Calhoun County MI Archives Biographies.....Byington, John 1798 - 1887 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Robin Ellis -- July 23, 2007, 5:51 pm Author: The OFFICIAL Ellen G. White Website COPYRIGHT The OFFICIAL Ellen G. White Website PHOTO & BIO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM www.WhiteEstate.org John Byington was the first president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. His father was a soldier in the U.S. Revolutionary War, and later one of the founders of the Methodist Protestant Church. As a young man, John became active in Methodist lay work. Because he strongly opposed slavery, he left this church, and joined the antislavery Wesleyan Methodist Connection, later becoming a Wesleyan circuit riding minister. Before the U.S. Civil War he is said to have maintained a station of the Aunderground railway,@ providing a safe place for slaves fleeing the South on their way to Canada. In 1852, after reading an issue of the Review and Herald, he began to keep the Sabbath. The church=s first elementary school was started in 1853 in Byingtons home, in Buck=s Bridge, New York, with his 19-year-old daughter Martha as the first teacher. In 1855 he helped to erect on his property one of the first Seventh- day Adventist-built churches. At James White=s request, John moved to Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1858, and was deeply involved with planning for the fast- growing church. For several years his work was largely self-supporting. Ellen White had a major Civil War vision at a camp meeting held in Bucks Bridge, New York. She also had a vision in Byingtons home that helped to confirm for him her prophetic gift. She had still another vision in 1857 at the Bucks Bridge church that Byington had built. It was here that 22-year-old Daniel Bourdeau, at James White=s request, tested the physical phenomena in connection with her visions. Bourdeau held her nose for ten minutes, confirming that she did not breathe. This convinced him that her visions were of supernatural origin. In May 1863 Byington was elected the first president of the General Conference. He was 65 years old. James White was first chosen, but declined, thus opening the way for Byingtons election. At first Byington had been asked to serve as one of a three-member General Conference committee. After he became president, the committee was enlarged to five. The other members were James White, J. N. Loughborough, J. N. Andrews, and George Amadon (Byingtons son-in-law). While president, Byington did much personal work, visiting, giving public lectures, baptizing new members, encouraging those who had left the church to rejoin, and organizing Sabbath schools. It was much like his earlier circuit riding years when a Methodist minister. After completing his term of office, Byington returned to his farm near Battle Creek, but continued to visit the churches and members. He ministered faithfully for the next 22 years, until his death at the age of 88. James White followed Byington in office as president. Because John Byington was among the older Seventh-day Adventists, he was often referred to as Father Byington. He remained active to the end of his life, becoming so well acquainted with the State of Michigan that it was said no one knew it better. Additional Comments: Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Battle Creek, MI. Lot 670, Rt. 1 Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/calhoun/photos/bios/byington30bs.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/calhoun/bios/byington30bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/mifiles/ File size: 3.7 Kb