JOHN BYINGTON B i r t h : 1798 Death : 1887 Family : F a t h e r - J u s t u s Byington

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c h i l d r e n - John , ~ a r G h a , T h e r e s a , Laura Accomplishments : B u i l d e r of t h e f i r s t Seventh-day

A d v e n t i s t c h u r c h , l i c e n s e d m i n i s t e r i n t h e Methodis t c h u r c h , a b o l i t i o n e r o f s l a v e r y , a r e g u l a t o r i n t h e U n d e r g r o u n d R a i l r o a d , f i r s t p r e s i d e n t of t h e Genera l Conference of Seventh-day A d v e n t i s t s

(1798-1887)

John Byington was a man of remarkable courage. From e a r l y ch i ldhood he was b u i l d i n g a r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h God. A t 18 y e a r s of a g e he was conver ted and became a M e t h o d i s t . A s a r e s u l t o f s t u d y a n d commitment t o God he was l i c e n s e d a s a n e x h o r t e r . He s u f f e r e d poor h e a l t h from t h e a g e s 21-24. When h e was a b l e t o resume p r e a c h i n g he d i v i d e d t h a t a c t i v i t y w i t h farming.

John abhor red s l a v e r y . He r a n a n Underground R a i l r o a d S t a t i o n a t h i s home ( i n Bucks B r i d g e , N . Y . ) Many v i s i t o r s t o h i s home would o f t e n s h a r e

f meals w i th t h e f ami ly , n a t i v e I n d i a n s , and b l acks . The Methodis t s were d i s a p p o i n t e d abou t h i s b e l i e f s a n d a c t i o n s s o B y i n g t o n f o u n d e d a W e s l e y a n M e t h o d i s t Church and s u p e r v i s e d i t s b u i l d i n g and parsonage.

During t h e y e a r of 1844, Byington l i s t e n e d t o one of W i l l i a m M i l l e r ' s s e r m o n s . H e was n o t i m p r e s s e d . However, i n e a r l y 1852 he r ece ived a copy of The A d v e n t i s t Review and Sabbath Herald. Byington read t h e reasons f o r w o r s h i p p i n g on t h e s e v e n t h day of t h e week. He s t u d i e d t h e E i b l e t e x t s used t o prove t h e d o c t r i n e . He was convinced t o w o r s h i p o n t h e s e v e n t h d a y , h o w e v e r h e h e s i t a t e d . John was h e s i t a n t abou t d i s t u r b i n g t h e members of t h e Wes leyen M e t h o d i s t Church w i t h s o m e t h i n g new a n d c o m p l e t e l y o p p o s i t e t o i t s t e a c h i n g s . He prayed and s t u d i e d .

Around t h a t t ime he was 'p rodded ' by a church member t o s t o p chewing t o b a c c o and s t o p d r i n k i n g t e a . The member was c o n c e r n e d t h a t J o h n ' s c r e d i b i l i t y a s a man of God was d imin ished because of poor h e a l t h h a b i t s . Byington though about h i s h e a l t h and s t o p p e d u s i n g t e a and t o b a c c o . H i s h e a l t h improved and he became a s t r o n g s u p p o r t e r of h e a l t h reform.

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ATLANTIC UNION CONFERENCE

A s e r i e s of s a d e v e n t s r e s u l t e d i n John Byington changing h i s r e l i g i o u s p e r s p e c t i v e once more. An epidemic s t r u c k Bucks Bridge. He l o s t two of h i s daugh te r s , Laura, and Theresa. Byington had t o d e a l w i t h t h e d e a t h of h i s daugh te r s and confus ion a b o u t h i s r e l i g i o n and i t s d o c t r i n e s . During Theresa ' s f u n e r a l he seemed t o h e a r a v o i c e r e p e a t i n g , "The seven th day i s t h e Sabbath." From t h a t moment he ded ica ted h i s l i f e t o t h e Lord t o keep t h e Sabbath.

J o h n By ing ton knew t h a t h i s d e c i s i o n s would not be r e spec ted by h i s c h u r c h . So h e w i t h h i s f a m i l y began w o r s h i p p i n g w i t h t h e o t h e r Sabbath keepe r s . Once a g a i n Byington found i t necessary t o b u i l d a church. He donated some of h i s own land a c r o s s from t h e f i r s t church he helped t o b u i l d . The b u i l d i n g i s be l ieved t o be t h e f i r s t Seventh- day Advent i s t church t o be b u i l t and ded ica ted by i t s members. A l a s , t h e o n l y e v i d e n c e s of i t s e x i s t e n c e a r e t h e f o u n d a t i o n s t o n e s a n d i t s o r i g i n a l key.

I n September 1 7 , 1978 a ceremony was performed t o d e d i c a t e a memorial s t o n e t o t h e f i r s t c h u r c h and f i r s t school i n our denomination.

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ATLANTIC UNION CONFERENCE

John Byington was not y e t f i n i s h e d w i t h h i s w o r k a t Bucks B r i d g e . I n 1852-165 .3 h e h a d completed a n e x t e n s i v e s t u d y of t h e t h r e e a n g e l s message . It was t h e t h i r d a n g e l ' s message that he lped him t o s e e t h a t workers needed t o be t r a i n e d t o sp read t h e t i d i n g s . Matthew 28:19 con ta ined t h e command t o g o and t e a c h a l l n a t i o n s . He saw t h e need f o r a c h u r c h school and sha red h i s t hough t s w i t h o t h e r A d v e n t i s t s . He dona ted h i s d a u g h t e r , Martha, a s t e a c h e r and a s k o t h e r members t o dona te what t h e y c o u l d t o make t h e s c h o o l a r e a l i t y . Aaron H i l l i a r d donated t h e p a r l o r i n h i s home f o r t h e s choo l . H i s o l d e r b r o t h e r , Henry , made t h e benches and s e a t s . When t h e f u r n i t u r e was made and t h e schoolroom a r r a n g e d , t h e A d v e n t i s t community f u l l y suppor ted t h e s choo l by send ing 17 s t u d e n t s f o r t h e f i r s t , en ro l lmen t .

A few y e a r s l a t e r a t t h e i n v i t a t i o n of James W h i t e , J o h n and h i s d a u g h t e r , M a r t h a , moved t o Michigan. The r e s t of t h e f ami ly and some church members fol lowed l a t e r .

John Byington was a man of courage and a man d e d i c a t e d t o ' G o d . He was a f f e c t i o n a t e l y c a l l e d "Fa ther ~ y i n ~ t o n " by t h e Adven t i s t s of h i s t ime.

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