Without a doubt, the biggest annual event that takes place each year in Butts County is Annual Holiness Camp Meeting, which is held each summer for ten days at the Indian Springs Holiness Campground, just north of Indian Springs State Park. Founded in 1890, this year marked the 129th Annual Camp Meeting, making it by far the longest running recurring event held in the community. The campground itself is considered the flagship campground for the holiness movement in the South and today it is the largest camp in Georgia.

According to their historical profile, “On December 26, 1890, four Methodist ministers knelt in a densely wooded area near Jackson, Georgia. Their hearts were deeply burdened with the commitment to establish a camp meeting to communicate the message of Scriptural holiness to local church pastors. The result was Indian Springs Holiness Camp Meeting, one of the premier holiness encampments in the United States today. The four founders of Indian Springs Holiness Camp Meeting were:  W.A. Dodge, H.A. Hodges, J.H. Curry and George W. Mathews”.

Since that time, Annual Camp Meeting has drawn hundreds of thousands of people from all over the south to attend worship services, held in a rustic outdoor worship center on the grounds and to participate in a variety of inclusive activities for people of all ages.

Indian Springs Holiness Camp Meeting was founded in the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition of Biblical holiness, as taught by John Wesley and the early Methodists. Although rooted in the early teachings of the church, Camp Meeting has adapted through the past century to remain relevant “to all aspects of contemporary spiritual life”.

This year, Camp Meeting began on the evening of Thursday, July 11, 2019 with an opening worship service at 7:30 PM, held in the outdoor worship center, or “Main Tabernacle”, with daily worship services each day following. The final service is scheduled for Sunday, July 21st. Even through the camp meeting is in the Wesleyan tradition, it is independent and non-denominational. Worship services combined the best of the beautiful, old-time camp meeting singing with powerful preaching by the leading evangelists and Bible teachers of the day.

The camp welcomes everyone, regardless of denominational affiliation, offering an opportunity for spiritual renewal in a beautiful, natural setting. The campground features many homes and cottages within the compound where returning families, a number of them associated with the Camp Meeting for multiple generations, come each year to stay for the entire ten days. They are joined by visitors who make the journey to Butts County to experience the uniqueness of fellowship and community that makes the camp a special place. Many local churches of all denominations support and encourage attendance at this seminal event.

For more information about the Annual Indian Springs Holiness Camp Meeting, schedules of when they’ll return next year, location information and historical background, be sure to check out their website by CLICKING HERE

A map of the campground can be found below. This year’s evangelists are:  Dr. Chris Bounds, Dr. Timothy Tennett and Dr. Dave Ward. Adult Bible Speaker is Dr. Joe Dongell.