Why We Still Go to South Union Camp Meeting Every Year
There was a time that we went to church every week mainly because I was the preacher. Today, we attend church weekly because it is important for our spiritual health and that of our local church. We also place a priority of on attending the annual Campmeeting at South Union. From the time we were mere babies, our grandparents began a grand tradition by bringing us to South Union. Today, we’re pleased that our children and grandchildren keep the link to this spiritual refuge unbroken. This year, during the 154th Campmeeting, our small cabin at South Union will be bursting at the seams with three generations as together we worship the Lord of Glory. Buddy’s great-great grandparents, John Culberson and Margaret Gray Smith, were among the organizers and attenders of the very first campmeeting at South Union in 1872 which now expands our roots at South Union to seven generations.
As it was in years past, we look forward to worship and fellowship with the Body of Christ comprised of area Independents, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Church of God and others to worship our triune God under the 112-year-old Arbor to the glory of the Gospel.
The experience of Campmeeting is difficult to describe, but Eugene Peterson’s description of Sabbath does a phenomenal job: “uncluttered time and space to distance ourselves from the frenzy of our own activities so we can see what God has been and is doing.” For a few days, the digital age is paused and in its place are porch swings, laughter, a leisurely walk down the hill for a refreshing drink from the ever-flowing underground spring and fellowship around a freshly cut watermelon. Our grandparents told us stories of coming to South Union Campmeeting on horseback and buggies, before electricity and indoor plumbing. They left their farms and homes for days after their crops were 'laid by' to experience spiritual renewal. Living in wooden structures called “tents” and meeting under the tabernacle, they gathered for prayers, worship, Bible study and fellowship. They spent this time apart, seeking to know God and to deepen their relationship with Him.
Mainly for us, campmeeting is a return to our foundation that helps with re-calibration. Questions like “Who am I?” “Where am I headed?” and “What’s the purpose of all of this?” aren’t anything new. Yet in a society that for the greater part has forgotten God, these questions are more challenging than ever and it’s easy to lose one’s bearings. The campmeeting experience at South Union is the antithesis of our godless age and the only antidote toward salvation and wholeness. Although South Union Campmeeting is 154 years old, the tradition still exudes steadiness, embodies life-shaping rituals, and offers simplicity.
Campmeeting serves as a reminder that we don’t have to make faith up as we go. As Christians we’ve been called “to contend for the faith that was once and for all entrusted to the saints.” Yet as contemporary Americans and the modern “progressive” church, we often act as if we can make Christianity up as we go along.
Sitting under the old tabernacle constructed in part by our family members, walking with friends where others have walked over 154 years, sleeping on grounds that have been with families for generations, singing old Gospel hymns, and listening to someone preach with the fervor of a second great awakening preacher; each serve as a reminder that we’re part of something that started well before us. And the fact that South Union Campmeeting continues in our world today also serves as a testimony to the unstoppable nature of the Gospel. Countless institutions have closed down since the turn of the 20th century, but for some reason God has preserved this sacred place.
We are old enough to remember Campmeeting days at South Union when we had to haul the water from the spring and the floors under the Arbor and in the tents were sawdust. We also remember the sight of altars covered with people seeking God and lives being saved by God's grace and sanctified by His Holy Spirit. No, God does not need tents, sawdust, benches, or campgrounds to meet with us. But when we choose to set aside a special time to get away from the normal routine to seek God and to hear from Him, He will meet with us like at no other time. Our faith will be met with God’s faithfulness to minister to us, drawing us ever closer to Him.
Join us in prayer and mark your calendars for the 154th year of South Union Campmeeting which will take place July 24-29, 2026. Our campmeeting evangelist will be the Rev. Dr. Tim Todd of Revival Fires Ministries International. The biblical theme for this year is found in Jeremiah 6:16 God urges his people to seek the “ancient” or “old” paths to find rest for the soul. So, come and join with us as we pause, evaluate direction, and return to the faithful, obedient ways of the past to find spiritual wholeness. There are limited RV hookups available where you can stay on the grounds. Why not reserve one today!
Love in Christ,
Buddy & Carol Smith
Chip & Stacey Fowler
Casey & Mandy Smith
Casey Joe & Anna Grace Fowler
Weston Fowler
Addie Grace Smith
Lexie Rose Smith
Ava Jane Smith