California Quarterly Meeting at Bloomfield and Counsel by John Norton Loughborough

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 25, 1873

California Quarterly Meeting at Bloomfield and Counsel

By John Norton Loughborough

California.

My last report was made at Oakland, Oct. 28. Sabbath and first-day, Nov. 1, 2, I attended the quarterly meeting at Bloomfield. Quite a number of our brethren and sisters came in from other churches, and the meetings were interesting and profitable. In connection with this meeting our State officers of the Conference and Missionary Society came together to counsel on matters vitally affecting the prosperity of the cause in this State.

We desire to so discern the signs of the times as to be moved to earnest action; to so understand our relation to God and our fellow men that we shall understandingly take hold of our labors for others; to so relate ourselves to surrounding circumstances, and so improve openings and opportunities to do good that we may not be cursed for doing “the work of God negligently,” Jer. 48:10, margin, but that we may receive the plaudit, “Well done.”

It was decided, among many things, that our business agents of the different divisions of the Tract and Missionary Society in California send their business for the REVIEW Office to J. W. Bond, State Miss. Secretary, Healdsburg, Sonoma Co., Cal. and let him do the business direct with the publication Office, to save much confusion and mistakes that might otherwise arise. By writing to Bro. Bond, our agents can make all necessary arrangements with him.

Sabbath and first-day, Nov. 8, 9, I was with the company at St. Helena, and had four interesting meetings. Eight were baptized on first-day. A Sabbath-school and Bible-class were organized, and a leader appointed. There are thirty-four names on the covenant at St. Helena. They have had several meetings by themselves, and report that they are blessed and encouraged to press on.

In passing Napa, I saw that our people have their new meeting house raised, and work is moving briskly on. I saw one of the brethren at the depot, who told me that some $1250 had already been subscribed toward the house besides the $400.00 lot donated by an outside friend. This brother stated that they have very interesting and encouraging meetings.

My desire is to see the work still move on in this State. If the three hundred and fifty Sabbath-keepers now in the State are all in earnest, and make it a personal, individual work to serve God; if they are not satisfied with the mere theory of the truth, but earnestly seek God that we may have the power of the truth, and God’s love in our hearts, then may we be like “the handful of corn in the top of the mountains, that shall shake like Lebanon.” So may it be.

J. N. Loughborough.

San Francisco, Cal., Nov. 12, 1873.