BOWLING GREEN, OHIO by Dudley Marvin Canright

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

BOWLING GREEN, OHIO.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

We have labored at this place about ten days. The Lord has blessed us with the most beautiful weather, and with good roads.

This is the largest church in the State, there being over a hundred Sabbath-keepers here. The older members have been in the truth twenty years; but a large share were added about five years ago. Such large churches are always in great danger of trial, and this one has not escaped. Severe trials here for two or three years, have had quite a withering influence upon the church. Several had given up entirely; others simply held on to the Sabbath. Many took no part in public meetings; some used tobacco, others tea and coffee. Feathers and jewelry were put on, circuses and dances were attended by some. The whole church only took five copies of the REFORMER and about the same number of the INSTRUCTOR. The S. B. had run down very low, and little was done in the T. and M. work. In fact, the brethren were generally discouraged. Of course there were some personal trials between families, as there always will be when the devil gets hold of men.

It looked like a discouraging field of labor. We felt satisfied that we must have the special blessing of God, or the needed reform could not be accomplished. And as we sought God earnestly, we felt that he did help us in a remarkable manner. We held meetings evenings and daytime nearly every day. One encouraging feature from the start was that nearly everybody attended all the meetings promptly. We found them heartily sick of the state they were in, and most of them anxious to find some way out. But it was not so easy to get out; hence we held meeting after meeting all day, praying, preaching, exhorting, and confessing, with scarcely a ray of light.

It was apparent, and all confessed it, that a large share of the church, and particularly the young people, never had been converted to God. It was only a surface work which did not hold the soul in the hour of trial. We endeavored to deal thoroughly upon this point, until all should feel it. The whole of the last Sabbath from ten o'clock in the forenoon till sunset was spent in fasting and prayer, confessing sins, and seeking God. It was indeed a solemn and heart-searching time. Brethren confessed to one another, to their companions, to their children, and to God. Many times the whole congregation was in tears. Nearly all the backsliders were reclaimed, and quite a number who had never made a profession started to serve God. Those who had fallen back on the health reform, had taken up the use of tobacco, had attended parties, and done other things which were wrong, made full confessions, and solemnly vowed to God and the brethren to quit these things forever. We felt greatly encouraged.

Four, heads of families, embraced the Sabbath, and about twenty-five youth and children commenced to serve the Lord. We obtained a good number of subscribers for our periodicals, and sold a number of dollars' worth of books. About a dozen joined the tract society. We preached on the tithing system, and with only one exception all signed a solemn covenant to give to the Lord one-tenth of their income for the coming year. On Monday Bro. Burrill went eight miles and baptized fifteen.

There is much more that might be done here. We were tempted to stay another week to solidify the work; but there is so much to do in the whole State that we could not do it. We find it an immense work to look after all the officers and their books, in the T. and M. society, Sabbath-school, churches, and Conference. Very little or no attention has been paid to these in this church.

On the whole, we feel greatly encouraged at this beginning of our work in Ohio. We shall remember these brethren with the deepest love, and gratitude to God. We desire our brethren to expect that the Lord will do a good work in their churches also, and to prepare their hearts for it.

D. M. CANRIGHT.