p. 18 | MEETINGS AT ATHENS, ME

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 18, 1866

MEETINGS AT ATHENS, ME.

By Dudley Marvin Canright; Chas. Stratton

By the urgent request of a few scattered friends at this place, we went to hold a few meetings with them. A few lectures, at different times, had been given here before. We found “noble women, not a few,” one brother, and a few children trying to keep the Sabbath and worship God. In consequence of other meetings appointed ahead, we could only stay with them twelve days. So we tried to make the most of this by having meetings every evening and most of the time every day. A deep interest immediately appeared among the people. Though the weather was bad, yet we had a full house all the time. The result was that we gave fourteen lectures, obtained five subscribers for the Review, sold over $10.00 worth of books, and twelve came out clear on the Sabbath. Among these were husbands whose wives and children had been keeping the Sabbath, thus uniting the whole family. These men are also substantial persons, being the leading men in the community. Eld. Hathern, who has been a member of the Christian church for above forty years, also came out decided on the truth. We organized a Bible Class and Sabbath School of above forty members, established regular Sabbath meetings, and increased the interest of the prayer-meetings, &c. Two were baptized.

At the conclusion of the lectures, we met to consider church organization. After it was duly laid before them, they expressed themselves well pleased with it all, and thought it best to adopt it. But when we

considered what straight work it would make, and that many were just coming into the truth, we all thought it best to wait awhile and to give each one a chance to examine himself and put away his faults. It was plainly laid before them how particular they must be when they came to organize. Till that time, therefore, the following covenant was adopted and subscribed to by sixteen persons.

“We, the undersigned, desire to associate ourselves together as a body of Christians to watch over each other as brethren and sisters, to maintain the worship of God, to keep his commandments and the faith of Jesus, and to sustain prayer, and Sabbath meetings.”

About a dozen more, who were not present, will doubtless join this company.

All heartily approve of the plan of Systematic Benevolence. So we organized S. B. to amount to $96.20, nine tenths of which was voted to the N. E. mission.

As the most of these people are old professors and some of them have been in the truth some time, and as they have taken a decided stand and have taken hold so well together, we feel confident that they will prosper. We greatly desired to stay with them longer, but it was not consistent with other duties. We shall soon visit them again. Truly God was with us in this work and to him be all the glory. Amen.

D. M. CANRIGHT, CHAS. STRATTON.