Title of the Presentation: Give Me That Old Time Religion: The Camp Meeting Movement
The Camp Meeting was a form of outdoor revival meeting held on the American frontier during the 19th century by various Protestant denominations (Primarily Presbyterians, Methodists, and Baptists but the Presbyterians withdrew because they thought there was too much enthusiasm and hysteria). As many as 10,000 to 20,000 people would gather for the week-long event that involved preaching, praying, communion, singing, and socializing (especially among teenagers). Families would pitch their tents and camp out. Later, cottages replaced the tents and the camp meeting became an annual event with people returning year after year. By 1811 there were over 400 camp meetings. A number of them still operate today. The roots of the movement can be traced to North Carolina in the late 1700s even though Cane Ridge in Kentucky is the most widely recognized. The history and current status of camp meetings is explored in this lecture.
