Newspaper Page Text
Notable Scenes at Winona Conference
Christian Workers From All Over America Gather at Winona Lake to Study God’s Word.
By GEORGE T. B. DAVIS.
T IS a notable event in the religious
history of the day when 2,000 ministers
of the Gospel assemble from all parts
of America to spend nine days getting
new light upon the Word of God. This
is what is now occurring here at Wi
nona Lake, Indiana, at the Twelfth An
nual session of the Winona. Bible Con
ference. About 5,000 visitois are upon
I
the grounds attending the meetings, of whom over
one-half are .ministers, missionaries, evaiig-elists,
rescue mission workers, city missionaries, colport
ers, temperance lecturers, or aggressive heralds of
the Gospel message. One minister came all the
way from Texas, 1,400 miles distant, to attend ’he
sessions, while many have come 1,000 miles.
It is the most strenuous spiritual Conference it
has ever been my privilege to attend. Each day’s
program opens with a prayer meeting at (i a. m.,
and thereafter there are meetings almost hourly
until 10 p. m. Yesterday there were fifteen
meetings, lasting until nearly 10:30 at night. The
closing one—which began at 9:30, after the people
had already sat in the auditorium for three hours—
was one of the best of the day. Dr. W. J. Dawson,
late of London, England, told how his ministry and
his church had been completely transformed by his
taking part in a midnight revival procession, and
getting baptized with a passion for seeking and
saving the lost.
Among the prominent Christian leaders who are
addressing the * Conference are: Dr. J. Wilbur
Chapman, Dr. W. L. Watkinson, of England; Dr.
W. J. Dawson, of England; Professor W. W. White,
of New York; Dr. F. W. Gunsaulus; Major James
11. ('(de; Dr. James M. Gray, and Rev. Melvin E.
Trotter. Dr. R. A. Torrey is expected to address
the gathering on Thursday night of this week.
The Opening Sermon.
The Conference will doubtless prove to be the
largest yet held, and Dr. Chapman declares that thus
far it is the best. Dr. Chapman opened the Con
ference last Sunday morning with a powerful ser
mon from First Chronicles 12: 32: “Men that had
understanding of the times.” He stated that he
expected to see America shaken from coast to coast
by the greatest revival the world has ever seen,
lie said in part: “In this text we find the secret
of real greatness. Men are not counted great by
their fellows because they may be possessed of re
markable talents, or may have had opportunities
for impressing their personality upon their tinjes,
but rather because they know how to use their
talents at the right time and have so sensed the
conditions of things that their least effort has count
ed for righteousness. It is this spirit described in
the text which has made great warriors.
“These are days when the strongest declaration
should be made concerning the future. I am an
optimist of the optimists concerning the future,
and all because I have studied the times in which
we are living, and I have traveled the world over,
thereby coming in touch with missionaries and
Christian workers. For years we have been praying
for an awakening and God has given us the begin
ning. They said we would never again have an
bld-fashioned revival, but we have seen Wales
rocking under the mighty power of God. They said
Dwight L. Moody would have no successor, but we
have had the world-wide work of Torrey and Alex
ander which has even surpassed that of Moody him
self. It is almost the universal testimony of Chris
tian leaders that the year closed has been the best
of the generation. About other denominations I
do not know; concerning my own, I have a right to
say that the largest contributions to foreign mis
sions, to home missions and to congregational pur
poses, have been made within the past year. The
largest number of baptisms, both of children and
adults, the largest net increase and the largest
number of accessions to the church in all the
church’s history have been made during the past
The Golden Age for August 30, 1906.
twelve months. I suppose this is true of all de
nominations.
“The secretary of the board of foreign missions
of the United Brethren church, writes me: 4 The
last year has been the best in the history of our
foieign missionary work, and the net gain has been
twenty-five per cent.’
A Box of Jewels.
“The secretary of the board of foreign missions
of the Presbyterian church writes that ‘the work
of the past year is maivelous. 1 have in my office
a box filled with jewels. They came from the prov
ince of Shantung, China. The missionary was
speaking when the women came to the native pas
tor, took off their rings, bracelets and headbands,
and one native pastor received a peck measure full
of these jewels.’ A foreign missionary, just ar
rived in this country, says: ‘When I left Korea a
thousand men and women and children came to the
station to see me oft'. They sang hymns and prayed,
and sixteen years ago, when I went there, there was
not a Christian in the city..’
“The secretary of the American board of the
Congregational church, writes me of the revivals
in India, in China and in Japan.
“ Yes,’ you say, ‘but that is foreign missions.’
If so, then God pity us who, z in our own land, have
been so blind as not to see God’s guiding hand,
and so deaf as not to hear his call to go forward.
But as a matter of fact, there is no such thing as
foreign missions to-day. A member of my family
left us a few months ago, and in less than thirty
days after starting she was in Japan. My father,
in his early young manhood’s days, required three
months’ time to journey from this middle western
country to the Pacific coast, but if you say this
is foreign missionary interest, then listen to the
words of those who are nearer.
The Work Among College Girls.
“The representative of the Young Woman’s
Christian Association, Miss Conde, writes: ‘My
experience with the college students leads me to
believe that the Spirit of God is mightily at work.
During the past year 1,950 college women have con
fessed Christ. In one instance three college gir's
began personal work, and in a few days led forty
one to the Savior. One girl started to study the
Bible and led thirty-seven girls to begin Bible
study classes in their own homes.’
“The representative of the Christian Undeavor
movement, Mr. William Shaw, writes: ‘The spir
itual tide is certainly rising. This is indicated by
the organization of personal workers’ (-lasses, the
eager desire to know the best methods and the
passion for souls which seems to be awakening ev
erywhere.’
“The representative of the Young Men’s Chris
tian Associaion, Mr. Fred B. Smith, writes: ‘ln
one meeting alone, where two thousand men were
p:esent, 32S confessed Christ.’
“A secretary of over thirty years’ standing de
clares that we have not had such results in twenty
years as during the past year. Ninety-three thous
and young men gather weekly for evangelistic
meetings, and ninety thousand young men are en
rolled in the Bible study (-lasses. The tide is ris
hi ■, the skit s are brightening, the clouds are rolling
back. Oh, that we could but call men to present
themselves a living sacrifice unto God! The diy
is upon us; it may soon be far spent, and if this
day of blessed opportunity’ should pass and we
fail to pass through the open door to power it would
be an awful thing to stand at the judgment seat
of Christ. 1 expect to see America shaken from
coast to coast by the greatest revival that the world
has ever seen.”
The Sermon of Dr. Watkinson.
The foremost speaker at the Conference from
abroad is Dr. Watkinson, the President of the
English Wesleyan Council, and long famous as one
of the greatest preachers in Great Britain. His
words never fail to inspire his hearers and thrill
them with a new vision of the spiritual life. Yes
terday he spoke from Romans 8: 35: “Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ ? shall tribula
tion or distress, or persecution, or famine, or naked
ness, or peril, or sword?”
He said in part: “The love of God is the central
thing of the universe. The love of G-xI is over the
race like a sky, and the eternal stream of love to
the universe has never stopped. The text speaks of
love that is the central fundamental truth. Moun
tairs may be removed, but his loving kindness
never.
“Human love most perfectly mirrors the love
divine. It does not know anything about environ
ment, or of distance or of duration. Nor does love
know anything of change and death.
“To be a cynic is the easiest thing in this world.
There is a love that is a fancy, a freak, a fever.
But when one has the genuine article there is : •:>
mistake about that. The truest love gives the
deepest insight into heaven. The apostle says God
has folded us in his wonderful affection. Nothing
known or unknown can sever us from the love of
the eternal. The rationality of love is vindicated
on the basis of redemption. Only redemption fur
nishes the basis for absolute love.
“It is easy to see the love of God in certain
moods. When everything goes right with you ;t
goes all right with the world. ‘God’s in his heaven
and all’s right with the world.’ Half the time we
believe in God’s love and the other half we are dan
gerously near to skepticism.
Keeping Near the Cross.
“A man is always sure of the love of God if
he spends his time at the Cross. If one cann«»t
see the love of God in the roses one can see it
in the crown of thorns. Ono cannot doubt the love
of Christ at the Cross.
“A man who lives at the Cross and keeps his
consciousness of Christ clear, gains by the mys
teries of life. There are many things in nature
and life serious enigmas to thinking men. Tins
world tends to a splendid consummation. Ma iy
cannot, see this because their eyes are put. on;.
There are fishes whose vision is made perfect in
darkness. There is nothing like darkness to make
one see. The darkness of life is leading to deeper
truths touching God.
“Many of us feel if we get to heaven we will
be misshapen and will stand in relation to the
angels as their poor relations. Stephen had i'ie
face of an angel to commence with, and he was
an angel altogether when they finished with him
An antagonist is a helper for better. Heart-strings
stretched to breaking down here make the sweetest
music. Grief profiteth you always by growing t >
stature in Jesus Christ.
“Be hopeful, be courageous, for the great al
chemist is working in you. Know that the shadow
of death is the last shadow, and Jesus Christ wipes
away the tears.”
A Frank Opinion.
A playwright was discussing a rather tiresome
d rama.
“It was such a drama,” he said, “that a French
playwright read before a committee ot the French
Society of Comedy.
“As the author plodded through his second act
he heard an odd sound and looked up io see a man
asleep and breathing heavily.
“He frowned.
“ ‘Monsieur,’ he said; ‘monsieur, wake up.
Please remember, monsieur, that I am reading this
play to the committee in order to get its opinion.
How can a man who is asleep give an opinion?’
“But the other answered, gravely:
“ ‘Sleep is an opinion,’ ”
3