We welcome everyone to join with us to worship God and carry on the tradition of many generations of Christians who gathered together every year for camp meeting. You are invited to join us for any and all 7 nights of old-fashioned church services under the historic open-air arbor (tabernacle).

The Salem Campground is about 4 miles north of Benton, Arkansas. We no longer camp out for a week or two in tents or cabins, and we only have one service in the evening instead of three or four meetings throughout the day, but we still enjoy worshiping God and celebrating the tradition and memories of camp meeting.

	The first night, 6/9 Activities begin at 6 PM The schedule for each evening is: 7 PM to 7:30 PM Special music and 7:30 PM - 8 PM Singing old hymns 8 PM Sermon After service Refreshments and visiting in church fellowship hall except the first and last nights
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• Each night a different group provides special music from 7 PM to 7:30 PM followed by the congregation singing old hymns and a sermon by camp meeting evangelist Carlton Cross.

• Rachel and Russell Powell have planned some daytime activities throughout the week for youths entering 7th grade through completed 12th grade. Please call the church office (501-316-2282) if you would like to participate in any youth events.

• The children's program, welcomes children ages entering Kindergarten through entering 6th grade from 7:00 pm - 7:30 PM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights. Denise Willoughby and Carol Fullington will be presenting a Bible story and craft.

• An unsupervised "parent room" will be available next to the arbor. Babies and young children needing to cool off or have a few moments of quiet time can be brought by their parent and enjoy the air conditioning and a few toys to play with.

• A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 15 for loved ones who have passed since last year's camp meeting.

• Restrooms are close by in the annex building on the side of the arbor away from the road. There is plenty of comfortable seating and ceiling fans to keep the air moving.

• We are collecting nonperishable food items for CJCOHN.

Besides the special music from 7 to 7:30 PM, we usually have some impromptu music almost every night prior to the official start time of 7 PM.

Sing along with Rev. Rodney White as he sings some well known songs that you may have heard on the Gaither TV shows. Then at about 7:15 we start congregational singing early to allow for more audience selections.

Randy Mason enjoys singing Southern Gospel Music including some songs recorded by Elvis Pressley. During the work day he is in the automotive business, and has been for 31 years. He has been with Everett Infiniti of Central Arkansas (I-30 and Alcoa Rd) for about 4 years.

Greg Schick sings, plays guitar and keyboard, and gets the young people involved in his fun and sometimes funny routines and music. He may even have the entire congregation participate in a mass choir with each section doing something different. This will be his sixth year to share his musical ministry with us. Greg is Pastor of Contemporary Service at Saint James UMC in Little Rock.

The choir from Parkview United Methodist Church of Benton again graces us with their singing after a few years absence. The choir director is Nancy Peeler.

Friday 6/14

Saturday 6/15

Hymns: At 7:30 PM each night we all join in singing the old hymns! Anyone who wants is welcome to come join the choir. We especially encourage young people to join the choir. Even if you do not know all the songs, come join us and be surrounded by some exuberant singing. Russell Powell and James West serve as song leaders this year, accompanied by pianist Kathleen Dockery. Anyone who wants is welcome to come join the choir. We especially encourage young people to join the choir. Even if you do not know all the songs, come join us and be surrounded by some exuberant singing.

Kathleen Dockery serves as praise team director and pianist for contemporary and traditional worship services at Oaklawn United Methodist Church in Hot Springs. She has been driving from Hot Springs to play the piano at Salem Camp meeting for several years. Anyone who hears and sees her playing that old time gospel style piano can tell that she enjoys what she is doing. Judging by the smiles on the faces of the audience, her enthusiasm and enjoyment must be contagious.

Dockery has been involved in gospel singing conventions for at least 50 years as the pianist and / or an officer. She is the secretary treasurer for the Arkansas River Valley Gospel Singing Convention in Atkins, Arkansas; former president of the Garland County Gospel Singing Convention in Hot Springs; the Arkansas State Gospel Singing Convention; and the Arkansas-Oklahoma Gospel Singing Convention. These conventions carry on the tradition of hosting gospel music concerts an entire weekend including Friday night, all day Saturday, and usually Saturday night. You can see a Gospel Singing Convention Schedule that includes Arkansas events here.

At 8 PM camp meeting evangelist Carlton Cross returns to Benton to preach the 2019 camp meeting. Reverend Carlton Cross served as the Senior Pastor at Salem United Methodist Church in Benton for 7 years beginning in 2011. He now pastors at Ozark, Arkansas. Carlton has been serving in the United Methodist Church for over 20 years. Many of those years were in youth ministry. During this time he has built three different youth programs.

The open arbor (tabernacle) where camp meetings are held is a tangible and functional reminder of the days when people actually camped for a couple of weeks in the fall after the crops were harvested. Although the arbor is owned by the Salem United Methodist Church, and the evangelist is a Methodist, we hope that all Christians will feel welcome to come to camp meeting and worship God as a community the way our forefathers did. We still need and desire to experience God's forgiveness and life-changing power.

Volunteers set up the piano and sound system every evening prior to the service and tear it all down afterwards -- it cannot be left under the open arbor. Special thanks to Mike Green for providing an excellent sound system for camp meeting. Most of the singing groups use Mike's system since it is more than adequate for their needs. Volunteers also work prior to camp meeting making plans and arrangements for the next upcoming meeting, fixing up the arbor, and praying for God's blessings on the camp meeting and everyone who attends.

The camp meetings are organized and run by the Salem Camp Meeting Association. Anyone who wishes to attend the annual meeting is considered a member. The association elects a board which meets several times a year to conduct camp meeting business. The camp meeting association pays all expenses of the camp meeting including maintaining and improving the arbor. Thanks to everyone who has contributed their talent, time, and efforts to the annual camp meetings, and a special thanks to those who have generously contributed to improvements such as the new arbor roof, concrete floor, seat cushions, improved lighting, additional ceiling fans, and some nice church pews donated by the Vilonia, UMC. Annual camp meetings will continue as long as people keep supporting them. It is said that John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believing that it was more blessed to give than to receive, set an example of generous giving by giving away more than the equivalent of $1.7 million during his lifetime - more than he spent on himself or his family.

You can view and share pictures of the camp meeting on our Facebook page.