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

Continuing the Evangelistic Thrust

James and Ellen White worked very closely as a team. One seldom traveled without the other. Ellen's healing from her heart and eye difficulties was complete, and she was soon ready to accompany James on another trip west. This seemed to be the time for strong thrusts in that direction. They planned to swing through northern Ohio, stopping for a weekend at Milan, then divide the next six weeks between Michigan and Wisconsin. Wisconsin was a promising new outreach, with J. H. Waggoner laboring there. 1BIO 293.4

The work was just opening up in Ohio, and they attended the first conference held in the State, at Milan, May 5 to 7. J. N. Loughborough had worked in that part of the State through the winter. Between thirty and forty people were at the conference, representing nearly half the believers in the State. Loughborough joined the Whites as they went on to Michigan. 1BIO 293.5

At Sylvan they met M. E. Cornell and spent the weekend together. Sabbath evening, at the Glover home, Ellen White was given a vision in which she was shown many things concerning the work in the West. It settled in their minds the question of whether they should visit Wisconsin—it was important that they should go. 1BIO 293.6

The attendance at the meeting at Locke over the weekend of May 19 to 21 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, the experience at Locke was discussed, this led to the proposal that tent meetings might be held. James White suggested that by another year they might try using a tent to proclaim the message. 1BIO 294.1

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 sixty-foot round meeting tent (Ibid.). 1BIO 294.2