The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-26
AT THE PENTECOST CAMP
HARVEST HOME CONFERENCE OPENS
AT BROAD RIPPLE PARK.
The Clergy Sharply Criticized by Rev.
Thomas Nelson, Superintendent
of the Camp.

The annual harvest home and conference
of the Pentecost Band is now in full
progress at Broad Ripple Park. There are
about forty tents on the ground, ranging
in size from a hundred-fo tent and
two forty-foot tents to numerous smaller
ones large enough only for the accommoda-
ton of two or three persons for sleeping
quarters The working members of the
band have come from all over the Middle
States, from as far west as Minnesota and
from far east as Pennsylvania. There
are nearly hundred Of them-men and
women-on the ground now, and others are
expected to arrive.
The Harvest Home and Conference IS pri-
marily for the teaching of religion as it is
interpreted by the Pentecost Band but it is
also the annual convention and business
session of the organization. Those men,
bers of the band who feel called to preach,
or become leaders, are given a course of in
struction extending over four years and at
the expiration of this period they or
dained at these annual meetings. There
will be twenty to take the ordination at
this conference, eight of whom are young
women.
The Pentecost Band was organized thir-
teen years ago in Michigan, by Vivien A.
Dake, who was at that time a presiding
elder in the Free Methodist Church. 1t was
a breaking away from creeds and denomi-
nationalism somewhat similar to that which
caused Methodism to rise out of the Epis-
copalian Church. The converts to the be-
lief are usually from other churches, and
sometimes membership and allegiance to
the old church is retained, but the converts
organize what is called a praying band
and hold their own religious meetings.
Then four or five members of the band take
charge as leaders and sort of a church is
established. There are now thirty-three or
thirty-four Of these bands. There are about
125 members who are known as leaders, of
whom forty are ordained.
INDIANAPOLIS THE HEADQUARTERS
The organization In this city is under
the direct supervision and instruction of
Thomas H. Nelson, who is the general SUI
perintendent of the movement. The band
has q home about three miles east of the
city, on the National road, where about
dozen of the workers reside from time to
time as they return from missionary work.
A mission is conducted at 2SS East wash
ington street. Indianapolis is really the
headquarters of the movement now. Here
is published the Pentecost Herald, a month
son, wife of Thomas II. Nelson, IS editor.
She is assisted by Miss Fannie BlrdSal
These two women are the, composers OF
most of the songs and music used by the
band, some OF which is OF very hlsh
order. 49,
The services at the Harvest Home will
continue every day for two weeks. They
are almost continuous during the day. Inc
first is held at O'Clock in the morning
Again at $3.50 and again at IL o clock there
are general services in the big tent; then
at 2:30 in the afternoon, and at O'Clock at
night Between these services are held
what they term ring services. Iney are
held in the open air and are addressed by
the different members OF the band OF work
ers. s,a ..,,
ices was the one held at 2:30 O CLOCK. Inc
rain prevented a large number OF persons
going out from the city who would otner-
wise doubtless have attended the meeting,
but as it was the big tent was pretty near
ly filled. 1t is more than hundred rect
long and probably eighty feet wide ON the
east side there is erected a rough platform
thirty feet by twenty feet In dimensions
This was occupied yesterday by MI Mel
son and the others VINO were 10 take a
speaking part in the exercises. one OF
these on the platform was MISS BlrdsalI
and another was Peter Hansen Dane,
who came from the western part OF MID
nesota to attend the camp meeting. lie
wore a ministerial garb, as dld MT. Mel
son, but it was noticeable that the other
workers wore the most simple costumes
The women were dressed painfully plain.
They have no regard for the fashions OF
own. Every woman's hair was combed IN
exactly the same manner-parted IN the
middle, combed straight back and fastened
in simple knot at the back OF the head.
Their dresses were of cheap material and
cut in the simplest manner, with no trllS
or furbelows. Some of them were of cot
ton and some of g. sort of a linen or crash.
There was no attempt at uniformity OF de-
sign, so that it was simple and PLAIN. The
men wore cheap clothing, some or them
having on blue jeans.
On the platform was a large rough. home
made table, spread with tablecloth. RMS
served as a pulpit stand. Directly IN front
of the platform was a long bench similar
to those on which the audience sat. 1t was
about eight INCHES wide ana as nigh as a
chair. Upon this stood the speaker who
delivered the principal address or sermon.
All about 1t was straw, and later In the
service the penitentS were invited to come
forward and kneel in the straw about the
long bench which served as an altar. Dur
ing the course Of his sermon Mr.. Nelson
walked back and forth on the bench so as
to direct his remarks to all parts of the
auditorium He seemed perfectly at ease
there, where another man might have felt
the necessity of watching his teet closer
than his congregation.
A PENTECOSTAL SERMON.
Mr.. Nelson's sermon yesterday afternoon
was a strange one to those who have been
accustomed to hear the orthodoxy of the
Protestant churches. He took for his text
the words from jeremiah vi, 16: Stand
We in the way and see, and ask for the good
old paths wherein is the good way, and
walk therein and We shall find rest for your
souls" He tried to illustrate the difference
between religion that, he said, had grown
too popular in the world and the true BIZ
BILE salvation. He began by roasting the
preachers. He said there was a false idea
about making preachers. "A father has
five or six boys" said he, land he decides
while they are still young that he will make
lawyer of one, doctor of another an
nglneer of another and so on down to the
last, and he finds that he is not good for
anything else and decides to make
preacher out of him. The young man is
sent to college and gets himself full of
radicals and doubtful science, but too often
he does not get into. himself any of the love
for mankind or the religion of Jesus Christ.
Preachers of this kind are everywhere
preaching in the denominatiO churches.
Their only idea is to build up the church
work chiefly for recruits among the con-
gregations of other churches. There are
100 many preachers of this kind and you
know it, don't you? Say amen"
Amen, amen, amen" came the response
from all over the auditorium.
Say it again, all of you, and this time
there was much ferver expressed by the
cries Of amen" which were heard. Mr..
Nelson continued:
Il was born in a cyclone and have lived
in thunderstorm ever since. If you say
amen in some churches the people would
stare at you and wonder when the mad
man was turned loose. You have to apollo
gize to the devil, even here, some of you,
for peeping out with one little amer. God
wants US to tighten up little.
Mr.. Nelson soon worked his hearers and
himself up to high feeling, and the tent