Lake Region—Camp meeting plays a crucial role in maintaining the spiritual health of its members and encouraging in them a more vibrant Christian witness. However, the Lake Region Conference (LRC) did not plan to hold camp meeting this year due to a number of financial challenges. This was a great concern to the administration and ideas started to emerge suggesting weekend revival meetings as an alternative, but the costs were still prohibitive.
It was then that Ray Young, LRC communication director, approached George C. Bryant, acting LRC president, with an idea. How about holding camp meeting at the Ypsilanti (Mich.) Church and video streaming the nightly services via the Internet? The Ypsilanti Church has been using this mechanism for a couple years, broadcasting their weekly Sabbath worship services with responses from around the country and as far away as China.
In a couple days, Bryant gave Young the approval to proceed. Young then approached Claude Shaw, Ypsilanti Church pastor, with this unique opportunity. That weekend, Shaw convened the church elders for a special meeting to present the concept. Timing was critical as the proposed dates would be those originally planned for the LRC camp meeting, June 17–25, 2005—just three weeks away. Out of town at the Florida camp meeting, Young joined the meeting by cell phone to answer questions and give reassurance to concerns expressed about the planning timeline. After about 30 minutes, the elders voted to move ahead.
Then the hard work began. Nine nightly meetings and two Sabbath services would be streamed from the Ypsilanti Church, allowing anyone with a computer, anywhere in the world, to experience camp meeting sponsored by the Lake Region Conference and hosted by the Ypsilanti Church. How would we get the word out? Who would tune in? How many people could log on at the same time? There were so many questions and only three weeks to pull it together. Could it be done? Young knew that with God in the driver’s seat all things were possible, since he believed the inspiration for the idea was God-given anyway.
Detroit-area pastors who could easily drive to the Ypsilanti Church were asked to participate. They were asked to bring with them a member from their church who could offer a witnessing or conversion testimony, and also someone to provide two musical selections.
The pastors who contributed as speakers were: William Joseph, City Temple (Detroit, Mich.); Ralph Shelton, Conant Gardens (Detroit, Mich.); Garth Gabriel, Community Fellowship (Southfield, Mich.) and Highland Park (Mich.); Claude Shaw (Ypsilanti, Mich); Philip Willis Sr., LRC administration; and George Bryant, acting LRC president.
Lay speakers included: Doris Gothard, LRC women’s ministries director; Paul Musson, a physician who recently planted the Eternal Life Ministries church (Flint, Mich.); evangelist Randy Skeete, (Ypsilanti, Mich.); and youth evangelist, Brandon Perry, Breakin’ Bread Productions (Ypsilanti, Mich.).
Following the theme “Go Ye,” from Matthew 28:18–20, each speaker brought a different perspective to magnify the meaning of the Gospel Commission for us today. Maydis Skeete and John Anthony hosted the nightly and Sabbath services. Each team participant fulfilled their role with precision and dedication, from the camera crew, deacons, greeters, and musicians to the praise team, prayer warriors, stage manager, and kitchen personnel who provided an evening meal for workers arriving straight from work.
The Ypsilanti Navigators pathfinder club invited the community through distribution of fliers, and communication throughout the conference constituency was facilitated by regular alerts in the LRC UPDATE, an online news and information service provided by the LRC communication department.
With everyone in place, the LRC/Yypsilanti Camp Meeting went live on Fri., June 17, at 7:00 p.m. On that first night, 160 locations logged on, in addition to those who attended in person. Each night an average of 150 Internet computer locations tuned in for camp meeting, with 200 tuning in on Sabbath for the worship service.
Each service was archived and available for viewing about one hour after the live broadcast on the church website, www.ypsisda.com, by clicking on media center. At this writing, there have been over 600 Internet logins to view the archived messages.
The following email response exemplifies the many comments from attendees and Internet viewers of the blessings received from the online camp meeting experience.
"Hello, Lake Region Conference Communications. Thank you so much [for] the messages that have been on the online broadcast. My family and I have truly been blessed. Please send us the free CD gift. We have so very much enjoyed and been blessed by the 'Go Ye' Camp Meeting services. Thank you. Fred and Arnetha Ball, San Carlos, CA."
God uses a variety of ways to let people know about His love and soon coming. When we are willing to be used and step out in faith to respond to the Divine directive, “Go Ye,” we will not be disappointed. No matter how daunting the task, God will bless our efforts and individuals will be won for His kingdom.
Lake Region Conference news release
