California Quarterly Meetings and Tent Campaign Report by John Norton Loughborough

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 17, 1872

California Quarterly Meetings and Tent Campaign Report

By John Norton Loughborough

California.

My last report was dated July 18. I was at that time attending our series of quarterly meetings. The meeting at Petaluma was held the 20th and 21st. The meetings were encouraging to the little flock there; especially were they encouraged by the presence of some who had become interested in reading our works, some of whom they expect will yet take their stand upon the truth.

At Healdsburg, the last of our series of quarterly meetings, we had a good attendance, and an encouraging meeting. Six were baptized at this meeting, five of whom had of late embraced the truth through the reading of books, and the missionary efforts of their friends. We learn that since the meeting another one has come out.

After spending a few days at home, preparing for another campaign with the tent, I came to Woodland, holding an evening meeting in San Francisco, to appoint a leader and treasurer to act in place of our beloved Bro. Johnson, who has been acting for several months as ordained elder of the church, but now goes to his former home at LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

Found the interest still good at Woodland, although by the excessive hurry of harvest the attendance had not been as large as before harvest. Bro. Cornell was somewhat reduced by excessive heat, and needed a few days' benefit of cooler climate. While I took hold here, he went for a week to San Francisco, where the church were encouraged by his presence and testimony, while his system was braced somewhat by their cool sea breeze.

During the excessively hot weather of July, it had become necessary to suspend all day-time meetings in the tent. On my return, we commenced Sabbath meeting again, with an attendance of thirty-five. Several bore testimony. Twelve arose to keep the Sabbath. Five more new ones kept last Sabbath, making, in all, twenty-five that have avowed their determination to us to obey the Sabbath truth.

The day Bro. Cornell was to return here, I was called home, by telegraph, to witness the death of our babe, five months and eleven days old. It had suffered with lung difficulty for several weeks, which terminated in lung and brain fever, which proved fatal. Thus another link in our circle is broken. While we mourn, it is not without hope. Soon the Lifegiver will come, and bring again these little ones from the land of the enemy.

Sunday, last, I returned to this place and spoke in the evening to a tent nearly filled with attentive listeners. Monday evening, a discussion commenced between Bro. Cornell and Prof. Martin, of the Disciples, on the Sabbath question. This discussion, which continued four evenings, and closed last evening, was a complete victory for the cause of truth, and has decided many minds that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is still binding. We shall now follow up the work as rapidly as possible, and urge the people out to obey.

To-night, J. M. Peebles, spiritualist, formerly from Battle Creek, gives a discourse on the immortality of the soul, and to this Bro. Cornell replies to-morrow evening, if the Lord will. In the discussion on the Sabbath question, the professor introduced some points that were novel. Of these we may say something in our next.

Pray for the success of the work here.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.

Woodland, Cal., Sept. 6, 1872.