p. 234 | Dayton, and Pataha Prairie, W. T

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 9, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 15.

Dayton, and Pataha Prairie, W. T.

By John Norton Loughborough

SINCE my last report, Brother Decker and myself have visited, and held meetings with, the churches of Dayton and Pataha, Washington Territory. At Dayton Brother Decker spoke three times and I twice. In a business meeting of the church, one member was disfellowshipped who had ceased to keep the Sabbath, and one person was received into membership by vote. There seems to be a growing interest at Dayton, and if the members of this church will be faithful in living the truth, there is no reason why they may not soon have others to unite with them.

From March 13-15, we were with the church at Pataha Prairie. This church has been organized about six years. Quite a number of its members were formerly German Baptists (Dunkards); and it has taken considerable time for some of them to yield their earlier views in favor of trine immersion, and submit to receive single immersion. We had a very interesting time with this church. Brother Decker spoke four times and I three times. On first-day afternoon he baptized eleven persons. Three of these united with the church. The others were those who had formerly accepted trine-immersion, but now esteemed it a privilege to be baptized. This, as some of them expressed it, was "starting anew."

There is very little outside interest at Pataha. Only two or three persons outside the ranks of our own people attended our meetings, except the last one, on first-day evening. On that evening, after the discourse, a business meeting was held, in which Brother Moses Hunt was elected and ordained elder of the Pataha church. On the morning of the 16th, Brother Decker and I separated, after three weeks of very pleasant association together, he to go to Milton and some new field down the Columbia, while I complete my tour among the churches, and scattered Sabbath-keepers of eastern Washington Territory. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.