Report from California: Meetings, Funeral, and Baptisms by John Norton Loughborough

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 1, 1873

Report from California: Meetings, Funeral, and Baptisms

By John Norton Loughborough

California.

My last report was made just after our State Conference. The next Sabbath and first-day, I spoke three times to good audiences in Green Valley. Two more persons were present at this meeting, who have lately embraced the truth by reading tracts and papers. Surely we see enough fruits of tract distribution in this State to stimulate every one to become an active worker in the missionary cause, yet there are too many who excuse themselves from improving opportunities of doing good because of their business cares. May the Lord arouse us all to a sense of the shortness of time, the magnitude of the work to be accomplished, and the responsibility that rests individually upon those who have the light.

On Monday, Feb. 24, I attended the funeral of Warren Palmer, a son of Bro. and sister Palmer of Bloomfield, aged nineteen years, who fell a victim to quick consumption, after a sickness of only about three months. He was impressed with the importance of obeying the Lord, at our late camp-meeting. During his sickness, he gave his heart to the Lord, and died trusting in the Saviour. I had opportunity, on this funeral occasion, to speak with freedom to a large, attentive, sympathizing, and deeply interested audience. May God help many to carry out convictions they received there.

Feb. 25, I baptized, at Santa Rosa, a son and daughter of Bro. Ferguson of Bloomfield, who took their stand to obey the Lord the evening after the funeral. The 26th, went to San Francisco, where I parted with Bro. and sister White on the morning of the 27th, as they started on their eastern journey. I thank the Lord for the privilege I have had of enjoying their society and counsel for the last five months. As the train was bearing them from my sight, I thought in my mind, and felt in my heart; “These are faithful servants of the Lord, precious in his sight. While doing God’s will, he can, and will, send his angels to care for them, and bear them safely on their journey, although it may be their lot to meet cold and storms by the way.” My heart was lifted to God that it might be even so. To-day, I get this cheering word from Bro. White: “Council Bluffs, Iowa, March 3. We are on time, usually well. The trip has been very pleasant, and we feel that we are in the line of duty.” Many feared they would be blockaded in the snow, but, thank the Lord, in his providence, he has ordered it otherwise.

Feb. 28, I went from San Francisco to Woodland, to attend the dedication of the new meeting-house. Here I found a nice house of worship 32x46, all complete, with hard finished walls; wood work inside grained and varnished; carpeted, pulpit and aisles; good fixtures for lighting with gas; plain sofa in the pulpit. The outside is well painted and finished in good taste, with plain belfry and a good bell. The whole is worth, including bell, $4000.00. Only a few hundred dollars of debt remain upon the house, which it is designed to have all cleared by the first of September next.

Bro. Cornell has labored almost incessantly upon the house for the last four months, but it is due to state here that we are largely indebted to outside friends in Woodland for their liberalities in money, materials, and labor to forward this enterprise. It was they who urged the matter of purchasing a bell, and their liberalities that placed it in the belfry.

As the varnish upon the seats was not sufficiently hard to occupy the house, I spoke, eve of the Sabbath and on the Sabbath, in the Court House. Our opening and dedication service in the church was on first-day morning, March 2, when every seat was filled with attentive listeners. A little over $94.00 were passed in at the close of the service toward defraying the indebtedness on the church.

The interest in our meetings was such that I concluded to remain over another Sabbath and first-day, and assist in holding meetings each evening. We had, in all, fifteen meetings in nine days. In these meetings, I spoke twelve times, and Bro. Cornell three times. Beside this, the sisters had several afternoon prayer-meetings. A general prayer and social meeting was held each evening, one hour before preaching. As a result of these meetings, already apparent, we would report that the church was brought into active service, and several took their stand to obey the truth. Bro. Cornell still continues these meetings and is to have a baptism next first-day.

A business meeting was held March 8, in which twenty-eight gave their names at $1.00 each as members of our State Missionary Society, and sister W. E. Wood was appointed librarian and N. M. Grayson was appointed business agent of the seventh, or Woodland division, of the California State Missionary Society. Figures were also given in on S. B. to the amount of $385.10 per year, which will be raised still higher, as all the members were not present at the meeting.

Four persons who commenced to keep the Sabbath five months ago, and at that time requested their names dropped from the records of the church of which they were members, were publicly excluded from the same church during our meeting, on the ground that they had written a slanderous letter to the church, and had charged the church with keeping no day at all. By special request, I here insert a copy of the said letter, that all may judge of its slanderous character, if such it be.

WOODLAND, SEPT. 6, 1872.

“To the officiating elders of the — church at Woodland:—

“We, the undersigned, being fully established in our life-long conviction that the ten commandments are the moral law of God, and still obligatory on mankind, cannot conscientiously remain in fellowship with those who now openly declare that it is abolished. We do, therefore, respectfully request that our names be dropped from your church records.”

Yesterday, I left Woodland, and came to this place. I commence meetings in this vicinity to-morrow evening. There are some half a dozen already keeping the Sabbath, who are anxious for meetings. Part of these moved from other places, and one family have come out by reading tracts. My courage is good to labor on in this cause. If all humbly strive to do what we can, there will be a rapid advance of the cause in California. May the Lord speed on the work here and everywhere.

J. N. Loughborough.

Red Bluffs, Cal., March 11, 1873.