D. M. CANRIGHT by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 2, 1872

D. M. CANRIGHT

By Dudley Marvin Canright

Iowa.

MARCH 2 and 3, attended monthly meeting at Knoxville. The roads were bad, and weather unfavorable; still, there was a fair turnout of the brethren and sisters, and evenings a good attendance from without, our large house being comfortably filled. The brethren said it was the largest turnout, they had had for years. This, of course, was encouraging. Otherwise our meetings did not seem to accomplish much. There was not that life and spiritual energy manifested that we hoped to see. The church here greatly need the benefit of Bro. Nicola's labor for a couple of weeks. We hope they may soon enjoy it.

Steps were taken at this meeting to build a new meeting-house. All were in favor of it, and expect promptly to carry it through this season. The cause demands it, and the church is able to build it.

From Knoxville, we went to Franklin township where I held a few meetings a month ago. Here father Morrison's family had kept the truth for several years alone, going to meeting occasionally to Sandyville (the nearest point), some ten or eleven miles away. But, within a couple of years, two families more came out; then two families moved there; and when I was there, two other families embraced the truth. Besides this, it is handy for a couple of other families living but a few miles away; so, on the whole, we thought it best to establish a little church there. Sixteen came into the church, and Systematic Benevolence was pledged to the amount of above $200 a year. All took right hold of everything promptly and cheerfully. I preached one evening in the school-house to a fair audience. These meetings I held in the middle of the week.

March 9, 10, was at Sandyville. The brethren here have felt considerably discouraged for some length of time, as several families were moving away, and others were either in trial or backsliding. Bro. Nicola spent several days with them very profitably. They began to see more plainly their difficulty, and what they needed. Our meetings coming soon after his, carried on the work still further. Sabbath day, we had a very solemn and profitable meeting, nearly all the time being occupied in prayer and confession. At the close of the meeting, seventeen, who made no profession, came forward for prayers. Monday, Bro. Morrison and I spent all day in visiting from house to house, trying to learn the source of their difficulty. Tuesday, the whole church came together. We re-organized the Bible-class and Sabbath-school. All seemed to take hold with new interest and zeal in that good work.

We next considered the subject of Systematic Benevolence. All came up promptly and liberally on this, raising their S. B. to $325 which was considerably larger than it had been before, though several families had just moved away. We believe that God will bless them for this. After this, we spent several hours in a church meeting. Some who had years ago been misled, and consequently had ever since been more or less in the dark, now came out frankly and fully, with free confessions. This rejoiced our hearts very much. Their trifling causes of alienation and distrust were talked over, and I think satisfactorily explained and settled. So at the close of our meeting, we left our brethren feeling greatly encouraged and strengthened to take hold with new energy to carry forward the work in that place. We hope and trust that this work was of the Lord and will stand.