Ellen White: Woman of Vision

The General Conference Becomes A World Conference

The General Conference was now a world conference, with an Executive Committee of 25 representing the various interests of the whole world field. The organization of union conferences provided for the leaders close to the problems to carry the burdens of the work. This was a point that had been emphasized again and again by Ellen White. It also led to the development of men in executive experience. WV 392.1

Provisions were made to bring the various auxiliary interests into the General Conference as departments. Though committees were named to represent these lines, to implement the changes would take a little time. WV 392.2

One weakness in the new constitution that did not show up clearly when it was adopted caused considerable concern in the months that followed. This related to the election of the officers of the General Conference. WV 392.3

According to the new constitution, the delegates attending a General Conference session were empowered to elect the General Conference Committee; this committee in turn was to organize itself, electing its own officers. It was recognized at the time that this could mean that someone might chair it for only one year. WV 392.4

Undoubtedly this provision came about as an overreaction to the desire to get away from any “kingly power” (Letter 49, 1903), a point that was pushed hard by Elder A. T. Jones, a member of the committee on organization. WV 392.5

While this arrangement would clearly reduce the possibility of anyone's exercising kingly power, it also greatly undercut responsible leadership. It went too far, for it took out of the hands of the delegates attending the General Conference session the vital responsibility of electing the leaders of the church, and instead placed this responsibility in the hands of the General Conference Executive Committee of 25. This meant that there was no church leader with a mandate from the church as represented by its delegates. WV 392.6

That some of the delegates attending the session of 1901 were not clear on this point is evidenced in the insistence that the committee elect the chairman and announce its decision before that session closed. A. G. Daniells was chosen as chairman of the General Conference Committee. He was the leader of the church and nearly all the delegates were pleased, but they did not discern at this point how he would be crippled in his work, having no tenure and no mandate. WV 392.7

To take the position that Ellen White's urging that there be no kings meant, as interpreted by A. T. Jones, that the church should have no General Conference president was unjustified. At no time had her messages called for the abolition of the office of president of the General Conference; rather, her messages recognized such an office in the organization of the church. An earlier statement indicated that she understood that the work devolving upon the president of the General Conference was too large for one man to carry and that others should stand by his side to assist (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 342, 343). She did condemn the exercise of “kingly power.” WV 392.8

The weakness, which soon became apparent, was corrected at the next session of the General Conference—the session of 1903. ^* WV 393.1