It’s called a camp meeting, but it’s not the type of camp meeting that Scott Matthews’s granddaddy Jesse held, always the week of the Fourth of July under a tent on the grounds of Forest Hill Baptist Church.
Back then, it could be 100 degrees, with 1,000 percent humidity, Matthews said, half joking half serious. “I can remember some hot days,” Matthews said on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny!
The third annual Vance County Camp Meeting will be held all next week in the comfortable surroundings of McGregor Hall, and Matthews said he couldn’t be happier to head back home to lead the gathering. Things kick off at 7 p.m. nightly on Monday, Dec. 2 and continue through Friday, Dec. 6.
A few years ago, several pastors encouraged Matthews to bring the camp meeting concept back to life. The first year, there were nine churches involved, he said, but last year’s camp meeting had close to two dozen pastors who attended on multiple nights.
Scott and wife Becky spend most of the year traveling the country preaching and singing as Matthews Family Ministries, which includes the couple’s two daughters. They recently returned from Phoenix, AZ and then turned around and headed to Jacksonville, FL.
“I’m just excited for everybody to come together, Becky said. “It’s always good to see everybody there in Henderson and just have a great week of worshipping the Lord.”
A 1000-seat climate-controlled auditorium in early December is the perfect venue to bring people from different churches and denominations to hear the nightly preaching and musical performances that will be offered.
The speakers “have no axes to grind, no agendas to push,” Scott said. They are interested in delivering “messages that encourage the people of God to do more for the cause of Christ right now is what these guys will bring. We’ll try to make it (McGregor Hall) a church every night,” Scott said. “Come on out and join us.”
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