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What Is The Authority Of...

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July 26 - What Is The Authority Of The General Conference?-3

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Christ is the head of the church. Eph. 5:23, RSV.

Clarification often comes through give-and-take discussion. That was certainly the case as the church wrestled with the issue of the authority of the General Conference.

Possibly taking his cue from James White's pronouncements on the topic, George I. Butler, president of the General Conference since 1871, also decided to write on the power of the General Conference president.

"There never was any great movement in this world without a leader; and in the very nature of things there cannot be," he asserted in his address on leadership to the November 1873 General Conference session. While Christ is head of the church, he argued, it is "no small thing" to hinder an individual when God has called him to the leadership of His cause. Butler had no doubt that James White had played a role akin to that of Moses, and that in all matters of expediency in the Adventist cause it was right "to give [White's] judgement the preference."

While Butler was ostensibly writing to support James White as the true leader of the Adventist church, undoubtedly he was at the same time seeking to strengthen his own position.

In response, the General Conference session delegates resolved "that we fully endorse the position taken in the paper read by Eld. Butler on Leadership. And we express our firm conviction, that our failure to appreciate the guiding hand of God in the selection of his instruments to lead out in this work has resulted in serious injury to the prosperity of the cause, and in spiritual loss to ourselves." The resolution concluded with a commitment by the delegates to "faithfully. . .regard" the principles that Butler had set forth.

The far-reaching claims regarding individual leadership made by Butler left both of the White distinctly uncomfortable-not only because Butler had cast them in the role of Moses, but because they saw dangers in his glorification of human leaders.

James felt that he had to meet Butler's claims publicly in the Signs and the Reveiw. He left no doubt in anyone's mind that Christ is the head of the church and that He had never appointed one particular disciple to direct the affairs of His church.

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Lord, as both members and leaders in Your church, help us never to lose sight of the Christ who is ultimately in charge.

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