Book: Clarence Creager Crisler, Organization: Its Character, Purpose, Place, and Development in the Seventh-day Adventist Church (Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1938). HTML, PDF.
[p. 121]
Chapter 14: Counsels and Warnings—1874-1888
“When we became a fully organized body,” wrote Mrs. E. G. White in 1874, “and several men were chosen to act in responsible positions, then it was the proper time for my husband to cease to act longer as one man to stand under the responsibilities and carry the heavy burdens. This labor devolved on more than one.”—Testimonies for the Church, Vol. III, p. 501.
“God would not have us take the responsibilities or bear the perplexities which belong to others. We may stand as counselors, and help … with our influence and our judgment. We may do much if we will not be induced to get under the load and bear the weight which others should bear, and which it is important for them to bear in order to gain a necessary experience.”—Id., p. 503.
In an address to the delegates assembled at the 1883 General Conference, Mrs. White outlined at length the principles having to do with the sharing of responsibilities by many in all parts of the field, rather than the placing of too many burdens on any one man, whatever his position.
Steps in Advance
Soon after the close of the 1885 session of the European Council, Mrs. White began sending communications to the brethren in responsibility in America, placing before [p. 122] them anew the necessity of taking counsel one with another, and of giving room for the workings of the Holy Spirit upon the minds of the individual workers.
In a letter written October 25, 1885, from Orebro, Sweden, to two of the leading members of the General Conference Committee, she said:
“My prayer is that the Lord may be with you in great power during the coming conference. Some may be absent that you might wish were present; but Jesus is your helper. I sincerely hope and pray that those who bear responsibilities in Michigan, New England, Ohio, Indiana, and other States, will take broader views of the work than they have done. I hope Michigan will take a step in advance. I feel to regret the fact that there is such a dearth of breadth of mind and of farseeing ability. Workers should be educated and trained for the fields of labor. We need missionaries everywhere. We need men and women who will give themselves without reserve to the work of God, bringing many sons and daughters to God. …
“Too many have marked out a prescribed line which they wish others to follow in the work. Workers have tried to do this with blind faith, without exercising their own judgment upon the matter which they had in hand. If those who were placed as directors were not present, they have followed their implicit directions just the same. But in the name of Christ, I would entreat you to stop this work. Give men a chance to exercise their individual judgment.
“Men who follow the leading of another, and are willing that another should think for them, are unfit to be entrusted with responsibility. …
[p. 123]
Individual Initiative
“Our leading brethren have made a great mistake in marking out all the directions that the workers should follow, and this has resulted in deficiency, in a lack of a care-taking spirit in the worker, because they have relied upon others to do all their planning, and have themselves taken no responsibility.
“Should the men who have taken this responsibility upon themselves step out of our ranks, or die, what a state of things would be found in our institutions! Leading men should place responsibilities upon others, and allow them to plan and devise and execute, so that they may obtain an experience. Give them a word of counsel when necessary, but do not take away the work because you think the brethren are making mistakes. …
“I think I have laid out this matter many times before you, but I see no change in your actions. We want every responsible man to drop responsibilities upon others. Set others at work that will require them to plan, and to use judgment. Do not educate them to rely upon your judgment. …
“Do not think that these men who do follow out your ideas are the only ones that can be trusted. You have sometimes thought that because they do your will to the letter, they were the only ones in whom you could place dependence. If any one exercised his own judgment, and differed with you, you have disconnected from him as one that could not be trusted.
“Take your hands off the work, and do not hold it fast in your grasp. You are not the only man whom God will use. Give the Lord room to use the talents He has entrusted [p. 124] to men, in order that the cause may grow. Give the Lord a chance to use men’s minds. We are losing much by our narrow ideas and plans. Do not stand in the way of the advancement of the work, but let the Lord work by whom He will. Educate, encourage young men to think and act, to devise and plan, in order that we may have a multitude of counselors.”—Manuscript, a portion of which is published in Special Testimonies for Ministers and Workers, No. 6, pp. 61-65.
Exclusiveness Among Laborers
In an article published in the Review in April, 1866, Mrs. White bore further testimony as follows, concerning the principles impressed upon her mind anew at that time:
“It is important that those who engage in the work of God be constant learners in the school of Christ. Indeed, this is absolutely necessary if they would labor with acceptance in the great, the solemn work of presenting the truth to the world. If self is kept out of sight, and the workers labor with humility and wisdom, a sweet spirit of harmony will exist among them. …
“The Lord does not apportion to any one man some special territory in which he alone is to labor. This is contrary to His plans. He designs that in every place where the truth is introduced, different minds, different gifts, shall be brought in to exert an influence upon the work. …
“Because a person has ability in one direction, it is no sign that his judgment on all other subjects is perfect, and that the wisdom of some other mind does not need to be united with his.
[p. 125]
“Those who do labor together should seek to be in perfect harmony. And yet no one should feel that he cannot labor with those who do not see just as he sees, and who do not in their labors follow just his plans. If all manifest a humble, teachable spirit, there need be no difficulty. God has set in the church different gifts. These are precious in their proper places, and all may act a part in the work of preparing a people for Christ’s soon coming.
“ ‘He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.’ Eph. 4:11-13. …
“This is God’s order, and if men expect success, they must labor according to His arrangement. Oh, how much the workers need the spirit of Jesus to change and fashion them as clay is molded in the hands of the potter! When they have this spirit, there will be no spirit of variance among them; no one will be so narrow as to want everything done his way, according to his ideas; there will be no inharmonious feeling between him and his brother laborers who do not come up to his standard.
“The Lord does not want any of His children to be shadows of others; but He would have each one be his own simple self, refined, sanctified, ennobled by imitating the life and character of the great Pattern. The narrow, shut-in, exclusive spirit which keeps everything within the compass of one’s self, has been a curse to the cause of God and always will be wherever allowed to exist.
[p. 126]
An Impressive Dream
“During the recent conference at Basel I had an impressive dream concerning those who were engaged in the work of God. A tall, noble-looking man was examining a book of records. Drawing near with a number of others, I saw the reports of labor for 1885, and was told that every man’s work was accurately recorded there.
“According to this record, some had done considerable labor. They had not saved themselves, they had worked harder and done more than was required of them. Others had not given themselves a living sacrifice. …
“There were also registered in this book the names of workers who appeared to be humble, but who were self-sufficient and egotistical. The work must go according to their ideas or not at all; and yet they made no efforts to teach others how to work, to patiently instruct them in every branch of the work which they themselves understood. Instead of this, they selfishly retained this knowledge to themselves. None are excusable for this exclusiveness, for thus confining their work to a small compass.
“The cause of God, not only in Europe, but in America, has suffered greatly because of these narrow ideas of labor. Much talent which is now lost to the cause might have been seen and made use of; many might have been educated, and today be useful laborers in the cause of God, had it not been for these exclusive, these narrow ideas.
“O that those laboring in all parts of the vineyard of the Lord might see how their record appears, when self is mingled with everything they do! O that they might see the importance of submitting their wills and ways to God, and of being in harmony with their brethren, of one mind, of one judgment! As soon as they do this, God will [p. 127] work through them to will and to do of His good pleasure.”—Review and Herald, April 13, 1886.
Unswerving Allegiance to God
In a manuscript addressed in 1886 to brethren in responsibility, occur the following words:
“God says to every man to whom He entrusts responsibilities, ‘Put not your trust in man, neither make flesh your arm.’ Look to God. Trust in His infallible wisdom. Regard as a sin the practice so common, even among Seventh-day Adventists, of becoming the echo of any man, however lofty his position. Listen to the voice of the Great Shepherd, and you will never be led astray. Search the Scriptures for yourself, and be braced for duty and for trial by the truth of God’s word. Let no friendship, no influence, no entreaty, let not the smiles, the confidence, or the rewards of any man, induce you to swerve from the path in which the Lord would lead you. Let Christlike integrity and consistency control the actions of your life. The man who sits most at the feet of Jesus, and is taught by the Saviour’s spirit, will be ready to cry out, I am weak and unworthy, but Christ is my strength and my righteousness.”—Ellen G. White Manuscript 15, 1886.
Right Relations
One of the plainest of all the communications sent to brethren in positions of responsibility by Mrs. White is the following:
“Men, fallible men, are not to think it is their prerogative to control, to mark out, or to prescribe the labors of their fellow men. When God works upon the human instrumentality, let men be very careful how they intermeddle. …
[p. 128]
“The work of God has often been hindered by men considering that they had power to say, ‘Go here’ or ‘Go there,’ ‘Do this’ or ‘Do that,’ without consulting the individual himself, or respecting his convictions as a laborer together with God. God has promised His presence to every believer; and let those who are in positions of authority, presidents of conferences and board councils, and every one who has to do with the human mind, respect the individuality of mind and conscience. These workers are in copartnership with Jesus Christ, and you may interpose yourself so as to interfere with God’s plans; for the human agent is under His special authority and dictation.
“When men composing boards and councils are themselves walking at a distance from God, of what value is their discernment and wisdom to decide in reference to the work of God’s delegated servants? The human mind is open to jealousies, evil surmisings, and selfish considerations, and God’s plans are often turned aside by the caprice and by the plans of unconsecrated men. If the door is not closed to the enemy, he will enter and will figure largely in human inventions. The Lord requires the men who have a directing influence in His work, to be wholly consecrated to Him. He wants them to have hearts of flesh, and not of steel. …
“Christ is our example, and every soul placed in a position of trust, needs the subduing influence of the Spirit of God upon his heart day by day. Christ wept with those that wept. In all their afflictions He was afflicted, and was touched with the feeling of their infirmities. He is a tender and faithful high priest. He considers the cases of the tempted and tried ones as verily His own, and He ministers unto them. These weak ones of [p. 129] the flock are to be carefully nourished with the manna Christ has supplied. They are to be educated not to look to men and trust in men, whatever may be their calling.
“God would have all such confederacies broken, … and remodeled upon Christlike principles. The foundation stone must be mercy. Human minds are not to be trammeled, and harnessed up and driven by human hands. The Lord Jesus must hold the reins in His own hands, pierced to bring peace and comfort and hope to every soul who will believe on Him. He gives to the purchase of His blood the guardianship of His grace; they shall move in His light, clad in the robes of His righteousness. To every man is given his work; and while souls are brought into church capacity, work is assigned them of God. They are to move as minds that are under the controlling influence of God.
“Men are educated to look to men, to be dependent on men. One man, by virtue of his position, exercises authority over them as if they were to be led by lines, this way and that, as dumb animals. God has not directed in this way. God is our chief, God is our instructor, and to Him we must look. We must ask the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and expect to be led and controlled by it.
“The church organization is to be respected, but it is not to be made in any way a galling yoke. Men are not to assume the prerogative of God, and think to rule and coerce and oppress the souls of God’s purchased possession. All heaven is indignant at what man, with complacency, will do to his fellow men, claiming at the same time to be a representative of Jesus Christ. …
“Christ has found His pearl of great price in lost, perishing souls. He sold all that He had to come into [p. 130] possession, even engaged to do the work, and run the risk of losing His own life in the conflict. How then should man regard his fellow men? Christ has demonstrated the way. He says, ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.’ John 13:34.
“When these words are heeded and obeyed in the spirit and in the letter, we will be doers of the word, and not hearers only. When these words are practiced by those who claim to have wisdom to guide the sheep of the Lord’s pasture, they have far less selfishness, far less boasting, far less putting forth the finger and speaking vanity.
“Jesus is to superintend all events in the present and future of His church. John was instructed to write the things which he had seen, ‘and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.’ Rev. 1:19, 20.
“O that men would revere the great Head of the church, and would manufacture less human methods, bringing down spirituality to the very dust with human inventions! God has been left out, and the church is not prepared to advance to the conflict under the banner of Jesus Christ. It is not doing the work for suffering souls, which Christ owns as if done to Himself. But the church, defective as it is, and enfeebled with so much chaff, is the only object on earth upon which He bestows His highest regard. In His estimation, the church in heaven and the church on earth are identical. He has promised to come personally into the midst of His church. He says to every [p. 131] one holding a position of trust, ‘Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.’ Matt. 11:29, 30.
“Men in official positions must realize that their position gives them no license to be unkind or uncourteous, no license to be oppressive, and to let their tongues, which should be sanctified, speak words which will open a door of temptation, and help the great adversary in his work of discouraging souls. God has given us a work to do in saving souls from the companionship of Satan.”—Ellen G. White Manuscript 43, 1895.
No Restriction in God’s Work
“If our workers are going forward in any place, do not put up the bars, and say, ‘Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther.’ I feel sad that you have closed up the school at ———. I see that the brethren sent to look after this enterprise have not taken measures to advance the work by soliciting donations from men who could give, There are rich men in the conference who have made complaints about the debt that has been incurred, who ought to have sustained these workers. While reproach and discouragement have been cast upon the workers, the impression has been left upon those who have means that they have a perfect right to question every enterprise that calls for money.
“God does not require you to take such a course that the workers in ——— or anywhere else shall not feel at liberty to make advance movements unless they can consult you, and ask what your judgment of the matter is before they advance. I cannot sanction the idea that you [p. 132] must have a personal oversight of all the details of the work. If I did, the result would be that no worker would dare to exercise his own judgment in anything. The workers would have to rely upon one man’s brain and one man’s judgment, and the result would be that men would be left in inefficiency because of their inactivity. There are altogether too many of this class now, and they amount to next to nothing. I write this because I feel deeply on this point. We are not doing one half that we ought to do. …
“I cannot see that you have gained anything in making the move that you have, nor can I feel that it is in accordance with God’s order. It will work nothing but injury, not only to those that have complained about the debt, but also to the workers. Men who have property, and could have helped this enterprise, will breathe more freely. These moneyed men will be encouraged not to do more for the cause than they have done, but to do less. They will feel at liberty to complain concerning anything that calls for an outlay of means. …
“Unless those who can help in ——— are roused to a sense of their duty, they will not recognize the work of God when the loud cry of the third angel shall be heard. When light goes forth to lighten the earth, instead of coming up to the help of the Lord, they will want to bind about His work to meet their narrow ideas. Let me tell you that the Lord will work in this last work in a manner very much out of the common order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human planning.
“There will be those among us who will always want to control the work of God, to dictate even what movements shall be made when the work goes forward under the direction [p. 133] of the angel who joins the third angel in the message to be given to the world. God will use ways and means by which it will be seen that He is taking the reins in His own hands. The workers will be surprised by the simple means that He will use to bring about and perfect His work of righteousness.
“Those who are accounted good workers will need to draw nigh to God, they will need the divine touch. They will need to drink more deeply and continuously at the fountain of living water, in order that they may discern God’s work at every point. Workers may make mistakes, but you should give them a chance to correct their errors, give them an opportunity to learn caution by leaving the work in their hands.”—Portion of a letter addressed to the president of the General Conference, dated Oct. 1, 1885; published in Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 297-300.
[p. 134]