Expanding By Tent Evangelism

As the third angel's message accelerated, new talent joined the ranks of evangelists—men like 23-year-old J. N. Loughborough, M. E. Cornell, and J. N. Andrews, who were pioneering the message in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan.WV 62.2

Sometimes overflow audiences created problems. Meetings had often been held in homes or schoolhouses or small meetinghouses. On one such occasion the attendance at Locke, Michigan, over the weekend of May 19 to 21, 1854, was so large that only half the audience could get into the schoolhouse secured for the occasion. The speakers stood near an open window where the larger, outside, portion of the audience could see and hear as they sat in their carriages and on the grass (JNL, in The Review and Herald, January 27, 1885). While they were driving the next day to Sylvan, they discussed the experience at Locke. James White suggested that by another year they might try using a tent to proclaim the message.WV 62.3

Cornell asked, “Why not have a tent at once?” As they discussed it they decided to propose it at coming conferences at Sylvan and Jackson. The response was enthusiastic, and money was raised and pledged. On Tuesday, Cornell hurried off to Rochester to buy a 60-foot (18-meter) round meeting tent (ibid.).WV 62.4

Quite naturally James and Ellen White had a special interest in the tent that he and Loughborough pitched in Battle Creek. Meetings were advertised for Friday, June 2, to Sunday, June 4. Thinking the meetings might run longer, the Whites hoped to get to Battle Creek in time to see the tent and preach in it. James wrote:WV 62.5

We had a great desire to be at the Battle Creek meeting, and to speak to the people in the tent at least once before our return home. And when we arrived in Battle Creek we were happy to learn that the brethren had a cheering meeting, and the tent was on its way to Grand Rapids to our last appointment (Ibid., July 4, 1854).WV 62.6

Loughborough described this first attempt at tent meetings. The tent was located, he reported, on “Van Buren Street, just above the railroad, near the planing mill.” He and Cornell worked together in this new, promising evangelistic thrust. Loughborough later reported:WV 62.7

Here, June 10 (Sabbath), the writer opened the tent meetings with a discourse on Daniel 2. This meeting continued only two days, and then we took our tent to Grand Rapids (The Review and Herald, February 24, 1885).WV 63.1

The Ibid., July 4, 1854, announced that 1,000 people attended the Sunday evening meeting, and a good interest was awakened.WV 63.2

Of the meeting in the tent at Grand Rapids, a week later, James White wrote:WV 63.3

On Sixth-day the brethren pitched it on a vacant lot in the city. We were much pleased with its appearance from without, and when we entered it to engage in the solemn worship of God, we felt that the Lord was indeed with us. We are perfectly satisfied that the brethren have moved none too fast in obtaining the tent for this season. On First-day probably about five hundred came out to hear, and if the brethren could have remained another week, the congregation doubtless would have increased to thousands. The people listened with great interest, and when publications were offered, crowded forward to obtain them. The way seems to be fully open to spread the truth (Ibid., July 4, 1854).WV 63.4

After the meetings at Grand Rapids were over, Ellen White was given a vision at the house of Brother Fitch. Loughborough described it as being “full of instruction, reproof, and counsel, for the church present, and also encouragement of success to the tent enterprise.” He added:WV 63.5

The use of tents for meetings was a new business to us, and we had some things to learn by experience that may look a little strange to those now engaged in tent labor.WV 63.6

First, we did not then so fully realize that when an interest was first awakened in a place it was best to follow up that interest with a thorough effort, or with a full series of discourses, bringing as many as possible of the interested ones to a decision.WV 63.7

Secondly, we did not suppose people would be interested to come out evenings through the week, and so the most of our meetings were held only over Sabbath and first day of each week.WV 63.8

Thirdly, we looked upon tent meetings as a means for the general arousing of the public mind; and, with this idea, we tried to visit as many different places as possible in one season (Ibid., February 24, 1885).WV 63.9

The use of a tent was a new approach in evangelism for Sabbathkeepers. Different plans were followed in the 14 tent meetings held in Michigan in the summer of 1854. The majority were two-day meetings in which Loughborough and Cornell gave a “condensed view of the prophecies, sanctuary, messages, and Sabbath, earnestly urging the people to obey.” This moved some to act.WV 63.10

Several meetings were held a little longer than two or three days, and one meeting was held over three consecutive weekends. Wrote Loughborough:WV 64.1

It was not, however, until the Lord gave us instruction through the Spirit of Prophecy that we fully understood the best mode of prosecuting “the work of the ministry” in connection with tent labor (Ibid.).WV 64.2

He was pleased to report that “in almost every place where our tent was erected there were some to obey the truth, but we saw the best results where we tarried the longest.”WV 64.3

A most promising line of evangelism was now opening up. Before the summer ended, the Review was carrying reports of a second 60-foot (18-meter) tent in New England, and the enlargement of the Michigan tent to 90 feet (27 meters). The Review pages were also carrying appointments for meetings in the two evangelistic tents and thrilling reports of the success of these meetings.WV 64.4

At the close of the season James White summed up the success of what had been an experiment. He explained:WV 64.5

Much can be done with tents, and but little can be accomplished in the summer season in any other way. For example: One year since at our conference in Springfield, Massachusetts, a good hall was obtained, and the people were notified by handbills, and through the daily paper, yet on First-day but few were present excepting believers. But on the sixth inst. 1,200 persons were assembled to hear the Word at the tent meeting held in that city (Ibid., October 24, 1854).WV 64.6

The big tent challenged the curiosity of the people and brought out the crowds.WV 64.7