IOWA by George I. Butler

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 8, 1879

IOWA

By George I. Butler

The T. and M. State Quarterly Meeting at Sandyville.—This was a very precious meeting, one of the very best of its kind that I ever attended. By request of the President, Eld L. McCoy, I was present, as he could not be spared from the Sanitarium. We had quite a large attendance of members from the surrounding churches, though but three directors were present. We had felt a great anxiety for a good meeting; for we realized that many of our brethren and sisters were more or less discouraged. A feeling of despondency has been slowly gathering over the minds of many in our State for some time past. All has not been accomplished that we have desired in the advancement of the cause in this State. Times are very hard. Quite a number of the leading ministers of the State have been called to labor in other fields. These and other causes had produced the effect spoken of. Many faces showed discouragement, but the Lord removed it before the meeting closed, and our friends went home with cheerful countenances. The Lord helped very much in the preaching. The Holy Spirit came in with great power. We had a precious meeting Sabbath forenoon. Many a heart was touched, and made tender. It was good to be there.

Our society business meetings were of great interest. There is an encouraging interest kindling up. The good effect of Bro. Haskell's T. and M. Institute held last winter at Sigourney is already seen in the greater efficiency of the officers, in improvement in keeping the accounts, and in the increased interest manifested to have everything done right. We never had as strong hopes for the success of our society as now.

We had an interesting Sabbath-school meeting. The State secretary was present, and interesting items and remarks were made by many. The general interest in the Sabbath-school work in this State has never before been so great as now. The secretary has labored faithfully, by correspondence and in other ways, to arouse a deeper interest in this noble work, and his efforts will bear fruit.

The plan of assigning each minister a field of labor was discussed, but no complete arrangement can be effected before the annual Conference in the fall. The difficulty is that there are only four ordained ministers now laboring in the Conference, while there are thirteen T. and M. districts, which ought each to have at least one minister to look after the churches, and the work generally. Arrangements were made for tent labor. Five tents will probably be run this season.

The matter of camp-meetings was also considered, and the brethren and sisters were unanimous in favor of holding at least three camp-meetings this spring in convenient localities, where the brethren can come in about a day's drive. These are additional to the annual meeting in the fall, for the election of officers, etc. All seemed to feel the need of a special effort to arouse from our lethargy and discouragements, and to take hold in earnest. We felt that Iowa must place herself in her proper position as one of the strongest of our Conferences, and fill her place in the work of God. Young men of promise are coming up, and we have hopes of good days in Iowa. Altogether, we all felt that our meeting was very profitable. Personally, I felt very grateful to God for his amazing goodness and love to me. How good he is, and how grateful we should be to him.

GEO. I. BUTLER.

Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, May 1.