The North Texas Camp-Meeting
By F. C. Gilbert
THE annual conference and camp-meeting of the North Texas Conference was held this year in the city of Cleburne, Tex., July 25 to August 4. Cleburne is a thriving city of some twelve thousand inhabitants, about five miles distant from the town of Keene, the headquarters of the Southwestern Union Conference and the North Texas Conference. A camp-meeting had not been held in this place for a number of years, and there was a request from the citizens for our people to hold the meeting there this year. The city offered them many inducements to come, giving our brethren three hundred dollars in cash, besides many other favors. There was quite a good attendance of our own people, some of the time as many as six hundred or seven hundred being present. From the first, the Spirit of the Lord was manifest at the meeting, and it seemed as if the pillar of cloud stayed with us right through the ten days. The Lord blessed his servants in the giving of the message both to our own people and to those not of our faith. The word of God was greatly appreciated by all who attended. For several mornings Bible studies were given on the subject of the gifts of the Spirit. We believe that these had a tendency to strengthen all our people, and bring back some who had become somewhat wavering. Thank God there is a strength and a power in his Word which is able to demonstrate that those who believe in the third angel's message have not followed cunningly devised fables. The proceedings of the conference passed off harmoniously. The same officers were reelected who served during the previous year, except that a few minor changes were made by the exchange of workers from one office to another. On the two Sabbaths of the camp-meeting about $206 was given for missions. The first Sabbath of the camp-meeting being the day for the Midsummer Offering, about $100 was contributed for this phase of the missionary work. The people were interested in every branch of the work of God, and a strong resolution was adopted by which all the people pledged themselves to pay fifteen cents a week a member, during the present year, for missions. The brethren and sisters gave nearly $40 toward providing some necessary things for the colored school at Divoll's Bluff, and they also gave over $400 for the Jewish home at Concord, Mass. There seemed to be a truly liberal spirit on the part of the people to give, and the blessing of the Lord was surely with his people. The outside interest was exceptionally good. The newspapers of the city gave freely of their space in advertising the meetings and in giving good reports of the services; and hundreds of the people of the town came to the meetings. On several evenings it seemed that there must have been present from two thousand to three thousand persons, and the best of attention was given to the word of God as presented from the desk. The living present-day issues of the truth were expounded during the evening services, and the Lord gave his servants freedom and power in delivering the messages. The two Sabbath days were exceptionally good ones. The first Sabbath of the meeting, at the close of a stirring sermon by Elder G. F. Watson, about one hundred persons came forward for prayers, among them being about twenty-five young men and women who gave their hearts to the Lord for the first time. On the second Sabbath the Lord again came very near, and about two hundred came forward for prayers, forty of these giving their hearts to God for the first time. Many fathers and mothers were blessed of God as they led their children to the penitent seat, and we are sure that the angels of God were made to rejoice during these days, especially as souls were reclaimed and many born into the kingdom of God. The last Sabbath afternoon about fifty were baptized, and doubtless more will be baptized after they return home. There is no doubt that the meeting was a success, and we hope its fruits will be seen in the kingdom of God. During the meeting there was held an interesting memorial service for our beloved fellow worker, Elder R. M. Kilgore. Elder Kilgore was the father of the work of present truth in the State of Texas, and one of the first places in which he labored after coming to this State was the town of Cleburne. Many interesting and earnest words were spoken by the brethren who were brought to a knowledge of the truth by the labors of this man of God, and there was a large number present who first learned of the third angel's message after Elder Kilgore came to the State of Texas. Besides the local workers, there were present from the union conference, G. F. Watson and son, E. E. Farnsworth to represent the educational and young people's work, and A. F. Harrison to represent the book and publishing work, David Voth, president of the Oklahoma Conference, and J. I. Taylor, president of the South Texas Conference, were also in attendance for a few days. J. H. Schilling was present for a few days toward the close to help the German brethren, and the writer was in attendance throughout the meeting. It was indeed a privilege and a pleasure to meet the brethren and sisters of the North Texas Conference, and we are certain that all went away with a stronger determination to live the truth before their neighbors and friends, and to be faithful to this most blessed cause till the end shall come. May God bless the workers and members of the North Texas Conference.