Anderson Campmeeting

Part of our travels across the country was to spend a week at the North American Convention of the Church of God, commonly referred to as Anderson Campmeeting. It is a week of conferences, worship services, business meetings, and fellowship. One of the hallmarks of the Church of God has always been its connectivity. Key to this has been the fellowship that takes place at Campmeeting. Ministers reconnect after years of pastoring in separate states or regions of the country; the work of the Church is reviewed and explained so that individual congregations and pastors can keep connected to the larger movement; preaching and worship are renewed as the church comes together to share in the common experience of celebrating the Lord's presence. I am convinced that Campmeeting is at the root of this connectivity. Without it, the Church of God will fragment into a local or area fellowship with little or no central concern or mission.

This is not to say that Campmeeting is perfect. Far from it. However, the decisions made this year concerning venue will go a long way toward helping the Church of God remain connected. Several years ago the main worship center, a domed building that had been used since the 1960's, was torn down due to asbestos problems. Since then, there have been numerous problems in finding an appropriate venue that could enhance the fellowship and worship. The choice of two connected venues this year gave the Church opportunity to be in a central location (the worship venues were across the street - one a 2,500 seat auditorium and the other a 1,000 seat church sanctuary) and, following the service, to fellowship together in a Mall area common to both venues. It worked very well. Even though the worship was different (how could it not be with two different worship leaders and instrumentalists) the sermon was common to both venues, having been streamed live from one venue to the other.

In addition, the national leadership of the Church of God will be conducting research into the future of NAC. I would like to weigh in on this issue. Here are my suggestions:

1. It should remain a yearly event. Our connectivity is too important to go for 2 or 4 years between gatherings. Every region in the country, except the West Coast, has canceled their regional meeting. We need to gather together in order to stay connected. With our decentralized polity, we need to be together in order to stay together.
2. It should remain in Anderson. As much as moving it across the country might create interest, it would decrease the family atmosphere that is the central feature of Campmeeting. Moving it to a Convention Center creates a certain sterility that fights against the essence of what the gathering hopes to be. Indiana is enough of a centralized venue to continue as a viable location. It also allows for a less expensive meeting for those who gather there. Registration is very low and many have alternate ways to house themselves during the week (Camping slots are available as are dorms). This does not sound good to those who plan the event and would like to have it pay for itself. The solution appears to be a heavy emphasis on a high registration. This appears to be a good solution but creates more problems. Lack of attendance, decrease in offerings, and formality rather than family are only a few.
   
3. The name should be changed from NAC and return to Anderson Campmeeting. The arguments for NAC have been to give it a brand name. I don't think NAC is a strong or viable brand name. The use of Anderson allows for the designation that is used in many phone books and materials to refer to the Church of God (Anderson) - the formal way in which the Movement is publicly termed. Campmeeting, though somewhat archaic, is a better term than Convention when emphasizing connectivity. In a culture that is searching through Facebook and Twitter to find greater connectivity, something that speaks of gathering and connection should find a welcome home.
   
4. The use of multiple venues should continue and expand. I have suggested the use of a large screen, scoreboard type screen outside Reardon Auditorium to utilize the Mall area as another place to sit an watch the service. Young families and many others will find this a welcome way to participate in the service while handling the challenges of young children. I have heard that there is the possibility of adding Byrum Hall as another venue. It is some distance from Reardon and Park Place (across the campus) but affords an intimate venue for a small group.
   

For what it is worth, these are my suggestions. I hope they are helpful. Whatever is done, I hope that the act and influence of Campmeeting will continue. I continue to look forward to it every year.