The 1901 General Conference Session

don · 01-09-09 8:12 pm

The 1901 General Conference Session <blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!>quote:The turn of the century shook the church with near financial bankruptcy and inadequate structures to deal with the growing problems of a global church. So the 1901 General Conference session, the prodding of Ellen White, and the fertile mind of A.G. Daniells coalesced to lay the foundation of a new church organization that created union conferences and missions, departments at all levels, and the General Conference executive committee which dispersed power and authority, union ownership of institutions, and even the abolition of a General Conference president, whose place was to be taken by a chairman elected by and served at the pleasure of the executive committee. The last innovation was found impractical and did not last for long. An excerpt from a book review of George Knight’s book, “Organizing to Beat the Devil.” <a href="http://www.adventistarchives.org/docs/MIN/MIN2003-06/index.djvu?djvuopts&page=30" target="_blank">Ministry Magazine, June 2003, page 30</a> (a DjVu file)<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>The intention of this thread is to examine, in some detail, the proceedings and social interactions of this momentous session. .

don · 01-09-09 8:47 pm

DAILY PROGRAM OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE. <table border=1><tr><td>5:30-6:30 A. M., </TD><TD></TD><TD>Social-meeting. </TD></TR><TR><TD>7:00 A. M., </TD><TD></TD><TD>Breakfast </TD></TR><TR><TD>9:00-10:00 A. M., </TD><TD></TD><TD>Bible Study. </TD></TR><TR><TD>10:30-12:20 A. M., </TD><TD></TD><TD>Business Proceedings. </TD></TR><TR><TD>1:00 P. M., </TD><TD></TD><TD>Dinner. </TD></TR><TR><TD>3:00-5:00 P. M., </TD><TD></TD><TD>General Business. </TD></TR><TR><TD>6:00-6:50 P. M., </TD><TD></TD><TD>Divisional Prayer-meeting. </TD></TR><TR><TD>7:00-8:15 P. M., </TD><TD></TD><TD>Preaching. </TD></TR><TR><TD></td></tr></table> Source: <a href="http://www.adventistarchives.org/docs/GCB/GCB1901-01/Index.djvu" target="_blank">General Conference Bulletin, April 2, 1901</a> (a DjVu file) Questions and Observations:<blockquote>1. I wonder what the 5:30 a.m. social meeting was like. How many attended? Who attended? What did they talk about? Was this like a testimony meeting? 2. What did they serve at meals? 3. How were the business proceedings managed? How did they seat the delegates? Were the proceedings cordial or tense? 4. Who spoke at the Bible Study and Preaching times?</blockquote> .

renie · 01-09-09 8:50 pm

I know.....I'm dumb. What was so great about the 1901 GC session? I wasn't even alive then. renie

elaine · 01-09-09 10:43 pm

What did they have for breakfast: bacon and eggs? <img src="http://www.atomorrow.net/discus/clipart/happy.gif" border=0>

don · 01-10-09 1:28 am

What was so great about the 1901 GC session? I wasn't even alive then. A.W. Spalding described the 1901 session:<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!>quote:Arthur W. Spalding, Origin and History of Seventh-day Adventists, Volume 3, page 20 Chapter 2, The Great Conference "THIS will be the most important conference ever held by the Seventh-day Adventist people." The words were spoken by President George A. Irwin in the tabernacle at Battle Creek, Michigan, at the opening of the General Conference of 1901. He was looking down into a sea of faces that filled the great church. Nigh two hundred and fifty delegates from the United Slates and many countries overseas occupied the center of the auditorium, -the nucleus of an assembly five thousand strong that, cramming to its utmost capacity the tabernacle — auditorium, galleries, opened vestries — over flowed and turned away by the hundreds. … … There was a problem of organization. The greatest question facing this conference, involving in some respects all the other questions, was that of so distributing the responsibilities and of so reducing the authority of a small group that freedom of action and enterprise might be accorded to the workers in local and regional territory. This reform envisaged a reorganization…. … First, the Sabbath school work developed, and by degrees there emerged the International Sabbath School Association. Then the sanitariums and the health work grew, and in time there came to be an International Health and Temperance Association, later (1895) the International Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association, with many branches. Then the overseas mission work was taken under the wing of a Foreign Mission Board. The religious liberty work was organized as the International Religious Liberty Association. The schools were owned and managed by local constituencies and boards, with only a nominal allegiance to the General Conference. The publishing houses were independent of one another and of the General Conference, but together they developed the colporteur work, and managed it through State agents. The distribution of literature, however, had another outlet in the Vigilant Missionary Societies first organized by S. N. Haskell, resulting in the International Tract Society. All these agencies were independent or semi-independent, and worked together or at cross purposes according to the degree of divine grace in the hearts of their members and officers. Nominally the General Conference was the parent of them all; but the reciprocative organizations creaked in operation, sometimes got out of hand, and were disciplined to a degree, like the obstreperous adolescent children of an ill-managed family, by the increasing arbitrariness and severity of the parent. Thus there came to be what Mrs. White denounced as the exercise of "kingly power." The fortunes and fates of several of these organizations were controlled by interlocking directorates, wherein a few men in Battle Creek (and in lesser degree in Oakland, on the Pacific Coast) who were influential members of nearly all the boards could put their veto or their approval upon the work. Distrusting this state of things, the people restricted their liberality, and scarcity of funds exasperated the situation. Certain of the organizations; however, being more vigorous and assertive, appeared to suspicious eyes ready to grasp all power and authority, and become rivals to the General Conference. Especially was this the case of the International Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association, with several affiliated State organizations. This association in 1901 employed more people than did the General Conference, and commanded more income. It was vigorous and missionary-minded; and under the dynamic leadership of Dr. J. H. Kellogg had pushed its activities into neglected fields of service which should have been the work of the whole denomination. Dr. Kellogg and his associates indeed desired that it should be the whole church's work; but, often defeated and discouraged by the lax loyalty to health principles and the health message on the part of many ministers and people, they were determined to push ahead even if they left the denomination behind. Some felt that they aimed to become a separate movement. In less degree the Foreign Mission Board and the Sabbath School Association were restless and impatient over restrictions and impotence, and the publishing interests, finding a profitable field in commercial printing, were threatened with worldliness and loss of zeal…. <a href="http://www.adventistarchives.org/docs/OH/OHSDA-3/index.djvu?djvuopts&page=20" target=_top>http://www.adventistarchives.org/docs/OH/OHSDA-3/i ndex.djvu?djvuopts&page=20</a> <!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>The enterprises of the church were largely independent in organization but centralized in leadership; a few men running many aspects of the work. This conference also saw a decision made to relocate Battle Creek College to a rural setting. Out of this arose what is now Andrews University. The 1890's had witnessed widespread global activity. This 1901 Conference, apart from being one of major reorganization, was a mission conference. Add to this the presence of many leaders in Adventism; some of the older ones had been with the movement since 1844 and the younger leaders would be with the work well into the twentieth century. In just a few years after 1901, the church would be rocked with dissension and dissatisfaction. Here in 1901, A.T. Jones and J.H. Kellogg still led out in the work alongside A.G. Daniells and W.C. White et al. This final expression of unity is to be treasured. As I looked over one of the reports for this conference, I realized how intriguing it all was; at least to an amateur historian such as myself. .

don · 01-10-09 10:43 pm

GC Conference Committee; Notes of Interest The General Conference Committee prepares for the GC Session: <blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!>quote:<a href="http://www.adventistarchives.org/docs/GCC/GCC1901/index.djvu?djvuopts&page=7" target="_blank">141st MEETING OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE</a>. Battle Creek, Mich., 12 M., March 29, 1901, Elder Irwin in the chair. Prayer by Elder R.M.Kilgore. Present: Elders Irwin, Kilgore, Breed, Olsen, Daniells, Evans, Cottrell, Lane, Knox, Morrison, Allee. Minutes of last meeting read and approved… The committee on Program submitted the following report, which was adopted:-- … "We suggest that the following-named persons should be requested to take a prominent part in the preaching: Mrs. E.G.White, A.T. Jones, W.W.Preseott, E.J. Waggoner, S.N. Haskell. "Respectfully, O.A.OLSEN, S.H.LANE,.......................... Committee A.G.Daniells.” Note the preacher list. This is 1901. A.T. Jones and E.J. Waggoner are still considered to be two of Adventism's most prominent speakers. Some say that the SDA Church rejected the 1888 message. If that is so, why are these two 1888 revivalists given such prominence 13 years later?<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote><blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!>quote:<a href="http://www.adventistarchives.org/docs/GCC/GCC1901/index.djvu?djvuopts&page=9" target="_blank">142d MEETING OF THE GENERAL CONJERENCE COMMITTEE</a>. Battle Creek, Mich., 4 P.M., March 29, 1901. Elder Irwin In the chair. Present: Irwin, Breed, Olsen, Daniells, Knox, Evans, Kilgore, Cottrell, Allee, Lane, Morrlson. Reading of the minutes waived. The Chairman desired to lay "before the members of the Committee an outline of his address to the Conference, to ascertain if there were Items which should "be left out or others added that would give a clear and comprehensive view of the work in the field in general. As the time drew on for the beginning of the Sabbath, there was no other business other than listening to this address. Meeting adjourned to the call of the Chair. G.A. IRWIN, Chairman . L.A. HOOPES, Secretary. Irwin Seeks Advice President Irwin asks the committee on Friday Afternoon to listen to his presentation and offer advice on what to say, or not to say. <!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>(Admittedly, these are small points. But, solid historical understanding builds on such.) .

don · 01-11-09 5:32 am

Spiritual Health of Church in the Hands of Its Schools I like this sentiment given by E.A. Sutherland in his report to the 1901 Session:<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!>quote:The spiritual health of the church depends upon its adherence to true educational principles, as surely as national prosperity lies in the hands of the nation's schools. <a href="http://www.adventistarchives.org/docs/GCB/GCB1901-01/Index.djvu?djvuopts&page=15" target="_blank">The 1901 General Conference Bulletin, April 2, 1901, page 15</a> <!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>Sutherland provided a voice of educational reform within Adventism. By this time, 1901, he served as President of Battle Creek College. This GC session would decide to move the College into a rural setting, the beginning of what would become Andrews University. R. W. Schwarz says this of Sutherland:<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!>quote:Educational Reform The real breakthrough in the establishment of Seventh-day Adventist church schools came during the final years of the nineteenth century. In part the sudden expansion of those years (from eighteen schools in 1895 to 220 in 1900) was a by-product of the education-reform movement that hit Battle Creek College in 1897. By March of that year a number of articles in the Review had described the development of Avondale after the pattern advocated by Ellen White. These articles struck a responsive chord in the hearts of several reform-minded Seventh-day Adventist leaders, principally Dr. J. H. Kellogg and Alonzo T. Jones. They, in turn, took the initiative in securing a reform-minded president for Battle Creek College—Edward A. Sutherland of Walla Walla College. Kellogg liked Sutherland's devotion to vegetarianism (Under Sutherland’s leadership, Walla Walla was the first Adventist College to implement a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet in its cafeteria.) and his willingness to sponsor vocational and manual labor programs. Jones was attracted by Sutherland's attempt to make the Bible the basis for instruction in all academic areas. Aided by Percy T. Magan and M. Bessie De Graw, President Sutherland set out to revolutionize Battle Creek College. Extensive periods of revival were encouraged among students and staff. The reformers had no fear that increased interest in spiritual matters would impair academic excellence. A call to Christian service—to make every vocation simply an adjunct to evangelistic missionary activity—was sounded with enthusiasm. The classical curricula virtually disappeared; classes were restructured to fit into reform departments devoted to teacher preparation, canvassing, medical missionary work, a commercial course, music, and manual training. R. W. Schwarz (1979), <a href="http://www.adventistarchives.org/docs/LBTTR/LBTTR1979/index.djvu?djvuopts&page=204" target="_blank">Light Bearers to the Remnant</a>, pages 204, 205 <!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>.

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#1 01-09-09 8:12 pm

The 1901 General Conference Session

#2 01-09-09 8:47 pm

Re: The 1901 General Conference Session

#3 01-09-09 8:50 pm

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#4 01-09-09 10:43 pm

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#5 01-10-09 1:28 am

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#7 01-11-09 5:32 am

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