Gratiot Co., Mich by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 6, 1876

Gratiot Co., Mich.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

Ithaca.

Thursday, Dec. 9, I began meetings at Ithaca. This is the place where Eld. Van Horn and myself began our first preaching in the tent twelve years ago next spring. This fact has always given me a peculiar interest in this church. I had not been back here for ten years. I found a large, and in some respects a strong, church. There are about sixty Sabbath-keepers here, and nearly fifty members of the church. They have a large meeting-house free from debt. They have kept up their Systematic Benevolence and taken part in the tract work and other enterprises fully as well as the average of our churches. They have had some trials, but nothing serious. Some have gone out from them, but many more have come in.

Their elder, Bro. Franklin Squire, has been a devoted and zealous worker. He has spared neither money, nor time, nor effort, in forwarding the cause here; and his labors have not been in vain. God has given him several of his own relatives to go with him in the truth; besides four whole families of intelligent people have lately come into the truth by his efforts. I am more and more impressed with the fact that the prosperity of a church depends very largely upon the elder. This is not always the case, but generally it is. A good, devoted, self-sacrificing elder will infuse his spirit into a whole church; while a cold, selfish, slack elder will beget the same spirit in his church.

Our meetings were well attended, their large house being well filled nearly every time, though the roads were terribly rough, and the weather very cold. We found our brethren ready to turn out promptly and do all they could for the meetings. They needed stirring up some in their social meetings. They bought liberally of our books, subscribed for all our papers, and raised the S. B. fund from $148.00 to $327.00. By a rising vote they vowed to enter into the Bible plan of laying apart the first one-tenth received, till their S. B. was paid. This is the only way to pay Systematic Benevolence.

On Sunday, about thirty came forward. Most all of them were grown persons and young men and women. Twenty-three united with the church before the meetings closed. A course of lectures is needed here. There is also a good opening in Washington township, where several have come out by reading. A two weeks’ meeting would be almost certain to raise up enough for a good church. I spent one day in Fulton. There is a small church here of eleven members, but it is in a very poor condition. Systematic Benevolence was re-organized, raising it from $35.00 to $45.00. The cause will never amount to anything here as things are at present.

Alma.

Friday, Dec. 17, we went to Alma, ten miles north of Ithaca. Bro. and Sr. Gargett made us welcome at their house while there. Our meetings were held in the Baptist church, as we have none of our own. There ought to have been a house built here years ago, and might have been if all had stood in the counsel of God. We hope it will not be long before this may be accomplished. The weather was exceedingly cold during these meetings, so that the outside attendance was very small—the smallest it has been at any place; but our own people turned out well, and a large number came down from Ithaca, so that Sabbath and Sunday the house was filled. We spoke upon the Signs of the Times, Spiritual Gifts, the Progress of the Cause, the Sabbath, and practical duties. The friends of the cause appeared to be a good deal stirred and revived.

On Sunday, we gave an opportunity for those to come forward who wished to become Christians, or who had backslidden partially or wholly, but wished to make a new start. Much more feeling was manifested than we expected. About twenty-five in all thus manifested their desire to engage in the work. Many of these spoke with much feeling and rejoiced our hearts by the good position they took. Quite a number from Ithaca wished baptism, and also some from Alma, so after meeting we baptized seventeen, all of whom are good, reliable persons, and we think they will be a great help to the cause.

For some reason, the Alma church has always been a weak church; not for lack of numbers, for there are between fifty and sixty Sabbath-keepers here; but many of the members have not seemed to realize the sacredness and purity of the Christian religion, and of our special message in particular. Some have been low in their ideas, and slack and untidy in their habits. Several things have occurred which have reproached the cause. But it does look as though a change for the better has now begun to take place. Six were expelled from the church, and as many more will be soon unless they change their course radically. This is the only way to save the cause here. Bro. Nelson, their leader, has worked faithfully and zealously to save the cause. We hope he may yet have the great joy of seeing a strong and good church here. He has now quite a number of faithful and reliable brethren and sisters to help him; we expect they will stand by him in carrying out the discipline of the church, and we recommend him to be thorough in this. Five united with the church at this time. Three or four took their stand with us to keep the Sabbath, and the whole church appeared to be encouraged and much stirred up to duty. Bro. and Sr. Gargett took a good stand with us again. They can be a great help to the cause here if they will consecrate themselves to God, which we hope they will do.

After presenting the subject of Systematic Benevolence, all heartily and liberally made their pledges for the coming year, raising their figures from $44.00 to $50.00 per year. This is none too high now. They solemnly vowed to God to take out the first tenth of every dollar received until these pledges were paid. This Systematic Benevolence pledged to God and then used for something else till the last of the year, is not Systematic Benevolence at all, nor the Bible plan of giving. God requires the first fruits. Those who carry out this plan always find it easy to pay S. B., and they find the blessing of God in doing it.

As so many are just making a start here, and our meetings with them were so short, I thought it best to leave Bro. Fisher a week or two to follow up the work with visiting, prayer-meetings, and exhortations. The good of the cause here seems to absolutely demand that I should come back in a few weeks to finish the work begun, though I see not how to spare the time.

I was sorry to find quite a number in this county who had gone back to the filthy habit of tobacco-using. I preached a sermon upon it, and some five or six publicly and solemnly vowed to quit it forever, live or die. There is no harmony between the pure religion of the Bible and this filthy habit. I think there ought to be more said upon it by our ministers, and greater caution exercised in taking members into our churches. Once take a person into the church while he is using tobacco, and he will be about sure to use it forever. We must not do this in any case, if we expect to keep our churches pure from this unholy practice. If the person cannot give it up, let him remain outside till he can.

St. Johns.

We closed our meetings at Alma, Monday afternoon. Tuesday Bro. Phippeny’s team brought us about thirty miles to St. Johns, where the Greenbush church now meet. The Free Methodist house had been engaged for a three days’ meeting during the week, and our meetings were well advertised; but some members of the church were so opposed to our having the house that they went inside and barred the doors at meeting time, thus shutting us out. I am satisfied that in this they have done more harm to themselves than to us. We went to a private house, where we spoke to about forty. Next day our brethren assembled, and we talked over quite a number of business matters, re-organized S. B., raising it from $60.00 to $120.00 per year.

We found this church at present in a good condition—all in harmony, and working well. I found three good souls here keeping the Sabbath and strong in the truth, who embraced the Sabbath at our Flint camp-meeting. This was the first they had ever heard on the Sabbath. Let our brethren remember these things, and induce as many as possible to attend our camp-meetings.

The roads being now exceedingly bad, and our brethren a good way off, we held no more meetings. D. M. Canright.

St. Johns, Mich.