The Eastern Pennsylvania Camp-Meeting by R. A. Underwood

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 18, 1912

The Eastern Pennsylvania Camp-Meeting

By R. A. Underwood

THE Eastern Pennsylvania conference and camp-meeting were held June 19-30, 1912, at Emmanuel Grove camp-grounds, located about six miles from the city of Allentown, Pa. These grounds are owned by the Baptist Association, and occupied each season by two or three camp-meetings. The street-car service is quite good, except that the fare for round-trip tickets to and from Allentown is fifteen to twenty cents.

The attendance of our own people numbered about four hundred fifty, who were encamped upon the grounds, occupying largely cottages erected by the Baptist Association. The grove, cottages, and conveniences of the camp are well suited to a meeting of this kind, and the place would be ideal if it were near the city, so that large numbers of the people could attend. The question of securing a hearing from those not of our faith, at our camp-meetings, should be carefully considered in selecting a location for such a meeting. If we fail to reach the public, we lose much in our efforts to maintain our camp-meetings.

It was a great pleasure to me personally, to meet many of the brethren and sisters I had labored with and for years in the past. Many of the children have grown up, and some of them are now workers, who were but mere youth when I left the conference eight or nine years ago. Among some twenty or more of the laborers of the conference, there is only one now, Miss Jessie M. Weiss, who was a worker in the conference when I was here.

From the beginning of the meeting, a good spirit was in the camp; and those in attendance from the surrounding community seemed interested.

Representatives of the union conference and of the General Conference united with the local laborers in making the meeting a great spiritual blessing. Both Sabbaths of the meeting were exceptionally good, and a large number renewed their consecration, while a goodly number were converted to God. There were twenty-three baptized, and several others chose to be baptized at home in their own church.

I was glad to note the steady growth in the conference. Eastern Pennsylvania is keeping up her record in the sale of our publications. During the year 1911 the conference sold more than $12,000 worth of our denominational literature, thus continuing to fill the homes of the people in the Keystone State with the message-filled pages of the truth for this time.

The following statements show a steady increase of the tithe. For the year 1909, the tithe was $14,709.13; for 1910, $16,075.77; for the year 1911, $18,866.75. During these three years the conference has also raised for foreign missions the sum of ten cents a week per capita for its membership, and for the year 1912 the conference is planning to reach fully fifteen cents a week per capita, according to the General Conference recommendation. The conference stands ahead $527.76 on the fifteen-cent-a-week plan, for the first five months.

Elders B. G. Wilkinson and S. M. Butler presented the needs of the Mount Vernon College, and also a plan by which its debt of about $10,000 can be lifted. For this object the brethren subscribed about $900 on the grounds. The report of Mount Vernon College shows that the school during the past three years has made a gain of $2,000 besides its operating expenses, which speaks well for its management. Those in charge of the movement are hopeful that the present effort will relieve the school from the burden of debt when the matter is presented throughout the entire union conference.

The Sabbath-school collection the first Sabbath amounted to $60, and that for the second Sabbath to $140, making a total Sabbath-school collection of $200 during the camp-meeting.

There was contributed to the foreign work, besides the above, more than $610 in pledges and cash on the last day of the meeting.

There was a large number of young people upon the grounds. Last year twenty-five students went from Eastern Pennsylvania to the Mount Vernon College. The students at this meeting resolved to secure not less than fifty students from Eastern Pennsylvania for Mount Vernon College the present year.

The brethren felt that the meeting was a source of great strength. The foreign work, the home missionary work, the religious liberty work, and almost every phase of the various kinds of missionary effort were presented.

Prof. W. W. Prescott was with us during the last few days of the meeting, and presented strong appeals to our brethren in behalf of religious liberty and the great responsibility of Protestants of the present day. Elder H. F. Graf assisted the local laborers in speaking in the German language each day. Dr. H. C. Menkel, with a corps of nurses from Washington, D. C., was with us, and rendered most excellent service to the camp.

Altogether, the meeting was a great blessing, and the workers go from the camp to enter immediately into the summer's campaign, with courage and faith, expecting a rich harvest of souls.

Little change was made in the officers of the conference. Elder W. H. Heckman was reelected president, and Miss Ella M. Talmage, formerly of Ohio, will connect with the conference to take up the work of the Sabbath-school, Young People's, and Educational Departments.

R. A. UNDERWOOD.