Loughborough, John Norton, 1832-1924
Person
Dates
- Existence: January 26, 1832 – April 7, 1924
Biographical
John Norton Loughborough (1832 to 1924) is considered one of the pioneer leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He and his family had gone through the 1844 disappointment as believers. From the age of 17, Loughborough was a lay preacher for the First-day Adventists. In 1852 he joined the movement that eventually became known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and began preaching. Loughborough joined James and Ellen White in advocating church organization in 1860.
In 1868 he pioneered Seventh-day Adventist work in California along with D. T. Bourdeau. Later he spent five years in England, beginning in 1878, and then served as president of several conferences after returning to the United States. In 1892 Loughborough published the first Seventh-day Adventist history, The Rise and Progress of Seventh-day Adventists, later revised and expanded as The Great Second Advent Movement. He also published The Church, Its Organization, Order, and Discipline in 1907. This book served for 25 years as a church manual until an official manual was adopted in 1932.
Though Loughborough is more often remembered as an administrator and church historian, in his early ministry he was a successful public evangelist and conducted the first evangelistic meetings to use a tent instead of a building. In 1856 he became discouraged and moved to Waukon, Iowa, to farm. James and Ellen White went to Waukon by horse and sleigh to persuade him to return. Their winter trip across the plains and the frozen Mississippi River is a story of God's care. The Whites persuaded Loughborough to return to the ministry, and he never wavered again, though times were difficult in the beginning.
Loughborough saw Ellen White, church pioneer and one God used to give messages of reproof, encouragement, and leadership, in public vision more often than any other person, with the exception of her husband. Late in his life he claimed to have witnessed more than 50 public visions. Often they traveled together in public ministry for the church.
John Loughborough was married to three different women and had a number of children. He died at age 92, in 1924, after more than a half century of service.
In 1868 he pioneered Seventh-day Adventist work in California along with D. T. Bourdeau. Later he spent five years in England, beginning in 1878, and then served as president of several conferences after returning to the United States. In 1892 Loughborough published the first Seventh-day Adventist history, The Rise and Progress of Seventh-day Adventists, later revised and expanded as The Great Second Advent Movement. He also published The Church, Its Organization, Order, and Discipline in 1907. This book served for 25 years as a church manual until an official manual was adopted in 1932.
Though Loughborough is more often remembered as an administrator and church historian, in his early ministry he was a successful public evangelist and conducted the first evangelistic meetings to use a tent instead of a building. In 1856 he became discouraged and moved to Waukon, Iowa, to farm. James and Ellen White went to Waukon by horse and sleigh to persuade him to return. Their winter trip across the plains and the frozen Mississippi River is a story of God's care. The Whites persuaded Loughborough to return to the ministry, and he never wavered again, though times were difficult in the beginning.
Loughborough saw Ellen White, church pioneer and one God used to give messages of reproof, encouragement, and leadership, in public vision more often than any other person, with the exception of her husband. Late in his life he claimed to have witnessed more than 50 public visions. Often they traveled together in public ministry for the church.
John Loughborough was married to three different women and had a number of children. He died at age 92, in 1924, after more than a half century of service.
Found in 3 Collections and/or Records:
Ernest W. Lloyd Collection
Collection
Identifier: Collection 56
Content Description
The Ernest W. Lloyd Collection contains a significant amount of correspondence between Lloyd and Louise Dederen, the former curator for the Andrews University Heritage Room. This correspondence is largely related to the sending and formation of the collection. Included within this correspondence are stories and information about events and church pioneers.In addition to the correspondence there are a lot of biographical material and writings by Lloyd and by others. In the way of...
Dates:
1896 - 1985
John N. Loughborough Papers
Collection
Identifier: Collection 327
Content Description
The collection is an admixture of documents and other materials collected from various sources–see Provenance below. There are a few personal documents, a goodly run of diaries, a scattering of letters, and a couple of article manuscripts. The diaries form the single most extensive body of materials in this collection. There are 54 diaries each covering a calendar year. They begin in 1856, when John was age 24 and discouraged to the point of leaving the ministry and moving to Iowa to farm. They...
Dates:
1856 - 1923