The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-07-19
CAMP MEETINGS.

treat Excitement and Ire
mendOus AccesSiOns to the
Chureh-LOFenLO Dow in Eng
land.
New York Tines.
The frat camp meeting In the United
States was held in 1899, In Kentucky, OF
the banks Of Red river. Two brothers,
named MCGEE, one Il Presbyterian minis
ter and the other Methodist, were on
religious tour from q Tennessee town
where the Methodist brother was settled
to a place called "Ths Barrens," in Ohio
Arriving at town OF the Red river, they
Htopped 10 attend sacramental service
with a Presbyterian clergyman named
McGreedy. John MCGEE, the Methodist
was invited 10 preach first, and did 90,
with unusual power and effect. Hii
brother and another Presbyterian minis
ter followed him with sermons, which al.
40 proved Of great effect. Tears flowed
from many eyes, and shouts Of Joy were
heard from all parts Of the house. Three
Of the Presbyterian ministers left the
church, but the MCGEE brothers felt them
selyes loo powerfully affected TO leave
unler circumstances OF 90 much interest.
Iohn MCGEE was expected to preach q
second sermon, but when the time came
he arose and declared to the people that
the oyerpowering nature Of his feelings
would not allow him 70 preach: and ex'
horted them TO surrender their hearts to
God. Cries and SODA were heard in every
mart of the house and the excitement be
came intense. Accounts Of this extraor-
binary movement soon reached the sur:
rounding cou ntry, and the people DIVIDED
10 nee what these things meant. They
had never heard the like before: Many
came from distance in wagons. bringing
nroyisions with them. Themeeting house
could not contain all who came, and an
altar was therefore erected in the neigh
boring forest. This novel procedure gave
new i'm pulse to the public interest, and
tents being procured, with provisions and
other necessarieS, q camp was formed
around the altar. The meeting was con.
tinued several days. Sectarian divisions
were forgotten for the time, and Presoy..
terians. Bap,ists and Methodis,s assisted
each other il the work OF saving the IN.
converted. The result was unparalleled,
and suggested another meeting Of the kind,
which was soon after held near the Muddy
river. A third meeting Immediately tol.
lowed, and both were attended by vast
tbronRs. From these beginnings the
meetings were extended, increasing In
,1oyor and usefulness. under the special
directions Of the Preabyterians and Meth
odists. Because Of this union OF sects in
their management they were frat called
general camp meetings." The roads
leading TO the groves in which the meet
ings we're held were often literally crowd
ed. and entire neighborhoods we're
frequently left without inhabitants while
the meetings were in progress; At one
OF the early meetings held 10 Kentucky
no less than 10000 people wereipresent.
The Presbyterians gradually withdrew
from the field after the first excitement
was over, but the Methodists carried them
into other parts Of the country, and they
soon became general throughout the
denomination. With more or less efficacy
they have been continued to the present
time, though not without earnest opposl-
tion on the part Of many in the church.
During the eight years following the
Introduction OF camp meetings, the net
increase in the membership Of the Meth.
odist Church was $4,000, with cor
responding increase in ministers.
Camp meetings were introduced into
England by Lorenzo Dow, an eccentric
and earnest Methodist minister, In 1907.
About the close OF the last century he was
preaching In Vermont. He became i'm
pressed with the idea that he ought to
visit Ireland to preach to the Papists.
Making bis way to Canada in an old leaky
canoe, he set sail for Europe. He was
thus voluntarily placed beyond the pale
OF his denomination, and was thereafter
known az an "lndependent itinerant."
Doy's travels and labors alterward rem
dered his name and eccentricities familiar
In the religious world in this country and
Europe. After remaining 4 few years In
Ireland he returned TO the United States,
trayersed the country, and then recrossed
the ocean, in 1907, TO England. He found
a general religious interest in Stafford
shire, and suggested TO the people the
plan OF holding camp meetings, which
were proving so effective in the western
wilds Of America. The euggestion was
Immediately adopted, and nag hoisled
on Now Hill. The population gathered
around it from all the neighboring coun.
try, and the first English camp meeting
was there held. Many such meetings
were held, but they met with violent OPP
position. As it was alleged that many
excuses attend such outdoor services,
the Wesleyan Conference, in 1907, decIsr-
ed, at is our judgment that, even suppos'
ing such meetings to be allowable 10
America, they are highly improper IN
England, and likely 10 be productive oil
considerable mischief, and we disclaim
connection with them" Their advocates,
however, continued TO hold them. Hugh
Bourne, a Jealous Methodist layman, who
aroused the people IN Lancashire, Chess
hire and slatfordshire, was expelled from
the connection in 1908. Two years later,
William Colmes, another prominent sup
porter OF the camp meetings, was also ex"
pelled. Colmes began course Of home
missionary labora, giving up his business
for that purpose. Glasses were formed,
and from 1910 dates the primitive
Methodist" denomination, which upholds
camp meetings as we'll "a preaching In
highways and market places. The Wes-
leyan Conference has never recalled Its
disapproval OF camp meetings, but the
Wesleyans in Ireland commenced holding
them in 1850, and have since continued.
pearla OF Thought.