Nov. 27 - Rethinking Church Organization-5

By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved. Hosea 12:13.

Some things seem almost impossible to do. One of them was the restructuring of the Adventist Church in 1901. The leading ministers had sparred on the topic for more than 10 years but had accomplished nothing.

That would all change beginning with a meeting of denominational leaders chaired by A. G. Daniells in the Battle Creek College library on April 1, 1901. Daniells told those assembled that some of them had met the evening before, but that they wanted to open up the discussion to additional people and also to allow "Sister White...to be present and place before us any light that she might have for us."

Ellen White, however, did not want to take charge of the meeting. "I thought," she told Daniells, "I would let you lead out, and then if I had anything to say, I would say it." He replied that he and his colleagues didn't want to discuss the issue of reorganization further until they had heard from her.

Mrs. White countered by saying, "I would prefer not to speak today,... not because I have not anything to say, because I have." Then she presented for about one and one half hours one of the most influential talks of her ministry.

In no uncertain terms she called for "new blood" and an "entire new organization" that broadened the governing base of the denomination. Opposing the centralization of power in a few individuals, she left no doubt that "kingly, ruling power" and any administrator who had a "little throne" would have to go. She urged "a renovation without
any delay. To have this conference pass on and close up as the conferences have done, with the same manipulating, with the same tone and the same order--God forbid! God forbid, brethren" (MS 43a, 1901).

The next day, the opening meeting of the General Conference session, saw her take the floor and request reorganization in no uncertain terms, even though "just how it is to be accomplished [she could] not say" (1901 GCB 25). From her perspective, it was her duty
to urge reform, but the responsibility of the delegates to develop the structures.

Here we find some interesting insights on Ellen White's prophetic role. In this case she functioned as the spark plug to get things moving. Without her igniting function in 1901 the church probably would not have taken any firm action on reorganization. The prophetic gift is one way God guides His people.