Ever since I became a Seventh-Day Adventist, I’ve been told I need to experience a true campmeeting. While back home camp meetings are in a convention center and lack spiritual growth and a focus on evangelism, I finally found one that the older Adventist were telling me about.
Michigan is always talked about as being the main campmeeting experience, and one day I pray I can experience that. However for the past seven years (except during 2020) me and my family have been blessed to be a part of New York Conference campmeeting.
We make the cross country trek from New Mexico to NY every year. It is held at the end of June in Union Springs at the Academy. Very big campus, beautiful grounds and buildings and it is next to Lake Cayuga. The town is small but when campmeeting comes around the town is uplifted with song and praise by wonderful people.
The Conference use to have a huge tent on the lawn of the campus where they held the main meetings. Other smaller tents for the youth and the rest would meet in the church or the school classrooms. There are areas for RV’s and rooms in the dorm can be rented. Cabins are available as well (I sound like a informercial).
Btw don’t forget the heritage tour given during camp-meeting where you can visit places like the Hiram Edson barn and William Miller farm and others. People attend from New York and from around the country.
Now, in 2022 the tent has been replaced by a beautiful permanent structure and the people are still awesome. This year my family wasn’t sure if we could make it due to some medical issues, but we made it and God so richly blessed.
Classes
They have classes for all ages. This year I was in the beginners class with my kids and man, that was so amazing. I wish I had grown up in these classes. Here’s a shout out to Mrs. Susan and crew who did an amazing job. I’m still singing those songs to my kids now that campmeeting is over. Who would have ever thought that a rain drop falls on the pitter patter pit!
Also, I would Like to thank Mrs. Susan for the wonderful singing not only in class but on the platform. It’s nice to hear hymns sung with power and grace.
Fun Stuff
There are some fun things to do for the kids while meetings are not going on. The water slide down the hill is a hit with the kids. So is the fire truck where the kids get soaked with the hose. Watermelon feasts and the snack shack. Don’t forget the store to get all your veggie meat goodies and used book sale as well.
This was also my first time seeing an ordination service which was powerful. And to end the last day of campmeeting there was a big baptism service in the church.
Amazing Facts
This year the conference theme was Come Holy Spirit. The speaker for the week was Carlitos Munoz Acosta, the director of AFCOE. He presented noon and evening meetings, and we all learned great truths that most places are not sharing today. His core message in my opinion was Righteousness by Faith.
As an AFCOE graduate, it’s wonderful to meet others from the program. Carlos led us through Revelation 4 and 5. Studying those chapters also led us everywhere else in Scripture. The messages were clear and perfect and if you were there or you watched on New York Conference YouTube, his messages also came with awesome sound effects.
I am so thankful that the New York Conference allows Amazing Facts ministry in their area. I wish they were allowed in my area, but It always is a blessing to hear them teach. I remember when Kevin Sears came for the week and how impactful his messages were about soul winning. Now I got to hear Carlos speak about a personal relationship with Jesus through faith and what that actually is according to Scripture. Those who attended—I hope—will now understand this verse more clearly when the Bible says.
“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:3-6).
A bright promise of the Everlasting Gospel is that Jesus will work both through and in us to finish the work After all, it is Christ who does the work of restoration (Acts 3:20; Philippians 1:6; Matthew 19:28; 2 Corinthians 5:11). Without Christ we can do nothing, according to Scripture (John 15:5).
I pray that many of you reach out to Amazing Facts and ask for Carlos to give these same messages, for it is greatly needed in our churches today for all ages.
Next year, at the end of June, I hope NY campmeeting will be on your calendar and you can come and receive the same blessings that we have—since coming here. Who knows, maybe we will run into each other and we all can praise God together.
One day, we will sit at a long silver table and under the tent of Gods love and grace and we can have the ultimate campmeeting experience. Until then NY campmeeting will be the place where I will be every year. I hope to see you there also!
If you cannot find the New York Conference YouTube page, you can watch these videos by Carlos on my Biblical Thinking Facebook Page where the meetings were live streamed.
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Ray Chavez is an AFCOE graduate and elder of his church in Albuquerque, NM. He is happily married to Jessica and they currently have four awesome children.