Passion, Purpose & Power

29. William A. Spicer

No posts of honor PPP 146.1

Spicer served as secretary of the General Conference from 1903 to 1922. Although the two following stories both happened after 1915, they are so characteristic of this church leader that they are included in this collection. Hoping to retire as General Conference secretary in 1922 in favor of some lesser position, Spicer, despite of trying his best to get out of it, found himself elected to be the new General Conference president. When the delegates deadlocked over whether to reelect Elder A. G. Daniells, ⁹⁹ who already had been president since 1901, they finally turned to Elder Spicer. After he suggested several other possible candidates, none of whom were satisfactory to the delegates, Spicer finally agreed to serve. It is in this context that he wrote the following to his wife, “Georgie,” who had not accompanied him to the General Conference session. The last phrase succinctly summarizes Elder Spicer’s philosophy of service, and likely explains why the delegates chose him to be their new president. PPP 146.2

I begged all to try to think of some other way, but after a season of prayer no way seemed open [and] I could not refuse. I am sorry for you dear Georgie. You would not wish it for me. It is so different from the work I longed to do. But I just couldn’t get out of it without selfishness. Don’t worry. It does not call for a superman but just for a consecrated man doing his best, and that I will be, Georgie dear, by God’s help. Don’t worry, Dear Georgie, four years and I will have my successor ready, you may be sure. ¹⁰⁰ So dear sweet wife I am just your husband that loves you and would rather have the Kingdom of your heart than any office honors. There are no posts of honor but only of service.—W. A. Spicer, letter to his wife, Georgie, written from San Francisco, California, May 22, 1922. PPP 147.1

Sacrificial living, a way of life PPP 147.2

Another post-1915 story about Elder Spicer, but, again, one that demonstrates his willingness to sacrifice for the cause in which he so much believed. PPP 147.3

One time, when visiting the Ellen G. White Estate while working as director of their Research Center at Loma Linda University, I stayed as a guest in Arthur and Frieda White’s small cottage adjacent to their home in Adelphi, Maryland. While reminiscing with me about the past, Elder White told me about something that happened to him on the way back to Takoma Park, Maryland, following the first Fall Council he attended after becoming Secretary of the Ellen G. White Estate. PPP 147.4

It seems that on more than one occasion, Dr. J. H. Kellogg invited his former fellow Adventist church leaders to hold Fall Council at the Battle Creek Sanitarium. Whether enough time had passed so the doctor actually felt comfortable in doing this, or it was just the fact that he desperately needed money for his sanitarium, I do not know. Anyway, Fall Council that year (presumably 1938, from the circumstances Elder White described) was held at the Battle Creek Sanitarium. PPP 147.5

After the meetings had concluded, Elder White and many of the other church leaders took the train back to Takoma Park. As Elder White said to me, “Having grown up in the White family, I was used to making sacrifices for the cause, so to save money, I got an upper berth in one of the sleepers for the overnight trip back to Washington. Upper berths were cheaper than lower berths, so I felt I was saving the Lord’s cause some money by getting an upper one.” PPP 147.6

Sometime during the course of that overnight train trip, Elder White decided to stretch his legs a bit, so started walking through the train. Coming into one of the coaches, whom should he see but Elder W. A. Spicer, sitting in one of the seats with a blanket pulled up around his shoulders. Elder White told me that he had never felt so humiliated in all his life. There was old Elder Spicer, a man more than twice Arthur White’s age, who would not even think of spending enough of the Lord’s money to get an upper sleeping berth for the overnight train trip back home. Instead, Elder Spicer chose to sit up overnight on the train rather than spend the money on his own personal comfort. Why? Because the funds saved would then be available to help further spread the Advent message. With Elder Spicer, and many of our Adventist pioneers, there was nothing unusual about this type of reasoning; that was their way of life. Of course, Elder Spicer said nothing about all this to Arthur White. But Elder White told me that on that train trip, Elder Spicer’s quiet witness taught him a powerful lesson regarding real commitment and sacrifice when it comes to spreading the Advent message.—Arthur L. White, Story about W. A. Spicer told to James R. Nix in the late 1970s. PPP 148.1