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James White Solves a Problem That Had No Answer George R Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Faculty Publications Church History 7-2014 Ecclesiastical Deadlock: James White Solves a Problem That Had No Answer George R. Knight Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/church-history-pubs Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, and the History of Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Knight, George R., "Ecclesiastical Deadlock: James White Solves a Problem That Had No Answer" (2014). Faculty Publications. 46. http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/church-history-pubs/46 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Church History at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GEORGE R. KNIGHT George R. Knight, EdD, is professor emeritus of church history at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, United States. Ecclesiastical deadlock: James White solves a problem that had no answer hurch organization was one Of course, some of the founders of James and Ellen White began to of the hardest fought battles what became Seventh-day Adventism emphasize that latter definition by in Adventism’s early decades. did not need much help on the anti- late 1853 as they faced the problems CExtending nearly 20 years, organizational front. For James White of a disorganized movement with little the struggle not only eventuated in and Joseph Bates, the stance came direction and no structure above the aspects of church order not suggested naturally, because they had come from congregational level. “It is a lamen- in Scripture but provided a key herme- the Christian Connexion, which had no table fact,” James thundered through neutical principle for deciding other effective church structure above the the pages of the Review and Herald topics not made explicit in the Bible. In congregational level.2 Even Ellen White, in December 1853, “that many of our the process, James White, and many who came from the highly structured Advent brethren who made a timely others, experienced a hermeneutical Methodist Episcopal Church, had seen escape from the bondage of the differ- metamorphosis, a necessary trans- the Babylonianish characteristics of ent churches [Babylon] . have since formation that allowed Seventh-day her denomination as ministers were been in a more perfect Babylon than Adventism to develop into a worldwide defrocked for advocating Millerism. They ever before. Gospel order has been too force. Without the change, Adventism sought to silence members who would much overlooked by them. probably still would be a backwater not be quiet on the topic and disfel- “. Many in their zeal to come out religious group largely confined to the lowshiped those who disobeyed that of Babylon, partook of a rash, disorderly northeastern and midwestern United hierarchical order—including her own spirit, and were soon found in a perfect States. family, which faced a church trial and Babel of confusion. To suppose What was the issue, and how can lost their church membership in 1843.3 that the church of Christ is free from we learn from it today? It was no accident that the earliest restraint and discipline, is the wildest Sabbatarian Adventists were suspicious fanaticism.”4 Deadlock of the persecuting power of Babylon. James’s wife agreed. Basing her In 1844, George Storrs set forth the They had felt the power of church struc- sentiments on a vision received during basic position for the Adventist struggle tures in a way that was not pleasurable her and James’s eastern tour in the fall over organization when he proclaimed or, they believed, even Christian. of 1852, Ellen wrote that “the Lord has “no church can be organized by man’s But as the Sabbatarians began to shown that gospel order has been too invention but what it becomes Babylon develop their own congregations in much feared and neglected. Formality the moment it is organized.” 1 That proc- the early 1850s, they soon realized that should be shunned; but, in so doing, lamation rang true to a generation of symbolic Babylon had more than one order should not be neglected. There Adventists who had been persecuted meaning in the Bible. Symbolic Babylon is order in heaven. There was order in by their denominations as Millerism could represent not only a persecuting the church when Christ was upon the reached its crest in 1843 and 1844. entity but also confusion. earth, and after His departure order was JULY 2014 Ministry® GEORGE R. KNIGHT strictly observed among His apostles. order we mean that order in church ordination of deacons, local elders, and And now in these last days, while God association and discipline taught in the pastors. By the mid-1850s, they were is bringing His children into the unity gospel of Jesus Christ by the writers of ordaining all three classes.10 of the faith, there is more real need of the New Testament.”7 A few months Gradually, they were strengthening order than ever before.”5 later he spoke of the “perfect system gospel order at the level of the local Even Bates was on board regarding of order, set forth in the New Testament church. In fact, the individual congrega- the need for church order. In harmony by inspiration of God. The Scriptures tion was the only level of organization with his Connexionist background, present a perfect system, which, if of which most Sabbatarians gave much Bates claimed that biblical church carried out, will save the Church from thought. Thus such leaders as Bates order must be restored before the imposters” and provide the ministers could preface an extended article on Second Advent. He argued that during with an adequate platform for carrying “Church Order” with the following the Middle Ages, the “law-breakers” out the work of the church.8 definition: “Church, signifies a particu- “deranged” such essential elements J. B. Frisbie, the most active writer lar congregation of believers in Christ, of Christianity as the Sabbath and in the Review in the mid-1850s on united together in the order of the biblical church order. God had used church order, agreed with Bates and gospel.”11 the Sabbatarian Adventists to restore White that every aspect of church order But in the second half of the 1850s, the seventh-day Sabbath, and it was needed to be explicitly spelled out in the church-order debate among “perfectly clear” to his mind “that God the Bible. Thus he argued against any Sabbatarians would focus on what was will employ law-keepers as instruments church name except the one given meant for congregations to be “united That shift was essential to the creative steps in church organization that he [James White] would advocate in the 1860s. to restore . a ‘glorious Church, not by God in the Bible. As he put it, “THE together.” At least five issues would having spot or wrinkle.’ . CHURCH OF GOD . is the only name that force leaders, such as James White, to “This unity of the faith, and perfect God has seen fit to give his church.” He look at church organization more glob- church order, never has existed since then referred his readers to such texts ally. The first had to do with the legal the days of the apostles.”6 as 2 Corinthians 1:1 (“the church of God ownership of property—especially the By 1853, the problem was not which is at Corinth”), noting that “it is publishing office and church buildings. seeing the need for church structure very evident that God never designed Other issues included the problems but biblical justification for such a that his church should be called by any of paying preachers, the assignment move. And that need takes us to early other name than the one he has given.” of preachers to work locations, the Adventist hermeneutics. All other names, such as Lutheran, transfer of membership between con- Roman Catholic, and Methodist, were gregations, and the question of how Hermeneutical human inventions and “savors more independent congregations should transformation and the of Babylon, confusion, mixture, than relate to each other. The problems way forward it does” of God’s church. By the same related to the paying and assigning While Bates was clear that the logic, Frisbie implied, along with other of preachers were especially difficult apostolic order of the church needed Adventists, that they should not keep because the Sabbatarians had no to be restored, he made no room for church membership lists since the settled pastors. The issues the young any element of organization not found names of God’s children are recorded movement faced led logically to think- explicitly in the New Testament. James in the books of heaven.9 ing beyond the congregational level. White, at this early period, shared a With their literalistic biblical By 1859, those concerns were similar opinion. Thus, he could write approach to church order, Frisbie joined by others, including the need to in 1854 that “by gospel, or church and others soon began to discuss the extend missionary labor to new fields. Ministry® JULY 2014 Those issues and others drove James Lord’s, and we had better leave it in his of Babylon than those professing the White to progressively urge the need for hands, he will take care of it.’ ‘Amen,’ Advent faith who reject Bible order. Is a more complex and adequate form of says Love-this-world, Slothful, Selfish, it not high time that we as a people church structure. and Stingy, ‘if God calls men to preach, heartily embrace everything that is “We lack system,” he cried out in the let them go out and preach, he will take good and right in the churches? Is it not Review on July 21, 1859.
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