Understanding Camp Meeting Practices in Religious Revivalism

Explore the practices and impact of camp meetings, a cornerstone of 19th-century American religious revival movements.

By Garret Merkley · Explainer · Jun 4, 2026

Branched from Religious Revivalism in the 19th Century

Quick take

Camp meetings were multi-day outdoor religious gatherings, prominent during the Second Great Awakening.
They featured emotional preaching, communal singing, and intense prayer aimed at conversion and spiritual renewal.
These events democratized religion and were crucial for spreading Protestantism on the American frontier.
Emotional displays and the 'anxious bench' were common elements of the experience.

Camp meetings were multi-day religious gatherings, often held outdoors in rural or frontier settings, that became a defining feature of American Protestant revivalism, particularly during the Second Great Awakening in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They served as intense spiritual retreats focused on conversion, repentance, and the renewal of faith through enthusiastic preaching, communal singing, and fervent prayer.

Setting the Scene: The Camp and Its Structure

These meetings typically took place in clearings or designated grounds, often lasting several days to over a week. Attendees would travel from surrounding areas, setting up temporary shelters like tents, wagons, or brush arbors, forming a temporary village. A central preaching stand or pulpit was usually the focal point, surrounded by benches for listeners. Cooking fires and shared meals fostered a strong sense of community, blending social gathering with spiritual purpose.

The Heart of the Experience: Preaching, Singing, and Conversion

The core of a camp meeting revolved around powerful, often itinerant, preachers who delivered impassioned sermons emphasizing personal sin, the need for repentance, and the promise of salvation. These messages were designed to evoke strong emotional responses. Singing played a vital role, with simple, repetitive hymns and spirituals that were easy to learn and encouraged widespread participation, creating a unified, emotionally charged atmosphere. Many meetings featured an "anxious bench" or "mourner's bench," a designated area at the front where those feeling spiritual conviction or seeking conversion could come forward for prayer and personal guidance from ministers. Emotional displays, such as weeping, shouting, dancing, or even falling to the ground, were common and often interpreted as signs of the Holy Spirit at work.

Why Camp Meetings Mattered

Camp meetings were instrumental in spreading Protestant Christianity, especially Methodism and Baptism, across the rapidly expanding American frontier where established churches were scarce. They democratized religion by emphasizing individual experience and emotional conversion over formal theological training or rigid denominational structures, making faith accessible to ordinary people regardless of their social standing or education. These gatherings also fostered a sense of community and moral order in often isolated settlements, contributing to various social reform movements like temperance and abolition. Their enduring legacy shaped the landscape of American evangelicalism and its emphasis on personal conversion and revival.

Who typically attended camp meetings?

Camp meetings drew people from all walks of life, including farmers, frontiersmen, women, and enslaved people, though attendance patterns varied by region and specific event. They were particularly effective at reaching those in sparsely populated areas without access to regular church services.

Were camp meetings always orderly?

While spiritual fervor was the goal, the intense emotional atmosphere could sometimes lead to chaotic scenes. Critics often described the gatherings as disorderly or even fanatical due to the loud expressions of emotion. However, organizers typically tried to maintain a degree of order and spiritual focus.

Do camp meetings still exist today?

While the large-scale, frontier-style camp meetings of the 19th century are largely a historical phenomenon, some denominations, particularly Methodists, still hold annual "camp meetings" or "assembly grounds" that are descendants of these earlier revivals. These modern versions are generally more structured and less spontaneous than their historical counterparts.

What was the purpose of the "anxious bench"?

The "anxious bench," also known as the "mourner's bench," was a specific area where individuals who felt convicted by the sermon and were seeking salvation or spiritual guidance could come forward. Ministers and experienced believers would then offer personal prayer, counsel, and support to help them through their conversion experience.