p. 16 | The Santa Rosa (Cal.) Camp-Meeting by G. A. Irwin

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

The Santa Rosa (Cal.) Camp-Meeting

By G. A. Irwin

THIS meeting, attended by about 750 of our people, is now a thing of the past, but I am sure that its influence will live in the hearts and minds and homes of the people. From the first, the meeting was characterized by a deep spiritual mold. To my mind it is the best meeting that has been held in the California Conference for some time. The business meetings during the earlier part of the session were interspersed with sermons and Bible studies that paved the way for the good spiritual meetings that followed. The preaching was calculated to arouse the people to a realizing sense of the times in which we are living, and the need of a deeper work of grace in all hearts. The Sabbaths were days of special blessing. The Lord witnessed to the words spoken, and many persons came forward, some to renew their covenant vows with the Lord, and others to give themselves to him for the first time.

The meetings conducted for the young people were interesting, and the attendance was exceptionally good. Those in charge reported that every young person who attended professed conversion. Fifty-five persons were baptized on the last day of the meeting.

Each line of work received its due share of consideration, and plans were laid for an extension of all departments. More than $150 worth of tracts was purchased for personal work and for use by the conference workers in tent efforts; also $60 worth of small books and pamphlets were taken for personal work. The book-stand sales netted about $1,000. The educational work of the conference received careful consideration, one meeting being held in the interests of the Pacific Union College, which does the academic work for the conference. The Sabbath collection taken on the thirteenth Sabbath for the school in Africa amounted to $190.

One meeting was given the representatives of the medical college at Loma Linda to present the needs and importance of that school. A good impression was made upon the minds of the people, and some money was contributed more fully to equip the college.

Prof. H. R. Salisbury was present during a portion of the meeting, and assisted especially in the educational and foreign missionary lines of work. The ministerial help consisted of Elder E. E. Andross, president of the Pacific Union; Elder E. W. Farnsworth and his local ministers; Elders J. O. Corliss, W. M. Healey, M. C. Wilcox, C. L. Taggart, and J. H. Behrens; and the writer.

Taken as a whole, the meeting could be said to be a decided success. Elder Farnsworth was unanimously reelected conference president. He seems to have the entire confidence and support both of his workers and of the people, and we can confidently expect to hear good results from the work of the laborers the coming season.

G. A. IRWIN.