John Norton Loughborough was born in Victor, Ontario County, New York, on January 26, 1832. His father was an earnest, local Methodist preacher. When he was three years of age, a young woman named Miss Bibbins started a school for little children in one of the classrooms of the Methodist Church which he attended. On the last day of school they were all taken into the sanctuary where the parents and others were assembled to hear their presentations. Among the rest, Loughborough was called upon to make his first public speech, which consisted of a bit of poetry he had learned.
In their childhood days the parents of J. N. Loughbourgh took their children regularly to church. Sadly, his father died at the age of 35 years of from Typhoid Fever. Those were the days of bleeding and dosing with calomel for every affliction. A patient was not allowed any water or fresh air. He loved his father dearly and after the funeral went to live with his grandfather who was a Methodist class leader.
His grandfather was a devout Christian and lived his religion before his fellow men. It was not popular in those days to be a Methodist, and some of their Universalist neighbors ridiculed them and persecuted them. They would often come home from church, and sometimes find several lengths of fence pulled down and the cattle in the grain field. His grandfather well knew who did the mischief for he would see them sneering as he drove out the cattle and put up the fence on Sunday, but he said nothing. One summer day as the family came home, his grandfather was astonished to see his fine cherry trees stripped of large limbs of ripe cherries. Many weeks later they were discovered a half-mile away in a deep woods. His grandfather said nothing, but prayed for his enemies. John learned many precious lessons from the life of his grandfather.
One Sunday in December, 1843, His sister told him that there is a man by the name of Adams coming to their town the next week to preach about the millenium, and the family was going to hear the lectures. John was not too pleased, but his grandfather sent him around the neighborhood to spread the news. Many of the neighbors looked sad, and he also felt sad enough, too, for he thought he was unready and would have to burn eternally in hell for his sins.
After Elder Adams’ lectures, a second series was given by Elder Barry. Victor, New York, was then only a small town of 300 inhabitants, but the Methodist Church comfortably seated 1,000. It was not only full every evening, but all standing room was taken. These lectures on the prophecies and signs of the times, mingled with exhortations to seek God, created a profound interest.
As a result of the lectures, his grandfather and his whole family, with hundreds of others, believed the doctrine. They used to bring home books and papers such as Signs of the Times, and Voice of Truth. He read them eagerly and carried them to the neighbours. A great revival followed the preaching of the Advent doctrine. The first time that was set for the Lord to come (in the spring of 1844), John worked all the day the Lord was expected, sawing wood and frequently looking up to see if the Lord was coming. He was very fearful He would come that day, for he thought he was not ready. Although the day passed and He did not come, Loughborough did not lose his desire to be saved.
After the passing of the time in 1844 and Jesus did not come, John and his family still remained faithful Christians. In April, 1847, at the age of fifteen, John Loughborough left his grandparent’s home and went to his native village to live with his oldest brother who was an Adventist. He wanted to learn the trade of carriage-making. Here he soon mixed with wild companions and became very careless about religion. Often when he stopped to think seriously and wished to be good like his brother, he found he had no strength to leave his companions and make a start to serve the Lord. During the winter of 1848–49, he attended the school in Victor, living with his widowed mother, paying his school tuition by sweeping the school floor, kindling the morning fires, and ringing the bell. When his mother would ask him to go to church on Sunday, he would make some excuse,—his studies needed attention, he must write a composition, or something of the kind. Thus things went until June when he accompanied his Uncle Norton to visit his older brother who had moved to Adam’s Basin. Soon after their arrival they attended an all-day meeting held by P.A. Smith, an earnest Adventist minister.
The First-day Adventists taught that the great commotion among the nations of Europe would bring on the Battle of Armageddon, and the Lord would now come very soon. Under this preaching, his convictions of 1844 were again fully aroused. After the meeting, as the minister visited with his brother, he began to talk with John, and obtained a promise from John to serve the Lord. He felt relieved that the way was thus opened for him. He wanted to be in earnest about being a Christian, and as there was to be more meetings in two weeks he wanted to attend them.
After John Loughborough became a Christian, he began preaching for the First-day Adventists when he was 17. While still a preacher for the First-day Advent Church, Loughborough married Mary J. Walker in Rochester (1851). Together they had three children, all born in Battle Creek, Michigan—a son, Delmer, and twin girls, one of whom died at birth. Tragically, Mary also died in childbirth (1867). Mother and daughter were buried together.
He accepted the Sabbath at Rochester, New York, in 1852, as a result of the preaching of J. N. Andrews. It was here that he first met James and Ellen White. A month after he was introduced to them, he left the First-day Adventists and began preaching for the movement that later would become known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Devoting himself to preaching, he was ordained at Grand Rapids, Michigan, June 18, 1854, by James White and M. E. Cornell. Loughborough was the youngest to be ordained to the ministry, being only 22 years old. After discussing it with James White, he decided to sell complete sets of Adventist publications issued by the press at that time—35 cents’ worth. It was a success from the beginning
A vision given to Ellen White helped him to begin, when he doubted whether he could support his family. Relating this vision Ellen White said: “Brother Loughborough is holding back from his duty to preach the message, trying to get means for his support. The Lord told me to say, ‘Decide to preach the message and the Lord will open the way for your family’s support.’” —Divine Predictions Fulfilled, p. 25–27. He had been selling sashlocks, but it had not gone well. Down to his last three cents, he gave his wife a penny for thread and a penny for matches. While she was gone, a man came to the door and ordered $60 worth of sashlocks. Loughborough made a profit of more than thirty dollars on the sale. His ministry was begun.
In 1856 he became discouraged by the enormous challenges of those days and decided to go to Waukon, Iowa, to farm. James and Ellen White traveled there by horse and sleigh to encourage him. The Whites persuaded Loughborough to return to the ministry, and he never wavered again—no matter how difficult the tasks were. He returned with great zeal to his work, although for some time he still laboured under difficult circumstances.
For the next several years, Loughborough conducted evangelistic work in Pennsylvania, New York, and the Midwest. He took an interest in selling Adventist literature and helped pioneer the concept of selling printed material in conjunction with evangelism meetings. He then served as president of the Michigan Conference (1865–1868) and treasurer of the General Conference (1868–1869). Loughborough joined James and Ellen White in advocating church organization in 1860. Often they traveled together, in public ministry to the church.
As a result of a serious illness brought on by overwork (1865), he became deeply interested in health reform and wrote a book called Hand Book of Health; or a Brief Treatise on Physiology and Hygiene (1868).
In 1868, Loughborough was sent by the General Conference to assist pioneering the Adventist work in California. Loughborough had been thinking of California for several months, based on a number of dreams he had received, showing him making the journey to California by ship. Thus, at the General Conference session in Battle Creek, when James White asked if anyone might be willing to go west, Loughborough stood and said he was willing. Bourdeau joined him. Just prior to boarding the ship in New York, Loughborough married Margaret Newman, with Bourdeau performing the ceremony.
The California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists was officially formed in 1873. Loughborough was selected to serve as the first president, with offices in Oakland. It was during this time that his second wife, Margaret (Maggie) passed away. In 1877, he married his third wife, Anna Driscol, who was secretary and treasurer of the publishing house; James White officiated at the ceremony.
A widower once again, Loughborough made a world tour in 1908, at the age of 76, traveling through Europe, Africa, Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand. During this extended journey he traveled some 30,000 miles by water and 6,000 miles by land, attending 500 meetings and preaching 352 times. Soon after the end of this trip, he retired from active ministry, settling in Lodi to be near his daughter. He continued serving the church through occasional trips to camp meetings, institutions, and General Conference sessions.
Loughborough saw Ellen White in public vision more often than any other person, with the exception of her husband, James. Late in his life he claimed to have witnessed more than 50 public visions. On several occasions, these visions included physical phenomena. He was also present in Rochester, New York, when she prayed for the healing of the pressman, Oswald Stowell. Stowell had been given up by the physician to die. He was healed and back at work in two days.
Due to failing health, Loughborough moved to St. Helena Sanitarium where he remained until he passed away on April 7, 1924, at age 92, after more than a half century of service.