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Reinventing Babylon
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Dec. 1 - Reinventing Babylon

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Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth. Gen. 11:9.

After 1903 A. T. Jones became unrelenting in his attack on A. G. Daniells, Ellen White, and church structure. For him religious liberty had become freedom from church organization.

By 1907 Daniells noted that Jones and others aimed "to sow disaffection among the separate churches; wherever they can find a church that is out of joint with the body, they will fan the disaffection to a flame, and if possible, induce them to separate from the general organization."

As to the General Conference, Jones predicted that "there was going to be such a complete smash and breakup of that thing, that there would be nothing left of it."

Ellen White perceived that in their drive to congregationalism, Jones and his associates were seeking to take Adventism back to the Babylon of confusion that she and her husband had worked so hard to get the movement out of in the 1850s. "Oh," she penned in January 1907, "how Satan would rejoice if he could succeed in his efforts to get among this people and disorganize the work at a time when thorough organization is essential and will be the greatest power ... to refute claims not endorsed by the word of God! We want to hold the lines evenly, that there shall be no breaking down of the system of organization and order that has been built up by wise, careful labor....Some have advanced the thought that as we near the close of time, every child of God will act independently of any religious organization. But I have been instructed by the Lord that in this work there is no such thing as every man's being independent" (TM 489).

In 1909, the year that the church had to disfellowship Jones, she spoke of "deceived souls" advocating "the spirit of disorganization." While leaving room for independent judgment, she went on to firmly state that "God has ordained that the representatives of His church from all parts of the earth, when assembled in a General Conference, shall have authority" (9T 257, 259-261). Thus she sided with Daniells in no uncertain terms, even though she continued to warn him of exercising too much personal control. Her ideal was unity in diversity.

Now you know why it is important to reject the periodic appeals to congregationalism within Adventism. Reformation is one thing, but revolution toward disjointed action is quite another.

 

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The life in which the fear of the Lord is cherished will not be a life of sadness and gloom. It is the absence of Christ that makes the countenance sad, and the life a pilgrimage of sighs(COL 162).
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