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Minister to Legislatures
interest that her meetings had created so that she could move on. She felt it best to hold
meetings elsewhere in the general area while returning occasionally. An ordained
minister was needed to establish the new church, anyway. Mrs. Wightman also wrote
that she did not want the people “to think too much” of her, showing awareness of the
perennial problem of idolization of evangelists. (Taken from a letter by Mrs. Lulu
Wightman, Wallace, N.Y., to Eld. A. E. Place, Rome, N.Y., January 31, 1898.)
Soon four more people in Avoca accepted the Bible truths taught by Mrs. Wightman
and were warmly welcomed into the Adventist fellowship. Two of them were retired
farmers of means, well known in the community.
In 1899 an invitation from the Corning Company arrived with the force of a
Macedonian call. The members implored Mrs. Wightman to come help them reach the
people of their community with the gospel; apparently they believed the time was right.
She asked to be excused because she was already working in two locations, Avoca and
Wallace; accomplishing anything further at the time seemed out of the question.
Another letter came, more urgent than the first. The Corning believers would not
accept “no” as the response. As the Holy Spirit impressed Lulu Wightman that she
should go for a short time, she agreed to spend from Friday through Monday morning at
Corning. She delivered four sermons during that brief period; the hall was crowded for
each, and people packed in even around the pulpit.
In attendance were individuals whom local members had tried unsuccessfully to
attract to their previous meetings. It was evident that the Sprit was at work.
Mrs. Wightman’s productive trip to Corning was made without cost to the conference. Lulu took up a collection that covered expenses plus $3.02 that she sent in with
her report.
Lulu urged the conference administration to send a minister to Corning to follow up
the interest that her meetings had generated. She did not want to see the intelligent,
interested converts drift away. (Taken from a letter by Mrs. Lulu Wightman, Wallace, N.Y.,
to Eld. A. E. Place, February 7, 1898.)
To care for little Ruth, Mrs. Wightman sometimes employed a resident of the town
where she was living. She preferred, however, having a church member to travel with
the family, giving her services in return for board and traveling expenses.
To the village of N orth Cohocton, to Brocton, and then to Sheridan, Lulu Wightman
moved without complaint. “The last warning message” must be proclaimed everywhere.
Mrs. Wightman was next sent to Silver Creek, where she arranged to hold the effort
in a commodious, carpeted hall in the center of town with heat and lights furnished for
only two dollars a week. (Indicator. October 12, 1898. See appendix A, 3.4.)
She asked church members in the conference to send their church papers and tracts
for her husband to distribute free as he sold religious literature. The budget obviously
was limited.

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