Michigan by M. N. Campbell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 9, 1908

Michigan

By M. N. Campbell

BATTLE CREEK.—Thinking our people would be pleased to learn how the work is progressing at the former headquarters of the denomination, we furnish the following report:—

The week of prayer has been a season of unmeasured blessing to the church. The writer conducted three services each day: one at 9 A. M. with the academy students, one at 3 P. M., and another at 7:30 in the evening. All these services were characterized by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Many who had been cold and backslidden renewed their vows of consecration to God, and quite a number made their first start to serve the Lord.

During the past nine months seventy-six persons have been baptized and received into the church. The attendance at the Tabernacle varies from seven hundred to a thousand each Sabbath. Nine district missionary societies are carrying forward the missionary interests of the church, and each reports excellent progress during the past year.

The Battle Creek Industrial Academy has an enrolment of one hundred twenty-five students in all the grades from the first up to the tenth. Five teachers are employed. We are operating the academy as a free school this year, and the finances are in an excellent condition. The Lord is certainly blessing our educational work.

The canvassing is not neglected. One would naturally suppose that Battle Creek would be a rather unpromising field for the sale of our publications, in view of the fact that the message has been established and taught here for so many years. However, that is not the case. During the past seven weeks one brother has sold three hundred fifty dollars’ worth of our denominational books. Another brother sold eighty dollars’ worth of “Bible Readings for the Home Circle” in one week. Thus the work goes steadily forward.

Quite a large number of our true-hearted people have removed from the city during the year, and many more plan to do so in the immediate future as the way opens for them.

The Battle Creek church has taken a decided stand for the old-fashioned third angel’s message, and it is uncompromisingly opposed to the interpretations of the message which have been presented to the people of late. It is a subject for profound thankfulness that this people alone of all Protestant denominations, has had sufficient spiritual vitality to cast off the pantheistic delusions which are taking the world captive at this time.

The Battle Creek church has been

compelled to withdraw the hand of fellowship from quite a number who formerly stood high in the councils of this denomination. One of these, who once shone as a bright light in the medical branch of our work, was disfellowshipped from the church, and has since sent out a letter to many of our ministers, in which he claims that his faith has not materially changed in the last thirty years. This letter is designed to reflect on the Battle Creek church for disciplining him. Its contents are in plain contradiction to the statements of the Testimonies and the experience of the Battle Creek church. The fact that the vote for his expulsion was absolutely unanimous, indicates what those who know him best think of his faith in this message. The business meeting at which this action was taken, was an exceptionally large one, nearly four hundred members of the church being present.

In the trying times through which we have been passing, we have sought to move very carefully in the fear of the Lord. Our motives have been systematically misrepresented by our foes both in public and in private. However, this is no more than we should expect, as many years ago we were told, through the spirit of prophecy, that those who would leave the ranks would become our bitterest enemies, and would not hesitate to resort to any scheme to injure their former brethren.

Lately the press of the country has been publishing a report to the effect that the writer called a secret meeting of the church, and read a Testimony which urged our people to flee from Battle Creek by the first fast train in order to escape destruction which was to fall on the town. This report was a pure fabrication, which originated in the fertile brain of a local reporter who cared more for sensation than for truth. For some reason one of our local papers has prostituted its columns to the most unjust and vicious attacks upon our church. These attacks are greedily seized upon by a sensational outside press and reprinted, and thus these false reports are being scattered to the four winds.

These experiences, however, are serving to draw our people closer to one another and to God and we believe they are having a strengthening influence upon the loyal ones.

The apostate element located in this city is now sending forth publications in the form of booklets and tracts, attacking the Testimonies, the sanctuary, and various other leading points of our faith. These attacks are cunningly written in an apparently candid spirit, and make a show of fairness, but they constitute the “cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” Eph. 4:14. A thorough understanding of the Scriptural foundations of our faith is a certain specific for these quibbles, and now is the time for our people to search the Scriptures and become rooted and grounded in the message, else the fierce blowing winds of false doctrine and deception will blow them off their feet.

Dear brethren, we solicit your earnest prayers that we who must constantly face the trying situation in this place, may have grace and strength to stem the tide and give the trumpet a certain sound. M. N. CAMPBELL.