California Camp-Meeting at Yountville and Tent Work by John Norton Loughborough

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 4, 1873

California Camp-Meeting at Yountville and Tent Work

By John Norton Loughborough

California.

I was not conscious that so much time had elapsed since my last report through the REVIEW, until just looking through late numbers I saw my last report dated Napa, Aug. 11. The hurry of preparing for the camp-meeting, and labor in it, and moving to this place from Santa Rosa since camp-meeting, with meetings each week, have fully occupied my time. I did not design to so neglect our periodicals, and must be more prompt in the future.

My last report was from Napa, after the tent-meeting had closed there, and Bro. Cornell was laboring with the tent in St. Helena. I spent a few days with him in St. Helena, and spoke a few times in the tent. Most of the last ten days of that tent meeting, I was exceedingly busy with preparations for our excellent camp-meeting at Yountville.

Preparations for this camp-meeting were ample, and the brethren were all prompt to be on the ground with their tents as suggested in the REVIEW. We could say we were “all ready” before the hour of the first meeting, so the meeting commenced without embarrassment from temporal arrangements interfering, in any sense, with the meetings.

The power of God came down upon us in our first meeting, and continued through the entire week, and the unanimous testimony of all, from first to last, was, “God is here.” But this excellent camp-meeting has already been reported by Bro. White, in his summary of letters sent him since, and during the time of the meeting. I will say of the results of the meeting, It is not ephemeral, disappearing like a morning’s dew, but, reports from various parts of the State, both from churches and lonely ones, show that the leaven is still working.

From Mendocino Co. comes a letter in which a brother says, “I am more dissatisfied with myself than ever, since our excellent camp-meeting. I want to get nearer to God. Here we are, as Sr. — said in the camp-meeting, to contend with the cold fogs and the world. Christians are supposed to live above the world, but we shall have to contend with the flesh and the devil.”

From Healdsburg, a brother says, “It seemed to me at the camp-meeting that all the heavenly hosts were encamped about us. I am more determined than ever to live near the Lord. I must carry out the vow I made there.”

From Santa Clara Co., a brother writes, “Since returning from camp-meeting, we are more determined than ever to bear our cross, and do every duty, and shed the light of truth by our example, which is about the only opportunity we have to do much here.”

And so, all around, they speak of determinations to persevere and make more earnest efforts in the work. For myself I know I have felt more than ever like dedicating my every energy to the Lord’s cause.

On Monday of our camp-meeting, twenty-nine were baptized, and two others the first-day following, at the camp-ground.

For several nights during the camp-meeting, in consequence of a pressure of business, and in seeking God for wisdom and his blessing, I had but two or three hours’ sleep in a night, yet the Lord sustained in a wonderful manner. I remained upon the camp-ground over a week after the camp-meeting, partly as a matter of recreation, supposing that, after the brethren and sisters were gone, I should find myself entirely exhausted. But, contrary to my expectations, one day’s rest made me feel so sound that I began to enter into important writing and business matters left with me by the Conference.

Our large tent remained upon the ground the Sabbath and first-day following the camp-meeting, and a goodly number came in from Napa and St. Helena, and the intervening valley, and I gave one discourse upon the Sabbath and two upon first-day, and remained with my family upon the ground till Oct. 1, making in all seventeen days that we camped upon the ground. I then went to attend an important council and quarterly meeting at San Francisco.

Sabbath and first-day, Oct. 4 and 5, was a good time for the church at San Francisco, and others who came in to meet with them. Steps were taken which were encouraging to that church. Our hearts were made glad to meet several who had recently embraced the truth from “over the bay,” at Oakland, as the result of reading. There were also present three Danes and one Swede, people of intelligence, who had embraced the truth of late in San Francisco.

Sabbath and first-day, Oct. 11 and 12, I was with the company in Napa. Had an encouraging time there. Two more signed the covenant while I was there, making fifty-six in all who have signed it there. Although some have moved away, and one given up the truth, still there are fifty holding on there, who meet together according to their pledge. They have a very interesting Sabbath-school, quite well attended.

While I was in Napa last, an opposition discourse was given upon the Sabbath and Sunday question, in which there was not much that would be particularly new to the readers of the REVIEW, except that the elder told us that none of the law of the past dispensation was abolished, but that it was fulfilled. He said it was true, in the New Testament, the law was spoken of as abolished, but those texts were an “unfortunate translation, and meant the law was fulfilled.” We were a little curious to know what definition the elder would give to the Greek term, katargeo, rendered abolished in the New Testament, but he made no display of Greek. The king’s English of the New Testament is fatal to his no-law and law-abolished theory, without Greek. Some law is spoken of as “abolished,” Eph. 2, “taken out of the way,” Col. 2; but it is not the law of the ten commandments, but the law of types. We replied to his discourse on Sunday evening to a large audience, with good effect.

While at Napa, a good step was taken in the missionary work. Thirty-six gave their names as members of the society, and a librarian and business agent were appointed for Napa Division (No. 9) of the California Tract and Missionary Society. A meeting was held to elect trustees, and also one to consider the meeting-house matter. $800.00 were pledged in one evening toward a meeting-house. I have just learned, by letter, that the Society have a present, from a friendly outsider, of a good lot in a central place, and next week they design to commence erecting a house 26x44.

Last Sabbath and first-day, Oct. 18 and 19, I was with the church at Woodland, and gave three discourses; and upon the Sabbath, we had, for the first time, a celebration of the ordinance of humility in connection with the Lord’s supper. It was a good time. Some who thought they never could come to this, thanked God at last that they were there.

On first-day afternoon, we organized a Vigilant Missionary Society, of the sisters of this church, and while I write (Wednesday afternoon) they are having the first session of the first Vigilant Missionary Society of California. We are not fully up yet, in our missionary work, to eastern churches. We have had to obtain most of our ideas of the mission work by reading the address of General Conference in REVIEW of Jan., 1872, and what we have gathered from the REVIEW. But few of us have really realized the full force of the work. The most of our people here, I believe, wish to be workers when they understand the matter, and know how, and what, to do. We begin to realize it more and more clearly.

I learn by letters just received, that Bro. Cornell has been holding meetings at St. Helena since camp-meeting, and that thirty-three have signed their names to the covenant there. They have appointed two meetings per week. I expect to go and meet with them November 8 and 9, to still help on the work there, while Bro. Cornell goes into Mendocino Co.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.

Woodland, Cal., Oct. 22, 1873.