attendance, especially at the evening services. The laborers from the General Conference and from the union conference were A. J. Haysmer, Meade MacGuire, I. A. Ford, B. G. Wilkinson, R. T. Dowsett, J. E. Shultz, S. M. Butler, N. S. Ashton, J. W. Mace, and the writer. Most of these laborers spent only a part of the time at the meeting. However, it was my privilege to be at the meeting from the beginning until its close. But few changes were made in the election of officers, Elder E. K. Slade being reelected to the presidency of the conference.

The meeting was said to be one of the best that the brethren of Ohio have enjoyed for a number of years. During the year of 1911 the tithe of the conference was over $30,000. During the first six or seven months of 1912 quite a large increase in both tithe and mission offerings was seen in the conference over the corresponding portion of the former year. More than one hundred had been baptized in the churches just previous to the camp-meeting. Only thirteen were baptized at the meeting, but a larger number returned to their homes to receive the ordinance. Both Sabbaths there was a strong revival movement, in which a goodly number found the Lord for the first time, and hundreds consecrated their lives anew to the service of God. The first Sabbath $129 was contributed by the Sabbath-school to foreign

missions. The last Sabbath the offering amounted to $388.98, making a total offering by the Sabbath-school of $517.98. For the purpose of liquidating the indebtedness of the Mount Vernon College there was raised in pledges and cash $2,900. About one thousand dollars of this was pledged on condition of the sale of property. There was also donated to foreign missions, besides the amount given in the Sabbath-school, about $1,250. The sales from the book-stand amounted to $800. The sales of our literature in the conference during the year 1911 amounted to more than $25,000, and the first half of 1912 indicates that it will go considerably over $30,000 the present year. There are about thirty employed laborers in the conference. Ohio has a number of young men who, with God's blessing, will develop into strong laborers.

I was much pleased to see the good spirit upon the grounds. Elder Slade has the confidence of the brethren, and the loyal support of all the churches and the laborers. It was pleasing to see him lead out in various lines of work calling for self-sacrifice in advance movements. It was a great pleasure personally to attend this meeting, and to meet a goodly number of the old Sabbath-keepers who were the backbone of the conference twenty-five or thirty years ago, and it was a greater joy to find among the laborers and active men and women of the conference those who were but children when I left the conference. While I could not ignore the fact that the older members of the conference show the marks of the frost of time, I was glad to know that they are loyal and true to the message. During the meeting I was often reminded of some who were most active among the laity twenty-five years ago, who are now sleeping in Christ, awaiting the resurrection.

The brethren returned to their homes feeling that God had greatly blessed them during the meeting, and with hope and courage to believe that greater advancement will be made in the Ohio Conference the coming year than ever before. R. A. UNDERWOOD.