Meetings on the Sabbath Day

Sabbath morning, as Mrs. White looked out her window, she could see the carriages lurching and struggling over the muddy street as the people gathered. Then she went down for the church service in the new chapel. “May the Lord meet with us” was her burden (Manuscript 16a, 1885).EGWE 61.1

D. T. Bourdeau gave the sermon in French, while his brother translated it into English for the benefit of the Americans and British present.EGWE 61.2

In the afternoon Ellen White spoke again. Warming to her subject, she preached with great clarity, and when she made her appeal the response was overwhelming. One hundred fervent testimonies were borne. “All expressed that they were impressed and benefited by the discourse given. Certainly this people seem to be in earnest to be helped, willing to receive my testimony.”—Ibid.EGWE 61.3

From the light Sister White had received from the Lord, testimony services were not to be neglected in Seventh-day Adventist churches, for they opened great reservoirs of strength and mutual encouragement to the church family.EGWE 61.4

The social meeting also had practical value as a school to teach the believers self-expression and the use of the voice in witnessing. In new congregations in Europe, and later in Australia, Mrs. White would introduce this type of testimony service.EGWE 61.5

“Although the social meeting is a new thing, yet they are learning in the school of Christ, and are overcoming fear and trembling. We keep before them the fact that the social meeting will be the best meeting in which they may be trained and educated to be witnesses for Christ.”—Manuscript 32, 1894.EGWE 61.6

On Sunday morning it was time for the newly formed Swiss Tract Society to have its meeting. With the large dimensions of the work before them, they felt helpless, for they had only one German colporteur, and very few more in the other countries. W. C. White stepped forward to speak. Although only 31 years old, he was an experienced publishing leader, having been the manager of the Pacific Press. He knew about operating the publishing business with only a few literature evangelists in the field. He told of the beginnings of colporteur work begun only a few years before in America, and how a number of experimental programs were tried before the best methods of work emerged. And his encouraging counsels registered. Before the conference was over, he and Sands Lane, of Britain, had organized a good-sized class of would-be colporteurs, and eight decided to devote themselves to the work.EGWE 62.1