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Rethinking Church Organization-7
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Nov. 29 - Rethinking Church Organization-7

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What causes fights and quarrels among you? James 4:1, NIV.

Excellent question! The answer is universally perverted human nature. We want our own
way. We want to protect our turf That's true of individuals everywhere, whether it be in their family or professional lives. In the church such strife can arise when the "mission" of individuals supersedes the gospel mission commanded by God.

Two structural problems continued after the 1901 meetings. The first was that the powerful medical branch under the control of Dr. John Harvey Kellogg still remained outside the departmental system. The second was the issue of presidency.

By 1902 a major power struggle had developed between A. G. Daniells, the "chair" of the General Conference executive committee, and Kellogg. It resulted from the fact that Daniells called for fiscal responsibility while the doctor had plans for unlimited spending as he increased his medical empire.

The solution to the difficulty seemed clear to Kellogg, who controlled one third of the votes in the executive committee and had influence over others. Dump Daniells and replace him with A. T. Jones, who was favorable to Kellogg's point of view.

The thunderous sounds of struggle shook the denomination in November 1902. The issue: who would control the church and for what reasons. We can be thankful that Daniells won a battle that would determine the purpose of Adventism in the twentieth century.

Meanwhile, finding that for legal purposes it was almost a necessity, Daniells had resumed using the title of "president."

Such were the struggles that set the stage for the 1903 General Conference session. Those meetings made the medical program a department of the church, restored the presidency, and set the stage for schism.

All too often in church history the mission becomes me and my program. Such is the death of peace and spirituality. The devil is always on hand to encourage us to push for our individual agendas. Each of us finds ourselves tempted to be central, to sit on our little throne.

 

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Lord, help us to examine our motives as we work for You. Save us from our "selves."
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