Iowa and Nebraska by George I. Butler

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 13, 1871

Iowa and Nebraska.

By George I. Butler

My last report reached to April 6. April 6 to 13, I was at home. Held meetings with the church Sabbath and Sunday; also a business meeting in which the hand of fellowship was withdrawn from several and other cases taken up. From April 13 to 24, I was with the church at Richland, and held meetings nearly every evening, besides Sabbaths and Sundays. It was a very busy time, and our congregations were not so large as we had hoped to see.

Sunday, April 23, I reviewed a sermon preached last winter by Eld. Doud, Baptist, on the life and death question which had made some stir in the community where our views had not been presented. The house was well filled day time and evening when I spoke on the resurrection of the body, which Eld. D. had denied. The effect was excellent. Also had a business meeting, and arranged Systematic Benevolence, chose delegates to Conference, &c. The little band here seem strong and united, and I believe others will be added to their number.

April 28 to May 3, I was at Brighton. Had the privilege of meeting our dear Bro. Littlejohn here who came down with the friends from Washington. He greatly assisted in the labors of the occasion. Quite a number attended from abroad, and I trust our meetings were very profitable to the church. Two were baptized, delegates were chosen, and Systematic Benevolence was arranged for the ensuing year; two were disfellowshiped, and matters of a peculiarly perplexing nature were investigated, and through the assistance of Bro. Littlejohn, I trust were satisfactorily arranged.

Sabbath and Sunday, May 6 and 7, was at Mt. Pleasant. Held a business meeting Sunday in which one was disfellowshiped and other cases examined. Systematic Benevolence was arranged for the ensuing year, delegates to the Conference elected, &c.

May 10, started for Nebraska and western Iowa to remain and labor till time for preparation for the camp-meeting. Failing to make connections, I did not reach the place of meeting till Sabbath afternoon, May 13. I was very happily surprised to find a schoolhouse full of Sabbath-keepers gathered together, all much rejoiced at my arrival. Some of them had come over thirty miles and had not heard any preaching or attended an Adventist meeting for a long time. But their hearts were in the work. It was quite refreshing to my spirits to see so much zeal and interest manifested by all the friends here. Through the occasional labors of Bro. S. Myers and Bro. Jefferson Bartlett, and a short call from Bro. Morrison over a year ago, some thirty have embraced the truth. These with ten or fifteen who have moved from other churches, constitute quite a company for this new country. They have manifested a commendable zeal in keeping up regular Sabbath meetings on both sides of the Missouri river, as well as monthly meetings where all get together. Evidently the Lord has blessed them. I labored while among them to bring to bear upon their minds those important principles of practical religion, without which, a theory of the truth is of little value, I trust with good results.

I went to Nebraska at the request of the General Conference Committee to organize the friends of the cause there. After proper preliminary labor, I organized a church of twenty-seven members on that side of the river. It is called the church of Decatur, Nebraska. Bro. Moses D. Clark, formerly of Illinois, was elected elder, and Bro. J. L. Jordan, clerk. Systematic Benevolence was organized to the amount of $175.00, which, considering the circumstances of nearly all, was very liberal. From what I can learn, I judge there are good openings for labor in different places. I baptized nine on the west side of the river. I then came to the Iowa side, and after proper labor, organized a church of fourteen members, and baptized five. There will quite a number more join hereafter, who could not be present on account of the hurry of the season. Bro. Jefferson Bartlett was elected leader, and Bro. John D. Hughes clerk. It took the name of the church of Ottawa, Iowa. Systematic Benevolence was organized to the amount of upwards of seventy dollars. Bro. Bartlett was elected delegate to the Conference.

This closes my labors in this section. I feel an interest for these souls who are struggling under difficulties of no ordinary character to uphold the standard of truth on the border. I hope they will ever honor their profession, and that God’s blessing may rest upon them.

GEO. I. BUTLER.

Grand Junction, Iowa, May 25, 1871.