Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862 (vol. 1)

The Conference at Port Gibson, New York

While at Volney, the leaders thought it best to have another conference at Port Gibson, some sixty miles further west, on Sunday and Monday, August 27 and 28. This would be held in Hiram Edson's barn. On their way they made a stopover in Hannibal, where there were eight or ten believers. The Snow family entertained Bates, Hiram Edson and his wife, and Brother Simmons. The records do not indicate where the Whites stayed. Before they continued their journey in the morning, they held a meeting in the Snow home. In his August 26 letter James White wrote of the interesting occasion: 1BIO 142.5

In the morning Ellen was taken off in vision and while she was in vision, all the brethren came in. It was a powerful time.... Ellen rose up in vision, took the large Bible, held it up before the Lord, talked from it, then carried it to this humble brother who was not on the Sabbath and put it in his arms. He took it while tears were rolling down his bosom. Then Ellen came and sat down by me. She was in vision one and a half hours, in which time she did not breathe at all. It was an affecting time. All wept much for joy.—JW to Leonard and Elvira Hastings, August 26, 1848. 1BIO 143.1

The rather meager information concerning the conference held at Port Gibson comes from Ellen White: 1BIO 143.2

From Volney we went to Port Gibson. The meeting there was held in Brother Edson's barn. There were those present who loved the truth, and those who were listening to and cherishing error, and were opposed to the truth. But the Lord wrought for us in power before the close of that meeting. I was again shown in vision the importance of brethren in western New York laying their differences aside, and uniting upon Bible truth.—Spiritual Gifts, 2:99. 1BIO 143.3

Wrote James White to Brother and Sister Hastings: 1BIO 143.4

Our visit to New York was attended all the way by the goodness and power of God.... On our return we stated in conversation among ourselves that we found the cause in New York twofold better than we expected and that three times as much was accomplished in our visit as we expected. Praise the Lord. We came home with light hearts. Ellen's health while journeying was much better than it has been for years.—JW to Leonard and Elvira Hastings, October 2, 1848.

More conferences followed in this year of development, clarifying and binding together the basic doctrines held by Seventh-day Adventists. The early records speak of meetings at Rocky Hill; Topsham, Maine; and Dorchester, Massachusetts, in November. The basic team of workers from conference to conference was much the same: James and Ellen White, Joseph Bates, H. S. Gurney. At times, Hiram Edson, E.L.H. Chamberlain, and Otis Nichols joined forces with the basic group. 1BIO 144.1