DALLAS COUNTY -- A story in the Aug. 25, 1962, edition of the Arkansas Gazette referred to camp meetings as "a dying institution."
But the four annual encampments highlighted in that article are alive and well, 60 years later.
Camp meeting at Ben Few Campground west of Princeton wraps up Sunday. The revival at Davidson Methodist Campground in Clark County is just getting started.
The Salem camp meeting, in Saline County, is still eight days away. Roughly 4 miles north of Benton, it is the oldest of the three -- with services every year since 1867.
Davidson, which dates to 1884, is far and away the largest, drawing hundreds of people every year.
Ben Few, established in 1898 and named after a well-known Methodist clergyman, has a loyal following as well.
All three are affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The Ebenezer camp meeting in Howard County, which wrapped up earlier this week, also has Methodist roots.
These days, the services tend to be ecumenical, according to Timothy Williams, chairman of the Ben Few camp meeting.
"We have Methodists attend, we have Baptists attend, we have Assembly [of God members] attend. We welcome everybody," he said.
Jane Peters Knickerbocker of Bismarck said she has been a regular "ever since I was born, and I'm 79."
Asked why she keeps coming back, she said she finds spiritual renewal at Ben Few.
"The Holy Spirit always shows up and shows out on this campus. When you step on this camp and go under that tabernacle, you can rest assured that you are on holy ground," she said.
Camp meetings are a rich part of the denomination's heritage, according to Bishop Gary Mueller, resident United Methodist bishop for the Arkansas area.
"Back in the 1800s, they were a common feature of Methodist churches," he said.
"It was really a time, especially for those on the frontier, who [were] kind of isolated, to gather together with sisters and brothers and grow deeper in faith and hear the word preached," he said.
The gatherings would last for days, even weeks, and were social as well as spiritual events, he noted.
That blend of faith and fellowship was evident at Ben Few Campground, where people flocked to the Iva Jean Shaddock Memorial Kitchen on Sunday for a pork chop dinner.
Shaddock, the camp cook for more than a half-century, died in April at age 87.
"She was a wonderful lady. She was good at what she did," said Cathy Owens, her stepdaughter and culinary heir.
Shaddock left behind a supply of pear preserves, which campgoers savored throughout the week.
Roughly 45 people were present for revival services that evening, but attendance swells on watermelon night. Turnout also peaks when they're making homemade ice cream, organizers say.
The tabernacle at the heart of the campground offers shade, but isn't air-conditioned. Sawdust coats the ground and hand-held funeral home fans offer respite from the heat.
Nineteenth century camp meetings were effective tools of evangelism, leading to conversions, baptisms and church growth.
Baptisms are still performed at Camp Davidson. Gary McCauley's grandson, Dax Drake, was baptized one year after making a confession of faith.
The family looks forward to the camp meeting each summer, McCauley said, adding, "It's just part of our lives."
The revival fires that were kindled long ago continue burning at Ebenezer, Davidson, Ben Few and Salem, organizers say.
"I think they carry a powerful legacy," Mueller said.
"The kind of fervor and joy and passion ... that they experienced is something I would love to see flood the church again."
Camp information
• Davidson Methodist Campground, Campground Road, Okolona, is holding its 138th annual revival encampment through July 31. Daily services are at 11 a.m. and 7:45 p.m., with music beginning at 6:45. The campground is roughly 12 miles west of Arkadelphia, off Arkansas 26. Services are livestreamed at facebook.com/DavidsonCampground/. Information about cabins and RVs is available at (870) 345-9711.
• Ben Few Campground, off Arkansas 8 roughly two miles west of Princeton, is holding camp meeting through Sunday. Morning devotions at 7. Youth classes and adult Bible study at 9 a.m. Revival services at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Services livestreamed at facebook.com/Ben-Few-Church-Camp-85069484549.
• Salem Camp Meeting, 1647 Salem Road, Benton, will be held at 6:30 p.m. daily between July 31 and Aug. 4. Services livestreamed at facebook.com/groups/136535253039326.
While the camp meeting at Davidson Campground didn’t begin until Friday, people began preparing their cabins days ahead of time. “Since I was a baby, we’ve been here every year,” said Gary McCauley (right). Now he brings his own kids and grandkids, including Dax Drake (far left) who was baptized in a nearby spring. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Frank E. Lockwood)