Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 19.djvu/266

 254 REVEREND EZRA FISHER Post from California to this place aided me in deciding the path of duty. Yet I found our brethren all of opinion that my duty was to stay and labor in these meetings and at the same time, as I chanced to fall in with a brother, do some- thing if possible for Br. Post. Our meeting at Oregon City was of but three days' con- tinuance, with favorable indications, but has not as yet resulted in any hopeful cases of conversion. The yearly meet- ing with the Shilo church, 11 miles south of Salem, continued six days and resulted in five or six hopeful cases of conver- sion. Five were added to the church by baptism 334 and two or three by experience. Br. J. G. Berkley 335 was the only ordained minister present, but he was assisted by faithful young brethren of the church. The yearly meeting with the Lebanon church followed on the 2nd Saturday of September, which continued till Monday evening. One was received by letter; the church was revived; two backsliders were pro- fessedly reclaimed and two or three were inquiring what they must do, when the meeting closed. The engagements of the ministers present were such that we were obliged to close the meetings at the very period when it was becoming increasingly interesting. From Lebanon church I proceeded to the Santiam church as fast as my business would permit, traveling through an unusually heavy rain two days. The meeting had been in progress for six days, conducted by Elder Chandler and assisted by Elder Sperry. The evening of my arrival an interesting young man professed a hope in Christ, some few backsliders had returned to their first love and the church was truly revived. The interest of the meet- ings daily increased till on Sabbath Br. Chandler baptized three interesting young persons, among whom was a young married lady from Holland who could speak but broken English. She had been a member of the Presbyterian church. She expressed such strong confidence in God and such endear- 334 One of those baptized was Rev. Andrew J. Hunsaker, since then erown to be very prominent m the Baptist work of the state. 335 This was Rev. Jesse G. Berkley, 1796-1872. He came to Oregon from Missouri in 1852. Mattoon, Bap. An. of Ore., 1:97.