The Great Second Advent Movement: Its Rise and Progress

Order in Apostolic Times

Seventh-day Adventists, as before stated, were without a formal organization of any kind for many years, not even having a church organization. Any person who had moral courage to accept the truth and obey it under the outside pressure of opposition which then existed, was considered honest and worthy of Christian love and fellowship. There came a time in the days of the apostles when it became necessary to “set in order the things that were wanting.” ³ About 65 A.D. Titus was authorized to “ordain elders in every city” where there were believers, and Timothy received quite full instructions on the subject. ⁴ GSAM 344.4