Salem Revival

Revivals are as much a phenomenon of U. S. civilization as quilting bees or rail splitting. Georgia has been a revivalist stronghold ever since pioneer Evangelists John Wesley and George Whitefield saved souls there in the 1730s. But lately revivals have not done so well, even in Georgia. Few years ago famed Old Salem Campground, 32 miles southeast of At lanta, a scene of Methodist evangelistic meetings since 1828, had to turn interdenominational to survive. Last week, as it wound up a rousing ten-day camp meeting, Salem seemed to have hit the sawdust trail for a comeback.

To Old Salem's "tents" (pre-Civil War frame shacks in which tenters sleep on straw-filled bunks) went 300 campers, including many a family which has attended Salem camp meetings for generations, looks upon them as its annual vacation. On Sundays brick-red dust smoked up from the dirt road into Salem's 65 acres as thousands more arrived to hear a thunder of evangelists, headed by a redheaded, blue-eyed, 81-year-old Methodist, Dr. Bascom Anthony.

Old Salem's days began with reveille at 7 a.m. and a raising of the U. S. flag in front of the tabernacle. A "morning watch" from 7:30 to 8 was followed by breakfast, children's classes at 9:30, preaching service at 11, lunch at noon, rest hour, afternoon service at 3, a two-and-a-half-hour recreation period. After supper there followed a final service at 8, taps at 10:30.

Old Salem's is a sociable gathering, with the air of a happy rural community. Placed shrewdly at a time in the Georgia farm calendar when it is too early to pick cotton or pull fodder, too late for plowing, the camp meeting gave Georgians a chance for chatting as well as churchgoing. Camp ers downed prodigious meals of fried chicken, country ham, barbecued beef, Brunswick stew, stuffed eggs, potato salad, corn on the cob, pie, watermelon, iced tea, lemonade, Coca-Cola. Even after such meals, old Dr. Bascom Anthony could stir his congregation.

For 61 years tireless, organ-voiced Bas com Anthony has called men to Christ. Nowadays he does much of his preaching and praying seated in an armchair, with his eyes shut, but the oldtime spirit is still there. Says he : "I like to think of the Lord standing right there. He's there but we can't see Him--I like to think of Him saying to me, 'How are you going to represent Me, Son?' and I'd say, 'Best I know how, Father.' "

A homespun exhorter, Preacher Anthony told his hearers at Old Salem to rear their children in ways of work ("If I had my way, I'd not raise a boy in Georgia who had not looked at the south end of a mule going north"), urged honesty as the best policy ("When you talk to God, tell Him the truth or keep your mouth shut"), livened his homilies with anecdote ("Up in Johnson County, they named a girl Blasphemy and called her 'Phemy' for short"). One of his prayers that sent "Amens" echoing round the tabernacle:

"Help us to be men enough not to stand for one minute these dictatorships who would overthrow all we believe in. Don't let liberty perish from the earth. Don't, Don't, DON'T allow freedom of conscience to vanish from the earth."

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