Meetings in Michigan by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 18, 1875

Meetings in Michigan.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

AFTER parting with Bro. Smith at the Indiana Camp-meeting, I went to Quincy, Michigan, and held meetings Sabbath and Sunday. This little company started well, and probably would have got along nicely till the present time had it not been for the wrong course of an old Sabbath-keeper who moved among them. By his fair promises they were induced to build a meeting-house when they were utterly unable to do it. He promised to assist them liberally, but wholly failed to do so, although abundantly able. He has now gone to California. We hope he will not be allowed to curse some other church as he has cursed this. The brethren have a very neat little house. It will require a great effort for them to save it, but we think they will do this by giving them time. I like the appearance of the brethren and sisters here very much. They need to be more prompt in their attendance at meeting, i. e., to be there at the time appointed. A failure to do this hurt my meetings much. I have seldom seen a company where they were so slack upon this point. I baptized three who were taken into the church. Two of them were my cousins, whom I have known from infancy. It was a precious privilege to me.

I took a few days the next week to visit my old home, in the southern part of Branch Co., where I was born and lived till about the time I began to preach present truth. I had not been back for fourteen years. I was most urgently solicited to give them a course of lectures. It would be a great privilege for me to do this sometime.

The next Sabbath I spent at Springport. My wife and children joined me here, after an absence of ten weeks. They were all in unusually good health. We hope to be together some of the time this winter.

A good number of brethren and sisters came together on the Sabbath, and quite a number of outsiders came in on first-day. We felt very much at home with Bro. and sister Bramhall, and our good aunt, sister Betsey Landon. Several in the neighborhood embraced the truth a short time ago, under the labors of Bro. Jones. This is a very large church, but it is much scattered. We were happy to find them all in harmony and in good working order, so far as we became acquainted with them. In the two places above mentioned I did not try to accomplish much, as I was simply resting and visiting among our friends.

October 17, we came to Tuscola village and labored one whole week. The weather was exceedingly bad—rainy, dark, and muddy—so that many who designed to attend could not. Still we had a fair audience all the time. Several times our house was well filled. I believe that if the proper course is taken the time will soon come that a course of lectures here would bring out a good number in the truth. One embraced the Sabbath at this time.

On the Sabbath, seven young persons came forward for prayers. We re-organized s. b., raising the figures from $44 to $85. But I am sorry to say that we found things in a very low condition here. The spirit of sacrifice has nearly died out of the church, with some exceptions. Systematic Benevolence was down far below what it ought to be, and is much lower still than it should be. Several have allowed their pledges to go unpaid for months and years. Very little stock has been taken in our institutions generally. Their meeting-house has been suffered to remain unpainted and in a dilapidated condition. I am satisfied that God has been dishonored by these things; that he has been displeased with them; and that the church has greatly suffered on account of their negligence. A spirit of watching, and of comparing themselves among themselves had taken possession of some. This is not true of all, however.

One dear sister, who was a mother in Israel, has fallen asleep since I was here before. They have deeply felt the loss. Another one, however, who was then backslidden, we were now happy to find zealous for the truth again. We labored the best we knew how to have all realize their present condition, and I think most of them do to some extent.

I obtained several subscribers for the REVIEW. The brethren resolved to repair their meeting-house, and raised a subscription sufficient to do it, though it is too late to accomplish it this winter. Since this church was organized, two good members have died, and ten have moved away who are still strong in the truth. Very few have apostatized. They have no reason to be discouraged here. If they will put their house in good shape, a course of lectures can be given here which will be quite sure to double their number.

D. M. CANRIGHT.

Vassar, Mich.