Ellen G. White: The Australian Years: 1891-1900 (vol. 4)

Chapter 30—(1898) Divine Guidance in Important Moves

The Lord is giving to His people a rich treasure of light and instruction regarding the work they are to do, and the way to do it.” So wrote W. C. White to a church leader in America. He continued, “Almost daily He speaks to Mother in the night about how the work is being done, and how it ought to be done. And she is told to bear her testimony to His people.”—WCW to I. H. Evans, June 6, 1898 (12 WCW, p. 48). 4BIO 352.1

He had expressed much the same thought to A. G. Daniells a month earlier as he wrote: 4BIO 352.2

Day by day and night by night the situation is presented to Mother. She is prepared to give us counsel much, much needed, and I think very much appreciated. She tells us plainly that we have not too many teachers and that we cannot afford to cut down our teaching force, but that it is our duty to fit ourselves to the work, so that everyone's labor will count. 4BIO 352.3

She tells us that we are presented to her as separate, independent threads, standing apart, whereas we ought to unite our energies one with another, and all be woven together as a perfect web. Mother is giving us precious information regarding the importance of organization and the necessity of making every feature of our work educational.—11a WCW, p. 669. 4BIO 352.4

A thoughtful reading of the above suggests the presence of problems in relationships in the working force at Avondale. They were not to be “independent threads, standing apart.” Considering the diverse nature of the personalities and the experience, and the age differences in the working force, these words had meaning. The matter is more clearly understood by reading Ellen White's diary and the personal messages directed to several individuals. 4BIO 352.5

Matters at Avondale had reached the place where, because of jealousies, narrow-mindedness, and shortsightedness, it was difficult for the school board to function properly. W. C. White was chairman; with his broad experience and his close connection with his mother's work providing a special insight that not all others could grasp, he often sensed what needed to be done. But of the dissension he said nothing to his mother. “W. C. White tells me not a word,” she wrote in her diary, “but I know.” And she added,“The Lord has presented the matter before me, and as things are, there would be a better state of things without any board.”—Manuscript 184, 1898. 4BIO 353.1

To Elder Prescott she also stated: 4BIO 353.2

The Lord has given to W. C. White a special work to do in this country ever since he first stepped upon its soil. God has used him in a special manner as an organizer. This is the work to which he is appointed.—Letter 57, 1898.

He saw the objectives and the goals before the school enterprise and pushed forward dauntlessly. Criticism weighed him down, but he bore it in silence. 4BIO 353.3