Ellen G. White: The Later Elmshaven Years: 1905-1915 (vol. 6)

The Meeting

Considering the various factors and the temper of those involved, church leaders anticipated that the meetings could run into several days. They did not know what might develop regarding the separation of nationalities. But, reported Elder E. T. Russell after the meetings closed: “The business was carried forward with dispatch and in two days was worked out completely.”—28 WCW, p. 471. 6BIO 49.2

The work that was begun on Tuesday, September 5, was finished by Wednesday evening, September 6. On Thursday the seventh, Elder G. A. Irwin wrote to the workers at Elmshaven: 6BIO 49.3

I am glad to tell you that the Lord has given the victory here just as signally as He did in Colorado. The communications from Sister White came in just the right time, and answered the most important questions before us. They made the matter so clear and plain that even the most extreme agitators of a separation were led to accept them.—G. A. Irwin to WCW, September 7, 1905. 6BIO 49.4

Irwin pointed out that Mrs. White's words penned at Loma Linda sounded the keynote: “I approve of the efforts that have been made to establish our German and Scandinavian publishing work in College View. I hope that plans will be devised for the encouragement and strengthening of this work.” It seemed to be a text to work from. Commented Irwin: 6BIO 49.5

The Lord disapproved of the efforts to divide and scatter into separate organizations, but on the other hand, approved of the effort that had been made to unite the three nationalities together in the publishing work. So then all we felt that we had to do was to devise plans for the encouragement of the work. 6BIO 49.6

Then Elder Irwin, who for four years (1897 to 1901) had served as president of the General Conference, opened his heart in an expression of what he saw take place during the few days at Denver in late August and at College View in early September. He wrote: 6BIO 50.1

I want to say, Brother White, that ever since I have been connected with the message, I have never seen more marked manifestations of the workings of divine Providence than I have at the meetings at Denver and here. I came up to both of these meetings with a great deal of dread and many misgivings; but the Lord has worked them both out so easily and so satisfactorily that it gives me a great deal of courage in the Lord's work. 6BIO 50.2

Then he referred to his observation regarding the response of the people and their loyalty to the testimonies: 6BIO 50.3

I was very much pleased to see the loyalty with which the brethren here regarded the testimonies.— Ibid. 6BIO 50.4

He told of one brother who was strong for the division of the groups into separate conferences, but after the testimonies were read he was the first man to get on his feet and acknowledge that he was wrong. “Now that the Lord had spoken, he felt to say, Amen.” 6BIO 50.5

There had been some grumbling among the personnel in the publishing house during the meeting. Some who strongly favored a division suggested that possibly the wording of the messages as read to them from Sister White did not actually come from her pen but may have been written by someone else, perhaps by Elder Irwin, to help carry the day at College View. This was a line of criticism that would run into 1906 and accelerate. It was suggested, particularly in Battle Creek, that possibly some of the messages sent out as coming from Sister White actually were written by others. 6BIO 50.6

Nonetheless, it was a clear-cut victory for the truth at College View, the second occasion within a few days’ time in which messages sent through the mail from California arrived at just the hour they were needed, met the situation squarely, and were heartily responded to by the workers and rank and file of the people. 6BIO 50.7

Those present at the councils in College View in 1905 requested copies of the E. G. White testimonies that had turned the tide and had seemingly settled the question both of a unified work in the publishing house and of whether there should be separate conferences representing the language groups. There were also many out in the field who had been agitating the matter of separate conferences, and it was felt that they should have copies of these testimonies. 6BIO 51.1

So plans were laid for the immediate publication of the entire group of materials in a thirty-two-page pamphlet. This was identified as Special Testimonies, Series B, No. 4, and carried the title of “Testimonies for the Church Regarding the Spirit of Unity That Should Be Maintained in the International Publishing Association and Among Laborers of All Nationalities in the Lord's Harvest Field.” It was printed at Pacific Press as soon as arrangements could be made and was the second pamphlet of the four printed in 1905 as part of the nearly a score of pamphlets designated as Special Testimonies, Series B. Much of it was later reprinted in Testimonies, volume 9. 6BIO 51.2