MICHIGAN by W. H. Littlejohn; M. S. Burnham

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 21, 1878

MICHIGAN

By W. H. Littlejohn; M. S. Burnham

(Our last report brought us to the close of our labors in Wright. On the following Sabbath we held meetings with the church in Allegan. The following Tuesday, which was the 5th of February, we went, by the request of the president of this Conference, to visit the church of Jefferson, which is located in Hillsdale county, in this State. The brethren in that place number, in all, we believe, thirty-three. They are distant from the railroad about six miles. They have a comfortable house of worship, and are, we understand, almost entirely free from debt. This church was raised up something like three years since, through the untiring labors of Eld. H. A. St. John, who is now president of the Ohio Conference. Though absent from the State, he still occupies a large place in the hearts of those to whom he carried the light of present truth.

The membership in this place is—like that of nearly all churches situated as this one is—composed almost entirely of farmers. Like most of our societies, also, they have among them representatives of the different nationalities which enter so largely into the population of the country. In the service of the Lord, however, all these distinctions of blood are wholly lost sight of, and they unite in public and social worship, forgetting these differences of race. Thus far they seem to have preserved much of the fire and enthusiasm which usually characterize our young churches, and it was indeed refreshing to witness the heartiness with which they responded to those utterances which seemed to meet their spiritual wants. This to one acquainted with their past history seems to be the more remarkable because of the fact that their experience thus far has been marked by trials and discouragements more severe than those which fall to the lot of most churches. We trust, however, that they will never grow less ardent in their worship; and we hope that their future history will be more free from such difficulties than their past has been. We are encouraged to believe that this will be the case from the fact that while we were among them the Spirit of God came in to that extent that old troubles were moved out of the way, and they were left in a good condition for future growth, both in numbers and spirituality.

Having nearly paid for their church, they pledged nearly all of their systematic fund, for the present year, to the State Conference. At our last meeting with them Bro. F. D. Snyder was ordained elder. By this action their organization is complete, and they have a full corps of church officers.

Eld. H. M. Kenyon, of Monterey, accompanied us in our visit to this church, and rendered efficient service in bringing about the happy results reached.

W. H. LITTLEJOHN. M. S. BURNHAM.