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Rethinking Church Organization-3
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Nov. 24 - Rethinking Church Organization-3

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This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed to men all over the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matt. 24:14, Phillips.

The second avenue to organizational reform in the 1890s would emerge in the denomination's mission fields and would focus on pragmatic necessity rather than theology. It is not that theology was absent. Rather it was not central. The theological foundation of this approach was eschatology. Since Adventists needed to preach the three angels' messages to all the world before the Second Advent, this second approach focused on the mission of the denomination as it related to its eschatological goal.

The first element of the reform began in the newly established South African Conference in 1892 under the leadership of A. T. Robinson. His major problem involved a shortage of personnel. In no way could he staff all of the legally independent auxiliary organizations that had developed in Battle Creek. Where, for example, was he to find leadership for the Publishing Association, the General Tract and Missionary Society, the
Educational Society, the General Sabbath School Association, the' Health and Temperance Association, the General Conference Association, and the Foreign Mission
Board?

Robinson's solution was born of necessity. He would not create independent organizations, but would develop departments under the conference system.

Both O. A. Olsen, General Conference president, and W. C. White felt concerns over the suggestion and the General Conference wrote to Robinson not to create the departments.

But it was too late. Because of the large amount of time it took to communicate by ship's
mail in those days, by the time the instruction from the General Conference arrived Robinson had already instituted the program and found that it worked.

Later in the 1890s Robinson transferred to Australia where he was able to sell the departmental idea to A. G. Daniells and W. C. White. They in turn would take the idea to the 1901 General Conference session as part of a reorganization plan.

Innovation is often the origin of progress. While structure and rules are necessary for any stable organization, the ability to improvise is essential for continued vitality. 

 

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Help us, Father, to find the proper balance between regulations and innovations in both our daily life and in our church.
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