The Matter of Separate Conferences

In her third communication to the workers at College View she addressed herself to the question introduced at the General Conference regarding German and Scandinavian conferences. This testimony, dated September 1, 1905, and written from Loma Linda, opened:6BIO 47.4

Some of our ministers have written to me, asking if the work among the Germans and the Scandinavians should not be carried forward under separate organizations. This matter has been presented to me several times, and I have written upon the subject; but I do not know where to find all that I have written regarding the matter. When I was in College View [in 1904,] the Lord gave me a straight testimony to bear, and since that time the matter has been presented to me again.6BIO 47.5

Then she tells of how the subject was presented to her:6BIO 47.6

At one time I seemed to be in a council meeting where these matters were being considered. One of Authority stood in the midst of those assembled and opened before them principles that should be followed in the work of God. The instruction given was that should such separation take place, it would not tend to advance the interest of the work among the various nationalities. It would not lead to the highest spiritual development. Walls would be built up that would have to be removed in the near future.

According to the light given me of God, separate organizations, instead of bringing about unity, will create discord. If our brethren will seek the Lord together in humility of mind, those who now think it necessary to organize separate German and Scandinavian conferences will see that the Lord desires them to work together as brethren.6BIO 48.1

Were those who seek to disintegrate the work of God to carry out their purpose, some would magnify themselves to do a work that should not be done. Such an arrangement would greatly retard the cause of God. If we are to carry on the work most successfully the talents to be found among the English and Americans should be united with the talents of those of every other nationality. And each nationality should labor earnestly for every other nationality. There is but one Lord; one faith. Our efforts should be to answer Christ's prayer for His disciples, that they should be one.6BIO 48.2

Bringing this phase of counsel to a close, she stated:6BIO 48.3

I must write plainly regarding the building up of partition walls in the work of God. Such an action has been revealed to me as a fallacy of human invention. It is not the Lord's plan for His people to separate themselves into separate companies, because of differences in nationality and language. Did they do this, their ideas would become narrow, and their influence would be greatly lessened. God calls for a harmonious blending of a variety of talents.

She closes her appeal with these words:6BIO 48.4

Brethren, unify; draw close together, laying aside every human invention, and following closely in the footsteps of Jesus, your great example.

At that time the United States mails were relatively uncluttered by a mass of second and third-class materials; postal schedules could be counted on with precision. Ellen White and her associates at Loma Linda had their eyes on the dates set for the meetings in College View and pulled these six or seven items together—those written earlier and the four written for the occasion—into a single package and got it off in the mail, addressed to Elder G. A. Irwin, so that it would reach him in College View just at the opening of the important meetings.6BIO 49.1