THE BATTLE CREEK CHURCH.
By James White
THERE is something significant in the very name, Battle Creek, which was given to a stream of water which enters the Kalamazoo river at this place. It is said that at an early date in the history of Michigan, a battle was fought on this stream by two Indians and a white man. But it was not until the year 1855 that Battle Creek became the battle-field for God and his word, and his truth applicable to this time, on the part of a handful of Seventh-day Adventists, against the popular fables of the last days. At that date those connected with the office of the REVIEW AND HERALD at Rochester, N. Y., followed the press as it was moved to Battle Creek by devoted and tried friends of our young cause in Michigan. We had no church here at that time. Those connected with the Office, however, with a few families here, made up a large Sabbath meeting for those times when our people everywhere worshiped in private houses. Our first object was the publication of the REVIEW, Instructor, and books for the people. During the twenty-four years past, many and severe have been the battles fought here. We have neither space nor time to give anything like a history of our work at Battle Creek for nearly a quarter of a century past. This we leave for another time, at present calling the attention of the readers of the REVIEW to the following points:— 1. The Battle Creek church ever has been, and now is, a weak church. While our other churches, east and west, north and south, are made up of the best men and women converted from other churches and the world in the communities where they live, this church is made up principally of persons who have moved to Battle Creek from other States, and have brought the elements of weakness with them. 2. The work, which has fallen upon those who have had the burden of the labor, for the discordant elements which have drifted to Battle Creek, has exceeded all the work they have had to do in publishing, and in the several institutions they have labored to build up at this point. 3. A very few feeble efforts have been put forth against our positions by the ministers of some of the denominations in this city; but these were disposed of in a manner to favorably impress the candid people of Battle Creek. Theological battles have been few, feeble, and far between. 4. Satan, whose vigilant, malicious eye is ever upon the work of God, seeing that popular opposition to the truth availed nothing, turned his forces in another direction, and poured in upon us burdens in the form of unconsecrated men and women, who moved to Battle Creek, not to help bear the burdens of the work of God, but to be weights upon the willing workers here, and to be benefited by the institutions they had not helped to bring into existence. 5. Efforts have been made to bring in those to this point who were financially, mentally, morally and religiously qualified to help bear the burdens, and to prevent those selfish persons from moving to Battle Creek who would be only a burden. But these efforts have proved nearly failures. While there is a terrible want of active, strong, self-sacrificing men of God to hold this fort, the elements of weakness still drift in. God pity the church at Battle Creek. 6. Here are our institutions, at this great center of our work, and this fort must be kept at all hazards. There are true and godly men and women in the Battle Creek church; but as a whole, the members of this church do not properly represent our people. This church, considering its numbers, is probably the weakest church of S. D. Adventists on the globe. 7. Our people abroad should look upon us with pity instead of envy. And we appeal to our ministers everywhere, and to the officers of the several State Conferences and local churches, to send us the help we need to keep this important fort, and to have mercy upon us, and keep from our shoulders the burden of selfish persons who come to Battle Creek to improve their financial condition, and to take off from our weary hands those who burden the cause at Battle Creek. J. W.