OHIO STATE QUARTERLY MEETING by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 15, 1879

OHIO STATE QUARTERLY MEETING.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

This meeting was held at Clyde, May 2-6. The weather and roads were fine, and we had the largest turnout from all parts of the State that we have ever had except at a camp-meeting. Nearly all the leading brethren from the various parts of the State were here. The whole burden of the meeting was, how to labor to the best advantage, and what arrangements to make, so as to push forward the work most effectually in all parts of the Conference. Reports from the ministers and the churches were listened to. All felt that the Lord had greatly blessed the cause here since last camp-meeting. Seven or eight new churches have been raised up, most of the churches have been revived, and nearly two hundred, in all, have embraced the Sabbath. The most promising fields are opening in every direction.

Financially, the brethren have done better than we had dared expect. The entire S. B. receipt for last year was only a little over $1400; but during the last eight months the receipts have already amounted to over $1700, cash received. This sum is nowhere near what it ought to be, but it is a great improvement on the past. The T. and M. reports show a corresponding improvement. Nearly double the work has been done during this quarter that was done in previous quarters. The receipts for the T. and M. work, and on different pledges, have run up to nearly $2000 in the last eight months. We have paid up for the Signs, and are six months ahead, and I believe our treasurer is able, or nearly so, to pay our entire debt at the REVIEW Office.

We have purchased and paid for two new tents, and paid for the fitting up of two old ones. All these things encourage us and our brethren to enter upon the summer campaign with renewed zeal. Six tents, well manned and rigged, will be in the field in Ohio this season; all of them will be started by the first of June.

We divided Ohio into six districts, and placed one leading minister over each district, giving him the entire oversight of all the churches and laborers in that district. He will be responsible for everything pertaining to the cause in his field, and will see that every church is visited at least once a quarter. So no churches will be neglected. I am now visiting the churches as rapidly as I can, hoping to see every one of them before camp-meeting. Bro. D. W. Reavis will also visit all the Sabbath-schools in the State, and look after that branch of the work. Many interesting things occurred at the Clyde meeting which we cannot even mention. Eld. S. Shreves, Methodist minister at Newark, has just embraced the truth, and resigned his charge there. He now goes out with Eld. Burrill.

Five were licensed for the first time at this meeting, and Brn. G. G. Rupert, R. A. Underwood, E. H. Gates, and O. F. Guilford were ordained. At our last meeting, Monday evening, the house was full. The Lord gave good freedom in a short, appropriate discourse. Two had been baptized at noon; at the close of the sermon, these, with one other, were formally admitted into the church. Then took place the solemn ordination of the ministers, and indeed it was a solemn and touching season. Heaven seemed to draw especially near, and all hearts were touched and softened. At the close of the ordination we all engaged in celebrating the sacred ordinance of the Lord's supper.

Thus closed one of the sweetest meetings we have ever attended in Ohio, as all the brethren unanimously testify. We thank God, and take courage. D. M. CANRIGHT.