CALIFORNIA by John Norton Loughborough

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Michigan · Feb 19, 1901

CALIFORNIA

By John Norton Loughborough

From January 7-21 I spent in Healdsburg, attending the special eight-weeks’ school for the workers, which was being conducted by Brother Santee, Dr. Heald, and others. I had opportunity to listen to daily lessons from both Brother Santee and Dr. Heald. The lessons of the latter were designed to give to the workers valuable ideas concerning foods and their proper combinations, as well as instruction in the way to proceed with simple treatments in some of the common ills of the human family.

Brother Santee’s lessons were of a nature to call special attention to the fundamental truths of the Third Angel’s Message. He impressed upon his class the importance of presenting “the present truth,” and not being moved away from the “old landmarks” by a desire to bring forth “some new thing.” At the same time he gave important lessons on the Church, Church discipline, and Church work. It seemed to me that his class of over half a hundred were having a good opportunity to learn how to labor more efficiently in the message. As they go forth, trusting in the Lord’s power to work with the simple truth, we shall expect to see reports of success crowning the efforts.

While in Healdsburg, I gave thirteen lessons to the class, on the rise and spread of the great second advent movement, and how the Lord, by the gift of prophecy, has led in the rise and development of the Third Angel’s Message.

By request of the college faculty, I gave eight of these lessons to the college students, occupying the time of the morning “opening exercise,” of the school. The students were anxious to have this instruction, but were in their own college classes at the time of my lessons in the special school.

While in Healdsburg, I gave two talks in the auditorium of the church, to full audiences, on points of interest not treated upon in the classes. Besides this, I attended three meetings with students and others at the Students’ Home.

I could not but contrast the present situation in Healdsburg with the introduction of the present truth in the place, June 10, 1869. Our first discourse was given in a sixty-foot tent, which was erected only a short distance east of where the college and church buildings now stand. That series of tent-meetings, continued a little over thirteen weeks, from June 10 to September 12. On December 12, of the same year, the Healdsburg church was organized, with twenty-one members; others united soon after. A church of over four hundred members; the great Sabbath-school, augmented by the college students; the college, with its earnest, godly instructors, and so many devoted students preparing for the work, was to me indeed an interesting sight. In the church audience I still saw a few remaining of the first members of the church; but the larger portion are sleeping in the cemetery, in sight of our institutions. May we all, with those that still remain, be found ready for that glad reunion of God’s people which is so rapidly approaching.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.