BEAVERTON, OREGON by I. D. Van Horn

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Feb 5, 1880

BEAVERTON, OREGON.

By I. D. Van Horn

ABOUT the middle of July last we moved to this place for the purpose of helping the cause here. The church is small but most of the members are faithful workers. Since we came here some advancement has been made in the spiritual condition of the church, so that meetings are well sustained and made profitable.

We have a good Sabbath-school conducted on the plan generally adopted by our people, and a lively interest is taken in it by officers, teachers and scholars. A club of the Weekly Instructor is taken, and the lessons published in it and the Lesson sheet are used by the different classes in the school.

At the last quarterly meeting in the past year the subject of building a house of worship came up for consideration, and in a few minutes a subscription paper was started and a sufficient amount subscribed to warrant us to go ahead. Accordingly steps were immediately taken to build. A plan of the house was decided upon, and the first stroke was made the 6th day of December, and in five weeks it was completed. The size of the house is 24x32, with 16 feet to the ceiling, which makes a very pleasant place for the church to meet from time to time to worship God.

Yesterday, Jan. 18, the dedication services were held. There was a large attendance, and good attention was manifested by all. We had good freedom in speaking on the subject of "The True Worship of God." Text John 4 : 24. It was sustained by plain Scripture evidence that all who worship God in spirit must have the Holy Spirit abiding in them, for unless we have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us we are none of his. And to worship God in truth is to live in perfect obedience to his divine law. "Thy law is the truth" and "All thy commandments are truth." Ps. 119 : 142, 151.

The good singing added much to the service. The blessing of God was clearly manifest on the occasion. The church presented the house as a freewill offering to the Lord for his service and worship, and then by a unanimous rising vote renewed their covenant with him, and dedicated themselves to carry on his cause in all its branches more thoroughly than heretofore.

We shall soon realize that the Lord will touch the hearts of many in this vicinity, and some will decide to go with us if the church performs its vow. We all feel of good courage in the Lord and have a determination to press forward with the body till we realize the reward of the saved. This is the first meeting-house built by S. D. Adventists in Western Oregon, and the third one in the N. P. Conference. May the good work go on and may God's blessing attend it. Amen.

Jan. 19, 1880. I. D. VAN HORN.