p. 19 | Field Notes

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 27, 1907

Field Notes

BROTHER E. B. HOPKINS reports the baptism of four persons at Avinger, Tex.

THREE have been baptized and joined the church at Flagstaff, Ariz., as reported by Brother J. Earnest Bond.

AS the result of meetings held near Kirwin, Kan., by Brother N. T. Sutton, five persons—heads of families—took their stand for the Sabbath.

BRETHREN Merrill and Miller recently organized a church of thirteen members at Versailles, Mo., as a result of meetings held by them in that vicinity the past few months.

BROTHER B. F. STUREMAN, located at Flint, Mich., reports that five have accepted the truth as the result of work done with The Family Bible Teacher the past few months. The church is encouraged, and the attendance at Sabbath services is increasing.

IN response to a call from interested persons at Bache, Okla., Brother W. F. Talburt recently held a few meetings, as a result of which three persons began to keep the Sabbath. Among them is an influential merchant whose store, closed on Saturday, will aid in preaching the Sabbath truth.

IN Ottawa, Canada, Brother O. F. Butcher has been successful in getting recommendations from several pastors for the book “Steps to Christ.” With these he has been able to sell quite a number of books. The favorable acquaintance thus formed, has opened the way for The Family Bible Teacher. From this work he is beginning to see results.

A YOUNG people’s convention for a few of the churches of northern Indiana was held at Wolf Lake, May 10-12. Several papers and discussions on subjects of importance to our young people, were included in the program. Mrs. R. W. McMahan, State educational secretary, was present and acted as chairman. The meetings were well attended, and resulted in spiritual blessings to both old and young.

BROTHER C. W. MILLER, who, with his brother, is working for the Germans in Texas, reports five new Sabbath-keepers at New Ulm, three of whom have been baptized, and the baptism of four persons at Valley View. They now have their tent pitched at Bellville, a German town of 2,000. Continued rain is interfering with the meetings, but the time is being improved in visiting with the people and scattering literature.

REPORTING from southern California, the president, Brother G. W. Reaser, says that on Sabbath, May 18, he baptized three persons at Fernando; three were baptized by Brother C. E. Ford at Los Angeles; and Brother J. F. Ballenger baptized twenty at Long Beach.

AT Albuquerque, N. M., Brother J. A. Leland has a good interest among the Mexicans who are attending the meetings being conducted in their own language. Some have taken a firm stand for the truth, and some are in the valley of decision. A large majority of these Mexicans are Catholics, and in great darkness, so the work seems to move slowly, but Brother Leland is hopeful of a company of faithful believers.

BROTHER RALPH W. MILLER, giving a report of the work done in Pasadena, Cal., says that the membership of the church has about doubled the past two years. The church-members are doing a commendable work with Liberty and the Signs of the Times, and one man who accepted the truth two years ago has labored for souls while supporting himself by night work at his trade. The result is that ten or twelve persons have been won to the message.

THE outlook in Denver, Colo., is encouraging. Brother G. W. Anglebarger reports the baptism of eight persons, May 11, and six on June 2, with a number more soon to follow in this solemn ordinance. Meetings are held on Sabbaths and on Sunday evenings, with increasing attendance. Some of the converts are from these meetings alone, while others are the result of Bible work in the homes of the people. The tent is about to be pitched for the summer’s work.

BROTHER JOHN G. WALKER, president of the North Dakota Conference, gives some items relative to the growth of the work since that conference was organized in 1902: “At the end of the first year after organization, there were 638 Sabbath-keepers in North Dakota. At the present time there are 887, an increase of thirty-nine per cent. Last year the increase was 134. A little more than one half of the 887 are Germans, and the remainder English and Scandinavians. The tithe in 1903 was $7,040.50. In 1906 it had increased to $13,437.30, a gain of eighty-seven per cent. At the time of our 1905 conference we had a surplus of about $6,000 in the tithe fund, and gave then and shortly afterward $1,500 of that to the General Conference for foreign missions. At our last conference in December, 1906, it was found that we had about the same amount of surplus. We gave then $2,000 to the General Conference. Last year we had eight canvassers in the field, and books were sold (wholesale value) to the amount of $2,828.25, a gain of $1,535.87 over that of 1905. Though only one attends our academy, two students earned their scholarships to attend this year. There is no better field than North Dakota for the consecrated canvasser, and there was never a better time to finish this work than now. The harvest is ripening fast. The enrolment at the academy last year was thirty-eight. This year it is fifty-six, and the actual attendance is forty-six. The largest percentage this year is English. When our German brethren see the importance of educating their children for the Master’s work, our school will be much larger.”

WE take from the Southwestern Union Record Brother W. M. Cubley’s report of his experiences at Corpus Christi, Tex.: “At first our congregations were very small,—only fourteen the first meeting,—but we continued the meetings with a slow but steady increase in attendance and interest until the house was full almost every night. Satan tried many a scheme to hinder the work, but his efforts were almost fruitless. He used a certain minister as his chief agent to hinder our work and destroy our influence. This man first made himself known to me at the close of one of our meetings by rising up in the congregation, and challenging me to a public debate. When he sat down, I asked him what he wanted to debate, and he said he wanted to show up the other side of the Sabbath question. I then told him that if he knew of a text that enjoined the observance of the first day of the week, to just stand and read it, and that would settle the whole difference, and I would confess my mistake and take his side of the issue. This caused the people to laugh him to scorn. But this did not satisfy him; he kept renewing his challenges until I finally left it to my congregation as to whether I should engage with him in debate. They all voted against it. Praise the Lord. At the end of the sixth week we closed our meetings at this schoolhouse with ten new Sabbath-keepers, and a number of others very deeply interested. We moved five miles south, and started a meeting in an old warehouse, and have continued interesting services here for two weeks. During this time we have kept in touch with our other work, visiting and selling books, and preaching Friday nights and Sabbaths for them. Four others have made a start to keep the Sabbath since we left there, thus making, in all, fourteen new ones. We have organized them into an interesting Sabbath-school of twenty-five members, with Judge Connell as superintendent. My wife is filling the homes of the people with books filled with the precious truth. We expect to organize a church here within the next two weeks.”