The One Disturbing Weakness

Perhaps James saw more clearly than did others the one disturbing weakness, one that kept him awake at nights. By way of management, what did the future hold? He had come in at the outset, a young man with less than two years of formal schooling and limited ministerial experience, poverty stricken but dedicated to advance the three angels’ messages and all that they embodied. With one overruling purpose, to serve the cause of God, he grew and developed in writing, editorial skills, and publishing experience. He led in the development of a publishing house, and built on the strictest financial policies. All of this led him and his wife, Ellen, to avoid debt. They operated on a pay-as-you-go basis, and from this base encouraged fellow believers to share liberally of their resources and their earnings to advance the work. This brought prosperity to the publishing interests, which in time were properly organized into a church-owned publishing association, with gradually mounting resources. In these experiences James White developed into a respected and astute businessman.2BIO 313.8

The Health Reform Institute, launched during White's severe illness, was not so fortunate. When he recovered sufficiently to carry responsibilities, he became involved in its resuscitation, for it was floundering badly.2BIO 314.1

Greatly to his distress, he discovered on his recovery that the Publishing Association, which had been managed by men with limited business experience, was in a serious decline. He described the situation when in 1869 he again took hold of it:2BIO 314.2

The stock of publications was very low. There was not $500 worth of stock on hand, we had no deposits at the bank, and we were paying 10 percent interest on $6,000.—Ibid., October 17, 18712BIO 314.3

But in October, 1871, two years later, he could report:2BIO 314.4

By the blessing of God we have paid all interest-bearing notes, we have $6,000 worth of stock, we have added to our publications not less than $9,000 worth, have cash on hand to pay all bills, and have the new office building nearly ready for use, which, with the usual liberality of our people will be paid for by New Year's. In short, the Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association has fully recovered the results of bad management during our absence from it on account of sickness, and never was as prosperous as at the present time.—Ibid.

But this and the problems of the Health Institute took something out of James White—he discovered that he had but half the strength he had enjoyed in earlier years. With the burgeoning work outstripping his strength, what did the future hold? The distressing years of his illness had made it plain that the ministers were not in a position to manage the business affairs of the church. He had persuaded the General Conference Committee to call the 1871 session some two months early to try to discover a remedy for the situation. The session opened on Tuesday, February 7, with meetings of the SDA Publishing Association, Health Institute, and the Michigan Conference also coming in day by day.2BIO 314.5