Master Guide Class Adventist History Class 2
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Master Guide Class Adventist History Class 2 Church Growth: The last decade of the 1800s brought an emphasis on, and a growth in, African-American members. Charles M. Kinney became the first Black ordained Adventist pastor in 1889. In 1894, Ellen White’s oldest son, Edson, and his friend Will Palmer, along with their wives, picked-up a restored paddle-wheel boat on the Ohio River. They named the boat The Morning Star, and they travelled down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to the area around Vicksburg. For the next several years they worked among the former slaves, teaching them to read, baptizing them, and establishing churches. Sometimes they and their coverts faced resistance and threats from the White population. During these years, the foreign mission work continued to explode. One especially important event involved the building of a special mission ship. In 1886, John Tay, an Adventist lay person, arrived on Pitcairn Island, which was populated by the descendents of the famous Bounty mutiny. Soon, the entire population of the Island became Seventh-day Adventists. This became an inspiring story throughout the denomination. With the popularity of this story, the church launched a special world mission project. Sabbath School offerings from around the world were collected to fund the building of a ship, called The Pitcairn. In 1890, the ship was dedicated, and a group of missionaries set sail for the South Pacific. Their first stop was Pitcairn Island, which was the beginning of the first of seven voyages. The ship brought the Adventist message to many islands throughout the South Pacific. The boat was finally sold in 1890. Turn-of-the-Century Problems: In 1899, an Indiana Adventist “Revivalist,” named S.S. Davis began to utilize a Pentecostal approach in his meetings. He preached that “Spirit-filled” people were purified of sin and thus, ready for translation. This became known as the “Holy Flesh” movement, and it soon became a major influence throughout Indiana and nearby states. Ellen White quickly condemned this movement as being nothing but “fanatical emotionalism.” She stated that it was impossible to attain “Holy Flesh” in this sinful world. Elder Davis accepted Mrs. White’s counsel, and the movement soon died-out. In 1902, fires destroyed both the Battle Creek Sanitarium and the Review and Herald Publishing Association. Ellen White reported that these fires were an indication the God did not want the denomination’s institutions and leaders to all be centered in one place. Dr. Kellogg ignored her counsel and built an even larger Sanitarium. When he asked for church funding, the church refused. In reaction, Kellogg managed to take control of the institution – and all other medical facilities – away from the denomination. In addition, many of Kellogg’s medical associates left the church at this time. This was a major blow to the church. Due to his non-attendance and his pantheistic views, the Battle Creek Church disfellowshipped Dr. Kellogg in 1907. In 1916, the Battle Creek Sanitarium failed financially, and the property was taken over by the Federal Government. Although the Kellogg crisis devastated the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the remnant came together under the capable leadership of General Conference president, Arthur G. Daniels. He was followed by the former missionary William A. Spicer. Under their leadership, the church continued to grow – not only in North America – but throughout the world, as well. Ellen White’s Later Years: James White died in August, 1881. His wife was devastated, but she soon embarked upon another journey. Between 1881 and 1900, Ellen White lived in Australia. While there, she was instrumental in the establishment of Avondale College and the Sanitarium Health Foods Company. Upon her return to America, she settled near Pacific Union College, not far from Saint Helena, California. She spent her remaining years at her home, called “Elmshaven.” She finished the “Conflict of the Ages” series, visited the patients at the nearby sanitarium, and brought homemade bread to her neighbors. Mrs. White attended her last General Conference session in Washington, DC, in 1909, at the age of 81. Ellen G. White died on July 16, 1915. By this time, Mrs. White was an internationally recognized religious leader, and newspapers throughout the United States and other countries carried articles about her. Three funeral services were held – one at Elmshaven, one in the nearby city of Richmond, and one in Battle Creek, Michigan. She was buried in the family plot of Battle Creek’s Oak Hill Cemetery, joining her husband James, and two of her sons, Herbert and Henry. Adventist church leaders had often had their differences with Ellen White. Many received letters of concern or even reproof from the “Lord’s Messenger.” But they had also come to rely on her inspired counsel. Now that she was gone, there was a void. And yet, they had to move on, and this they did. First, the General Conference – at Mrs. White’s request – established the Ellen G. White Estate to oversee the publication of her books and other writings, and to handle her estate. The first Board of Trustees consisted of A.G. Daniels, F.M. Wilcox, C.H. Jones, Charles C. Crisler, and her son William C. White. The Rowen Affair: During World War I, an Adventist named Margaret Rowen of Los Angeles began to claim that she was having visions from God. Local church leaders examined her stories, and concluded that she was indeed under supernatural influence. Coming soon after the death of Ellen White, it seemed logical that God would appoint another prophet. However, it soon became clear that many of Mrs. Rowen’s 4 messages were in contradiction with both the Bible and the writings of Mrs. White. In 1918, the denomination officially rejected her “prophetic gift.” She left the church and began the Reformed Seventh-day Adventist Church, which by 1920 had around 1000 members. She was eventually convicted of fraud and then attempted to murder one of her disaffected associates. She ended-up serving time in San Quentin State Prison. The 1920s: The 1920s turned-out to be an exciting time for Seventh-day Adventists. First, the newly elected American President, Warren G. Harding, came from a family that included Adventists. His mother, brother, and sister were all Adventists. In fact, Harding put his brother-in-law, Heber Votaw – an Atlantic Union College professor – in charge of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. This is the highest position a Seventh-day Adventist has ever held in the U.S. government. During the 1920s, an Adventist layman, Jasper Wayne began the tradition of “Harvest Ingathering.” Harriet Holt of the General Conference began the “Progressive Class work,” which would develop into the Missionary Volunteer, and eventually Adventist Youth programs. In 1921, Adventist membership outside North America overtook the nation of its origin. The denomination was now truly a “World Church.” A rift developed within Protestantism during the 1920s. Several of the larger, more liturgical churches (e.g. Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and Methodists) begin to question, or even deny, such basic tenets of Christianity as the Divine inspiration of the Bible, and the Divinity of Christ. They would become known as “Mainline” churches. Other, more conservative churches (e.g. Baptists, Assembly of God) reacted to what they considered as heresy by coming to believe that every word of the Bible was Divinely inspired; it was Inerrant. These churches became known as “Fundamentalists.” Such Fundamentalist churches would eventually overtake the mainline churches in numbers. Seventh-day Adventists were divided on the issue of the inerrancy of the Bible. And, what about the writings of Ellen White? Mrs. White had clearly described the nature of her inspiration. In fact, in the Prologue to her book, The Great Controversy, she described how messages and visions had been given to her by Jesus or angels, and – in most cases – it had been left to her to compose the writings. She would even make use of editors and quotations from other authors. This is known as “thought,” rather than “verbal” inspiration. Unfortunately, however, many Adventists in the 1920s began to believe that both the Bible and Ellen White’s writing were inerrant. This belief would last well into the 1950s, and become a source for later problems. The 1930s: The 1930s was the time of the Great Depression. But, in spite of the financial woes, the Seventh-day Adventist Church was able to keep from running into debt. Two innovations took place in 1930. First, Elder Leo Halliwell and his wife – missionaries to Brazil – launched the first of what would be many medical launches on the Amazon River. The Luzeiro visited small villages and provided for the medical and dental needs of the local people. Also in 1930, a California evangelist named H.M.S. Richards began broadcasting on a local Los Angeles radio station. Within a few years, The Voice of Prophecy would first become a state-wide, and then a national radio program. It would be one of the most popular religious broadcasts of all time, and the VOP demonstrated that mass media could be an effective means to spread the Gospel message. Beginning in the 1920s, a disgruntled Adventist in Southern California, named Victor Houteff, started to teach that the SDA Church was in a “fallen condition.” He published an anti-SDA journal, called The Shepherd’s Rod. 1n 1935, Houteff moved his small group of followers to a compound in Waco, Texas, that he called the Mt. Carmel Center. Here he would re-establish the Old Testament kingdom of David. His followers became known as Davidians. Their successors would one day have an impact upon, not only the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but upon the United States, as well.