News from the East

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, Cal. · Jul 29, 1875

News from the East.

FATHER BYINGTON is yet in the field. Though suffering the infirmities of advanced age, he works on, and we get reports from time to time of his meetings with the churches in Michigan, among whom he has labored for eighteen years.

Bro. Frisbie is on his old battle ground in Western Michigan. He closed his meetings in Green, Mecosta Co., by baptizing nine in the Muskegon River. Twenty-one persons have covenanted to keep the commandments of God, and Sabbath meetings have been established.

Eld. R. F. Andrews writes: "We came to this place [Watseka, Ill.] July 3, and commenced meetings evening after the Sabbath. We found the people greatly opposed to anything connected with the second advent cause. This opposition has been brought about mainly by time-setting Adventists and reckless speeches made by unconsecrated preachers on the subject of man's nature and future punishment. What a wretched work this class of persons have done and are doing! Blight and mildew, death and destruction, follow in their wake. We had other serious hinderances to contend with, such as prolonged rains, opposition meetings, and determined effort to keep the people away.

"But, notwithstanding all these influences, we have reason to be of good courage; for the Lord has been working for us; to his name be all the praise. At our first meeting we had about thirty hearers, and many of those came into our tent in a manner which showed unmistakably that they would rather others would not know where they were going, a great deal after the style of Nicodemus, who "came to Jesus by night." Now the people come in boldly, and without fear. Our congregations have steadily increased to between three and four hundred. Eleven discourses have already been given. We have endeavored to place ourselves in a right light before the people, and prejudice has given way, and the people now manifest a willingness to hear."

Eld. Bourdeau is preaching in both the English and the French, in Illinois. In speaking of the French brethren in Kankakee, he says:

"I found that their numbers had more than doubled during my absence, and that those who had received the truth had received it with a mind to work, and had labored not only for their French acquaintances in their vicinity, but also for their friends in France, to whom they had sent some of our tracts, and with whom they had opened a correspondence. Most of these French brethren came from Le Banc de La Roche, France. The inhabitants of that place and vicinity enjoyed for years the faithful labors of Oberlin, whose interesting life has doubtless been read by many of our readers. Two of our young brethren will return to France in a few months. We hope they may be prepared to properly represent the cause they have espoused."

Interesting meetings followed in Kankakee and St. Anne. In these meetings both the French and the English brethren took part, and Eld. Bourdeau addressed them in both languages. Sabbath, July 10, sixteen French converts were buried with Christ in baptism. The Belgian brethren in Wisconsin are promised a visit soon.