May 13, 2021 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Ted N.C. Wilson, President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Greetings, friends! When you hear the term, “Camp Meeting,” what comes to mind? Depending what part of the world you are in, you might be thinking of tents and sawdust. Or trees and lakes. Or some other beautiful outdoor setting. You probably are also remembering warm fellowship with other believers, inspiring messages, and uplifting music. You may even be thinking of your own baptism, or that of a loved one or friend, as many thousands of baptisms have taken place at camp meetings around the world.
In any case, the idea of camp meeting brings back fond memories for many folks and has been sorely missed during this past year as the coronavirus shut down all such gatherings.
This year, however, I have great news! There will be an Adventist Virtual Global Campmeeting that no virus can shut down! It’s free and open to everyone around the world, and will begin next week on Wednesday, May 19 and will continue through Sunday, May 23.
While this camp meeting will be somewhat different from the past, The Adventist Virtual Global Campmeeting brings the entire world church together to worship, be inspired, and learn. This event showcases the incredible breadth and depth of Adventist ministries around the world.
It will feature hundreds of presentations, seminars, and workshops in discipleship, education, health ministries, media, missions, and theology. There will be round table discussions with church leaders and continuing education credits for pastors and teachers.
Amazingly, there will even be a cutting-edge exhibit hall where you can visit the booths of numerous Adventist organizations who will be sharing their resources for mission.
And best of all–it’s free! The Adventist Virtual Global Campmeeting will have programming centered around three major regions— the Asia-Pacific, Euro-Africa and the Americas. Seminars will be scheduled for convenient access from time zones around the world.
All you have to do is go to campmeeting.com to register. It’s completely free.
You know, friends, camp meetings, of a sort, have been around for a very long time, as God’s people gathered together for spiritual instruction, refreshment, and encouragement. In Testimonies to the Church, vol. 6, we read:
“Anciently the Lord instructed His people to assemble three times a year for His worship. To these holy convocations the children of Israel came, bringing to the house of God their tithes, their sin offerings, and their offerings of gratitude. They met to recount God’s mercies, to make known His wonderful works, and to offer praise and thanksgiving to His names. And they were to unite in the sacrificial service which pointed to Christ as the Lamb of God . . . Thus they were to be preserved from the corrupting power of worldliness and idolatry” (p. 39).
And speaking of camp meetings in a more modern era, Ellen White wrote: “The camp meeting is one of the most important agencies in our work. It is one of the most effective methods of arresting the attention of the people and reaching all classes with the gospel invitation.” She continues, “And our camp meetings have another object, preparatory to this. They are to promote spiritual life among our own people. . . . God has committed to our hands a most sacred work, and we need to meet together to receive instruction, that we may be fitted to perform this work” (Testimonies to the Church, vol. 6, 31).
While we may not be able to gather physically together, God has provided a way that we can meet together electronically. And His Spirit is not bound. As we watch, and worship together, He can still reach into each heart, into each home, bringing to each person the message He knows they need to hear.
I hope you’ll plan on joining us and inviting your friends and family to the Adventist Virtual Global Campmeeting to be held beginning next Wednesday. Just go to campmeeting.com to learn more.
Let’s pray together. Father in heaven, thank you for wanting to be with your people from the very beginning of time. Walking in the quietness of the evening in the garden of Eden, to spend time with Adam and Eve and now down to our day you long to be in fellowship with us, so Lord bless the camp meeting this global virtual camp meeting, helping to be a blessing to people all over the world so that they can be revived, to be reformed, to be energized, to say yes Lord I will go, I will be part of the last proclamation of your precious three angels Messages. Lord we want you to come thank you for providing this opportunity to learn more during this virtual global camp meeting. Our Lord bless each one who will be attending, and each one who is hearing and doing this right now, in Jesus name we ask it. Amen.