July 25 - What Is The Authority Of The General Conference?-2

He called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority. Luke 9:1.

No Bible-believing Christian doubts the fact that Christ gave authority to His 12 disciples. But we have a bit more difficulty with authority issues in our day.

The tensions in Adventism on the topic became evident in 1873, when Jaems White faced the issue head-on. First, he stated his positive convictions. While noting the belief that "we unhesitatingly experss our firm conviction that organization with us was by the direct providence of God" and the God's "guiding hand" could be seen in leading them to an organization that after a "lapse of more than ten years has not revealed defects which have demanded changes," White also sounded a defensive note in discussing the role of the General Conference.

In particular, he wrote that it is "simply an insult to our system of organization" to let the president (George I. Butler) and other members of the General Conference Executive Committee do all the work at the state camp meetings and then "not show proper regard for their position and judgement in the important business of the State Conferences."

In that mode, Whilte observed that "our General Conference is the highest earthly authority with our people, and is designed to take charge of the entire work in this and in all other countries." Thus "the officers of our State Conferences and. also, those of our institutions. . .are expected to respect our General Conference Committee as the men appointed to take the general supervision of the cause in all its branches and interests."

White went on to claim that General Conference representatives should be present at each business convocation of the state conferences. To disregard the proper role of the General Conference leaders, he told his readers, "is an insult to God's providential dealings with us, and a sin of no small magnitude."

We should keep in mind that James White said quite a bit when he stated that the "General Conference is the highest earlthly authority" in Adventism, reflecting his wife's earlier sentiments.

Now, we know that the immediate context of that statement relates to the local conferences. But what are the implications for the life of the church and even my personal life? The larger question for each of us is How should I relate to my church? That is an especially important issue since God is a Diety of order rather than confusion.