Regarding the Piney Camp Meeting Postponement. August 25, 1905.
Yes, the camp meeting was postponed at Piney. The writer of this article think the church did a righteous deed in not having camp meeting this year.
Yes, there is always some soul saved without doubt, but there are at the close of the meetings so many nearer hell than they were before. For many years some have gone away from camp meeting with stained characters and heart-broken parents.
Yes, they have been having camp meetings at Piney Fork for nearly a hundred years, but the camp meeting now are not like they used to be. Years ago people would come from miles away to camp meeting, but they came to honor God. Nowadays it is more of a picnic than anything else. The people go and camp, but they don't do so in order that they may honor God, but merely to have a good time and be in in the fashion.
There are some faithful ones, I know, but what can they do with the sinners when there is everything that can be thought of to draw them away? There are six or eight stands every year and the Lord only knows what they sell.
As I said before, some will go just to have a good time. Yes, they will sit at their camps in time of meeting talking and laughing with their friends. I have heard so many say: "Well, I would not go to camp meeting, only I see so many people I never see any other time." The Lord is not going to bless people until they come to Him right.
I think they would do away with camp meeting and have protracted meeting they would do more good. I have heard many of the Piney Fork members say they would rather have a protracted meeting, then maybe those who came would do some good.
Anyway we would not have all these stands to draw the people away. Oh, that the people of God would pray earnestly for a revival throughout our country.
When we used to go to Piney Fork to the camp meeting the people would leave their camps when the horn blew and there were quite a number of times the shed wouldn't hold them - they would come as close as they could to hear the gospel and their meeting did good back in those days. Now they have the modern bell, and when it rings some will go and others won't - they are now putting on more style.
Three years ago the people began on the first of April, people began preparing for camp meeting. Every time they met for Sunday school one could hear on every side: "Well, are you ready for camp meeting?" There were more finely dressed people than were ever known to be at camp meeting before; and they didn't have much of a meeting either. Some blamed the preacher's wife for not carrying the meeting on longer; some said they would never camp any more. So I think it would be best to drop camp meeting and have protracted meetings.
May the people of God pray for the up-building of Piney Fork church. Yes, I say water the the gold plant, but be sure you use the right kind of water, in the fervent desire of one who, for years, has been a - Silent Observer.
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Piney Fork continued to have the Camp Meetings until 1955.
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