Our Roots, Pt. 5

We continue with the Review and Herald series from 1907 on organization.

#3 (February 14, 1907)

While the people who had suffered such bitter disappointment because the Lord did not come as they had expected in 1844, were being scattered, and the leaders in the message were endeavoring to establish some sort of organization, or “associated action,” as they termed it, to aid in holding them together and harmonizing their sentiments, there were some who were earnestly seeking and fervently praying for a Scriptural explanation of that great movement. They could not believe that the message they had received and proclaimed was a deception and a fraud. They had seen nothing that had disproved the correctness of the fundamental truths of the message. They would not reject what they could not prove to be false; and, moreover, they refused to repudiate the personal religious experience they had enjoyed while believing and teaching the message.

Among those who turned to the Scriptures with their hearts set on finding a true, consistent explanation of that terrible disappointment under the first angel’s message were Joseph Bates and James White and his wife. The earnest, prayerful study of these servants of God was soon rewarded. They began to awaken to the fact that there was a third angel’s message which was to follow the first and second messages which they had given. The study of the third message led to a study of the whole sanctuary question, and this gave the desired explanation of the entire movement, including the disappointment, under the first and second messages.

The relief and joy that came to their hearts with this new-found light was beyond all expression. As a natural consequence they yearned to make this explanation known to others. As they endeavored to give to their friends and neighbors the truth they discovered, it became clearer, and grew larger to them, until a beautiful, harmonious, convincing system of truth was developed, which has found its way to all lands, and has won the confidence, love, and loyalty of thousands of men and women.

The dawning of the light of the third angel’s message was to mark the beginning of a new religious movement. The church must again proclaim a definite message “before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” Rev. 14:6; 10:11. That great world-wide movement was inaugurated by those humble believers to whom the time, place, and meaning of the third angel’s message was revealed. Perhaps no great movement in the history of God’s people had ever started in such apparent weakness as did this one. The first believers in the third message were few in number, and had but few friends who sympathized with them. They had no facilities of any kind with which to carry forward their work, and they were penniless. The only possible course open to them was house-to-house visitation among such of their old friends and fellow believers as would listen to them. They made use of this one opportunity. The message had power. Many of their friends were convinced that they had the truth, and joined them in obeying it and in making it known to others. As their numbers increased, they were able to come together for local and general meetings. Men went out as preachers at their own expense, companies of believers were established here and there, printing was undertaken, and the circle of their operations continually widened. Schools were established, medical missionary work was begun, and foreign missionary enterprises were entered upon.

At the beginning of this movement, little thought was given to the question of organization. In the first place, there was very little if anything that called for system or organization, and in the second place the majority of those who first connected with the movement had been in the movement under the first angel’s message, where organization had no place, and by whose leaders it was looked upon with disfavor.

But there came a time when some of the leaders in this new movement became convinced that there should be established some sort of organization securing order, system, and intelligent co-operation in carrying forward the work. Elder James White was among the first to recognize this need. As editor of the Review and Herald, the one general paper of the believers, he occasionally made mention of the lack of order, harmony, and system that existed. He wrote an editorial now and then on “Gospel Order,” which indicated the trend of his thoughts. But it was not until 1860, fifteen years after the cause was inaugurated, that the first definite suggestion was made in the church paper that steps should be taken to establish some form of organization for safeguarding and advancing the interests of the cause.

At the time this suggestion was made, there were several thousands of believers, and some twenty or thirty regular ministers. The cause had been carried as far west in the States as Minnesota and Iowa. Two regular papers were being published, a small printing-house had been built, and equipped with machinery, and a number of small meeting-houses had been erected. And yet there was nothing in the way of organization. No name had been chosen by which the believers might be known or designated as a people. No church organization had been effected. The believers met together wherever they could, and conducted services as they thought best. There were no regularly established church-members nor officers. There was no way of determining who were accredited representatives of the people, and no regular nor adequate means of support provided for the ministers who were known to be true. No provision was made for legally holding the church buildings nor the property of any general institution. Nor was there any way by which wills, legacies, etc., could be made secure to the cause. About six thousand dollars of resources had accrued to the publishing plant, yet it belonged to no one unless it might be Elder White, who acted as publishing agent. Financial obligations had been created, but no one was legally responsible for them.

In view of such a situation, it is not surprising that some of the brethren on whose shoulders the heaviest responsibilities of the cause rested, began to demand that some plan of organization be adopted by which this chaos might be transformed into order.

Next: A Closer Look