p. 105 | THE CAMP-MEETINGS by James White

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, February 12, 1880

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 7

THE CAMP-MEETINGS.

By James White

THERE should be one large camp-meeting in each of our Conferences. This meeting should be central, and should be held at a time that will best accommodate the delegates from the churches and the brethren generally to hold their annual meeting.

It seems necessary that several of the States should hold their camp-meetings the last of August and the first of September. Of these we would mention the New England States in particular. Other States can hold theirs in May, June, July, August, September, October, and in more southern latitudes, even in November.

We should hold no more camp-meetings than can be well attended by our people, and well supplied with ministerial help. If certain speakers are to go the rounds of our camp-meetings, those in southern latitudes must be held as early as the last of April and the first of May; and in more northern latitudes during June, July, August, and September; and the camp-meeting work close in the more southern latitudes, in the months of October and November, covering, from first to last, a period of six or seven months.

But we hesitate to express the opinion that it is for the best good of our camp-meetings that certain speakers should attend them all. For while the labors of the camp-meetings would be exceedingly wearing to one set of speakers, others would be deprived of the benefits of coming before the crowds on such occasions.

A resolution was adopted at our last General Conference, that Eld. White and his wife should be present at one camp-meeting in each Conference annually. We would express the opinion that time must be very short before the coming of our blessed Lord, much shorter than our brethren seem to realize, in order that the persons named may last to go the rounds of our camp-meetings as they have done in the past. While we wish to do the will of God, we are not anxious to wear out in one or even two years, and go down into the grave. What remains of us is the Lord’s, and it must be left to us to decide where and how we shall use the remnant of life.

Could we be as free from visitors, from care, and perplexing questions relative to this and that, as others are at our camp-meetings, the wear would not be so severe upon us.

Scores come to all our camp-meetings to have a long visit with Bro. and Sr. White, especially those who seem to find relief in pouring their petty difficulties and trials into our ears. Some of these will seize us the very moment we leave the speaker’s stand, exhausted from giving the people all there is of us, of nerve and brain, for more than an hour. And the very precious moments which we should have for entire rest, or recreation with a suitable carriage at our command, before taking the second meal of the day, we are forced to spend in a manner that is very painful.

There are those whose presence and conversation refresh and rest. These have something to impart, while many who are wanting in discretion as well as devotion tire with their presence, and leave a burden of their petty difficulties when they leave us. Several times we have taken Mrs. W. from the camp-ground to the train in a fainting condition, to endure the fatigue of the journey to the next meeting, there to pass through the same scene again.

We have passed the middle age of life, and the strain of each series of meetings leaves the forces weaker, making it more difficult to rally after camp-meeting season, so as to be able to do other work equally important with that of the camp-meetings. We therefore recommend that the brethren in each Conference take the burden of their own camp-meeting, in expectation that the General Conference Committee will do all in its power to furnish the necessary ministerial help. Probably one of the committee will be able to be present at each camp-meeting.

Neither Mrs. W. nor the writer has been able to do the amount of writing we hoped to do, and which seemed very necessary to be done at this time. Mrs. W. is quite poorly at present, and it will probably be necessary for us to spend a large portion of next camp-meeting season in the Rocky Mountains.

We recommend that the Executive Committee of each State Conference consider the matter of their camp-meeting in point of locality, and time to hold it, and report to this Office without delay, that proper arrangements may be made in season to hold the camp-meetings in that order that will save the expense of unnecessary travel as far as possible, as our General Conference is yet in debt. J. W.