Brief Report of the Week of Prayer
By George A. Irwin
ONLY scattering reports have come in thus far, but all have been of an encouraging nature. At Battle Creek, meetings were held in the various institutions each morning, sometimes as a whole, and at other times in small companies; and in the evening a general public meeting was held in the Tabernacle. As the people came, they were directed into the different vestries, some going into the main auditorium, thus making four divisions of the audience. Two persons were assigned to each division as leaders. In this way forty-five minutes was devoted to prayer and singing. At the close of this time, the vestries were opened, and the congregation united in one to listen to the reading. At the close of the reading, some time was devoted to personal testimonies. On Friday evening the Spirit of the Lord accompanied the reading in a marked manner, resulting in a revival service that lasted till after eleven o’clock. Fully one hundred and fifty persons came forward to seek the Lord when a call was made. Quite a large proportion of these were young persons who had never given their hearts to God. Others had made a profession, but realized their lack of faith to appropriate the promises of God in the forgiveness of their sins. These persons were separated into small companies, and labored with personally by the ministers present, till all were free in the Lord. The offering taken up in the Tabernacle on Sabbath amounted to sixteen hundred dollars. To this should be added over twelve hundred dollars that had been previously taken up at the sanitarium for the work at Skodsborg. Meetings were continued each night in the Tabernacle during the week following. As a result of the spiritual interest created by the Week of Prayer and after-meetings, there was the largest attendance at the quarterly meeting held in the Tabernacle, Sabbath afternoon, January 5, to celebrate the ordinances, that has ever been known in the history of the Battle Creek church. A private letter from California states that good meetings were held with the churches in San Francisco, Oakland, and Napa; but no report was made of the amount of the contributions. One president writes: “I have visited two churches during the Week of Prayer, and have heard from a number of others, and I believe our offering will be more than double that of last year.” Another one says: “I think our offering will be three times that of last year.” A brother, writing from Hildebran, N. C., says: “Last week I baptized fifteen, and took twenty into the church at this place. Most of them were children from ten to fifteen years of age, who gave their hearts to the Lord during the Week of Prayer.” A sister, who is carrying on a school for the colored people at Juniata, Ala., writes: “We had much of the blessing of the Lord with us during the Week of Prayer. Nine of the students of the school have been baptized, and others desire baptism. Our offering was $49.40, and probably more will come in from the absent ones.” A brother, writing from Graysville, Tenn., says: “I am anxious to hear from the Christmas offerings. Our church here gave nearly one hundred and eighty dollars. Don’t you think that pretty good for them?” A brother writes as follows, from Ithaca, Mich.: “Thinking you would like to know that the truth is having a good effect on some hearts, I take the liberty to say that I have been a member of this church for seventeen years, and this Week of Prayer has been the best we ever had. For this we are truly thankful to God.” Under date of January 6, the treasurer of the Minnesota Conference reported nine hundred and twenty-five dollars received thus far. From a private letter from the Oakwood (Ala.) Industrial School for colored people, I take the following: “We have had a good interest in the meetings during the Week of Prayer, and nearly all the students are having a good Christian experience. Our contribution was one hundred and thirty dollars.”12 A good brother, of Mississippi, writes: “I received and read the tract on Scandinavia’s need. Wishing to do something to help, and having no money because I have been trying to help others, I thought to send you my watch. This watch is an old one, which belonged to my father. It cost eighty dollars when new. The case is poor, but the works are good, being full-jeweled; and I trust it may bring a fair price. I can buy a Waterbury watch for eighty-five cents, which will do me hereafter.” I have wondered, while transcribing this incident, how many of those who read it would be willing to make a similar or equal sacrifice? This is the same spirit that constrained men in the early history of the Third Angel’s Message to sell their farms and give all the proceeds to advance the work, while they rented land to work to support their families. It is just the spirit that will characterize all who will go through to the kingdom; for the Lord has plainly told us, “It will take all to buy the field.” Should such a spirit take possession of the remnant Church in general, there would be an abundance to carry forward every enterprise God would have us undertake, yea, more, the message would soon be proclaimed to the ends of the earth. Although the Week of Prayer is in the past, we trust its spirit and influence may go on, until the same shall thoroughly permeate the entire body, and bring the latter rain in its fullness.