The Iowa Tent by George I. Butler

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 3, 1871

The Iowa Tent.

By George I. Butler

We are still in Osceola. And since our last report our meetings have been well attended by many of the best citizens of the place. We have investigated the Sabbath question, and other unpopular subjects, and still our interest continues good. Last evening, Bro. Canright spoke on the Mark and Seal. The tent was crowded. We have thus far had two Sabbath meetings. The first was well attended by Sabbath-keepers from Adel, Winterset, Peru, and Woodburn, and some from this place. Last Sabbath, we had near one hundred and twenty-five present, most of them from this place. About thirty-five of these voted they would keep the Sabbath. Still we know great allowance must always be made in such cases for those who will change their minds. Yet quite a number of substantial people manifest a determination to obey the truth.

Knowing well that as soon as the tent came down, we should have no house for holding meetings among the other churches, a week ago last night we introduced the subject of building a meeting-house for the first time publicly. And now we have a subscription of $1500.00, and five days after the matter was introduced, work commenced toward the building of it. And at this time some ten or twelve teams are engaged hauling material for the foundation, &c. We expect to build 28x42, and hope within a few weeks to have a house of worship in Osceola. Times are very hard here, and this argues a real interest on the part of the people.

The nights are getting cold, and the tent will soon have to come down. But Bro. Canright will remain here some weeks to attend to matters. The preachers of the place seem not to have the influence with the people they generally do, and have not as yet seemed to hinder our work very much. We don't suppose this to be from any good will, however, toward us, but rather from inability on their part to hinder. But probably they will soon begin to bestir themselves.

The interest in this place has surprised us more, perhaps, than any one else, as the truth was preached here some ten or twelve years ago, by Bro. Cornell and Moses Hull, and then died down. Such places have been generally thought very hard to arouse an interest in. But here and at Decatur City it has not been so. We have had a better interest than ordinary, and here we have been used very kindly by the mass of the people. We have hardly known why this is so, under the circumstances.

I was at Decatur City last Sabbath, and we had a profitable meeting, and a fair attendance in the evening. They will soon have their meeting-house enclosed.

GEO. I. BUTLER.

Osceola, Iowa, Sept. 25.