An Auxiliary Work

As the plans were laid by Brethren Sutherland and Magan at the time they withdrew from Emmanuel Missionary College to conduct a work to which they felt called in the great Southland, it was plain that it was their plan to go into a very isolated area in the South and there conduct an independent institutional work. But this plan of conducting a training school independently of all organized denominational agencies was not carried out. And why was it not? Elder C. C. Crisler answers this question in his statement published in the pamphlet just quoted from:SPCSSW 22.2

“When the brethren from Berrien Springs went South early in the summer of 1904, to find a suitable site for their training-school, Sister White was in Nashville; and when she learned of their plans, she counseled the brethren not to arrange matters so as to be independent of all connection with and support from conferences and church members. She urged that they make search for some site not far removed from the Southern Union Conference headquarters, in order that the workers in the school might share the burdens borne by their brethren in responsibility in the Southern Field; and also in order that the officers of the Southern Union might have opportunity to give counsel and help to those who were coming into their field to strengthen the educational and evangelical interests in unentered and needy places.

“I was surprised,” wrote Sister White in her report published in the Review, August 18, 1904, “when in speaking of the work they wished to do in the South, they spoke of establishing a school in some place a long way from Nashville. From the light given me, I knew that this would not be the right thing to do, and I told them so. The work that these brethren can do, because of the experience gained at Berrien Springs, is to be carried on within easy access of Nashville; for Nashville has not yet been worked as it should be. And it will be a great blessing to the workers in the school to be near enough to Nashville to be able to counsel with the workers there.”—The Value of Organization, pages 29-30.

Professor Sutherland, in a statement quoted in the pamphlet, “Ownership and Control of the Madison School”, page 16, sets forth his understanding of the relationships in these words:SPCSSW 23.1

“The founders have endeavored in an unselfish way to provide for the training of workers to labor in cooperation with, and auxiliary to, the work carried on by the conference in which they may be located....

“The teachers and students of the Madison School are loyal members of the Seventh-day Adventist church, supporting the organized work by their tithes and offerings, and endeavoring to raise up churches that will also be loyal members of the denomination.”

These were the understandings, these were the positions, when Ellen White placed her strong approval on the work of that institution.SPCSSW 23.2

One of the early problems, in addition to that of securing funds, which was faced at Madison, was that of the ownership of the property and the control of the assets of the institution. This was a matter in which the brethren, in counsel with Sister White, gave considerable study.SPCSSW 23.3

Ellen White had led out shortly before in the furnishing of one half of the purchase price of what is now the Paradise Valley Sanitarium. The Southern California conference was loaded with financial obligations and small in membership in those days. There were 1100 members, and a debt of $40,000. It was felt that that medical institution must be begun without laying further burden upon the conference. And Ellen White was among those who laid the plans for the development of that work. And even here at Loma Linda, as the opportunity came to purchase this institution, and the conference was still faced with the same large problem, Ellen White sent a telegram from Washington urging Elder Burden to move forward in securing the Loma Linda property, and wrote that she could not ask the conference to invest in the institution, for the conference had all the responsibilities it could carry. She felt that some way could be found, for we must have this institution. And thus she was prepared to see the use of private enterprise in the establishment of institutions for the Lord. Various ways were developed in the years that followed, of drawing these institutions into the church organization.SPCSSW 23.4

Ellen White was a member of the Madison board. One of the very few boards to which Ellen White ever belonged; in fact, so far as I know, the only board. The plans were studied carefully as to what should be done, and finally arrangements were entered into which provided for the holding of property for use in the auxiliary work for the Lord—plans which would safeguard the property to that work.SPCSSW 23.5

We must keep in mind that the Lord does not always give minute instructions as to each move that we should make. We must keep in mind that the Spirit of Prophecy given to the Seventh-day Adventist Church was never given for the purpose of taking the place of study, of initiative, of faith or of hard work. The Lord points the way and then men and women, under that guidance, using their initiative and their thinking and their work, find a way to conduct the work as God would have it done. Methods have been found. They are not all the same. They have been shaped to meet the needs of the varying institutions and groups, as institutional work developed.SPCSSW 24.1

We might pause here long enough to say that while the call was initially for families to go into the South, schools were soon called for, strong support was given to the establishing of Madison College as a training center for the educating of older young people to prepare themselves for self-supporting labor in the Southland; and they in turn were encouraged to establish schools, and later they were led into sanitarium work. Many of you know the story of the difficulty of thought on the part of Professors Sutherland and Magan as the call came for sanitarium work. In response to Ellen White’s urging that they make some kind of a beginning, a beginning was made. However, now that educational facilities provided by the state have spread through the Southland the call for the rural schools has lessened. We are aware of the fact that an institutional program, bringing financial support has proved a blessing, as small sanitariums and rest homes, and institutions of one kind or another, and some larger institutions, are now operating in the Southland on a self-supporting basis.SPCSSW 24.2

The Spirit of Prophecy counsel, as it relates specifically to the self-supporting work, just about ends at this point. A work is called for, general lines are pointed out—a work which is guided by the counsels which guide in every phase of God’s work, for it is one work, not a divided work. And this work, carried on by godly, self-sacrificing men and women, was ever defended by Ellen White. There were counsels forbidding that a restraining hand should be placed on that type of work. In counsel that Ellen White gave at Madison College on April 26, 1909, as published in Words of Encouragement to Self-supporting Workers, 5, Ellen White said:SPCSSW 24.3

“If there are those whom the Lord moves upon to give themselves to the neglected portions of the vineyard, let no man seek to turn them away from their appointed work.”

And on page 11 of this same pamphlet:SPCSSW 24.4

“As you go out in the highways and the hedges, let no minister of the gospel say to you, ‘Why do ye so?’ We have for our example the ministry of Christ on earth.”

Now what does this mean? Does this give a license to any individual who may choose to do a work of his selection at any place at any time irrespective of counsel or the judgment of his brethren? Indeed it does not. Ellen White here is dealing with a work in a special part of the vineyard of the Lord, as was made very clear in earlier counsels. This work was being done in a neglected area, and men and women who felt called to that work were not to be restrained. There were special circumstances which led to the giving of that character.SPCSSW 24.5

All through the years we have used various terms as we have spoken of the self-supporting work. Some of these terms I think were a bit unfortunate, and some day I wish to see the Association of Self-supporting institutions at one of its regularly constituted meetings, appoint a committee to give study to the choice of terms which can be used which will truly and accurately connote the work and the relationship of that work. We speak of an “independent” work. Now all of these terms have connotations which I think may be drawn to the point that are misleading.SPCSSW 24.6

I believe that any worker who may be paid a salary or receive remuneration for his labors in whatever form is supporting himself. We speak of the “organized” work, but surely we would not wish to think of the work which is carried on under private enterprise as being a “disorganized” work. For if there is ever a time when close organization is called for it is in dealing with situations and funds under the circumstances where self-supporting institutions are operated.SPCSSW 25.1

There are some who use the term of an “independent” work. But to my mind that term is most misleading. Can we conceive that the Lord who called into being the establishment of a church, and for the reasons of protecting that church and of giving guidance to the work that shall be done, would at the same time lay the foundations and call into being a work which was “independent”, disconnected, unrelated? Ellen White seldom uses the term “independent work”. Where she uses it we do not gain the idea that her counsels were ever given to lead men and women to be independent of the church or its organization. She sometimes uses the term “self-supporting work”.SPCSSW 25.2

Is not this work, which has been called into being through the counsels which have come through Ellen White, that of an auxiliary work? An auxiliary work carried on by private enterprise? That is as I view it, and as I have viewed it through the years. I fail to see, nor can I conceive of, the lines of division which are drawn. God calls men and women to work—some in one line and certain places, others in other lines in other places—some supported in one way and others supported in another way.SPCSSW 25.3

It has been easy through the years for those who have been closely connected with the work of the church in its mainline endeavors to be critical of those who, called of God, have given their time and their strength to carrying certain lines of work. There have been certain Spirit of Prophecy safeguards. It has also been easy for those who have given themselves to lines of work in which they are personally responsible for their support, to be critical of others.SPCSSW 25.4

The lines of work which we speak of as “self-supporting work” have broadened through the providence of God. It has reached out far beyond the borders of the Southland with its former peculiar and very special needs, to the point today where we find that throughout the United States, and in other areas of the world, this type of work has greatly increased. Last night Elder Beach made mention of the splendid small institutions throughout the Northern European countries. We thank God for this increased development of the work, and the drawing into this circle of auxiliary ministry carried on through private enterprises, a number of well-established sanitariums, hospitals, nursing homes, manufacturing enterprises, and other lines of work. There are many lines of work in many places. And there is a great blessing in being drawn together in the Association of Self-supporting Institutions. It is in the providence of God that these auxiliary lines of work, conducted by private enterprises, are drawn together as an integral part of the work of the church. The Spirit of Prophecy counsels given down through the years serve as our guide today—our blueprint, as we so often speak of it.SPCSSW 25.5

It has not been without some misgivings that I have observed in the natural growth of institutional work for which the Seventh-day Adventist denomination is not financially responsible, on the part of a few, some tendencies towards independence. We must ever keep in mind the basic elements which led to the self-supporting work. There was a need, there was an opportunity, there was a challenge. Families and groups of families were to engage in auxiliary work, letting their light shine, communicating the truth to others and thus expanding the influence of the church. There was strong Spirit of Prophecy support for this type of work, and also encouragement that men and women should engage in this type of work. There were some messages of reproof to ministers and executives who would place a restraining hand upon this self-sacrificing type of work. But there was nothing ever written in the way of counsel or words spoken by Ellen White, which would in any sense justify a spirit of independence in the larger basic over-all objectives of denominational endeavor or that would justify establishing organizationally that which would parallel the denomination.SPCSSW 26.1

As the lines of institutional work, conducted by self-sacrificing men and women, and built out of their toil and blood and sweat, have grown, there have also devolved upon those engaged in this work the responsibility of serving in executive areas in guiding these institutions. And there have grown up certain perils: 1. The utilization of the E. G. White license for the conduct of a work not directly under the control and administration of the church as a justification for the operation of a work, not only independent in its financial structure, but also independent in some of its basic interests and objectives. This is one of the perils.SPCSSW 26.2

2. Another one is that in the natural outgrowth of those who, in a self-sacrificing manner are conducting a work which they believe the Lord called them to—and we all believe that the Lord called some to that line of work—there is a danger of consciously or unconsciously assuming the attitude that all those who are not working in this same manner are therefore not engaged in a self-sacrificing ministry, nor are they working in the lines upon which God can place His fullest blessing. In so doing, they have forgotten that there is more than one right way to accomplish a task or of doing the work of God.SPCSSW 26.3

3. There are some perils of the satisfaction of accomplishment. There comes a self-satisfaction because of the commendation of the Spirit of Prophecy upon certain lines of work. There can grow up critical attitudes of others because their work may not call for the same degree of sacrifice as was called for to make a success of the difficult work that some were doing in a difficult part of the world field. And because the self-supporting work is acceptable of God, there is a danger of considering it superior to other methods of work, forgetting that it was called into being as an auxiliary work, important, but not in any sense superior to the line of organization to which the Lord called this church.SPCSSW 26.4

4. There is a danger of overlooking God’s plan for the support of His work, and for the preaching of the Word, and of conjecturing regarding the break up of the work of the church. Ellen White tells us this will not be. It is not to be broken up into independent atoms. She says that it will appear that the church is about to fall, but it will not fall. But she speaks of those who will be shaken out in the terrible ordeal which is before us.SPCSSW 26.5

5. There is a peril of forgetting the over-all pattern, and keeping in mind that the lines of work conducted by the self-supporting workers are auxiliary, established, and justified, and approved as adjuncts to the work already set in operation under the guidance of the Spirit of Prophecy.SPCSSW 27.1

From the beginning days of the operation of institutional work by Seventh-day Adventists, these institutions have been managed by their boards. Wrote Ellen White, “None of us are to strike out alone; we are to link up with our brethren, and pull together, and God will give us influence...”—Medical Ministry, 46.SPCSSW 27.2

Boards are groups of men and women of experience upon whom have been placed the management and operation of institutions. We have always maintained that there is wisdom in many counselors. There comes a balance in planning, an effectiveness in execution, when men and women of varied minds, temperaments and experience work together in the conduct of institutional endeavor. That the work shall be governed by such boards is determined, of course, by the organization which is engaged in the operation of this institutional work.SPCSSW 27.3

When good men and women conduct the work of an institution, but do so without the benefit of governing boards made up of individuals of long experience, their work may be conducted at considerable disadvantage. Weaknesses may come in. There may be a loss of balance in the program which is carried out. Inexperience in financial lines may soon lead to suffering on the part of the personnel, and imperil the very existence of the line of work called into being as the result of such self-sacrificing efforts. Such boards of control, which may be created to provide suitable safeguards, may in themselves be made ineffective by the employees choosing the board, rather than the board choosing the employees. Also, with no responsibility to the organization of the denomination, the degree of allegiance given by the operators of an institution to the actions of guidance enacted by the board, may be minimized by the determination and the convictions of the leading operators of the institution. In a sense, such institutions can come to be a law to themselves.SPCSSW 27.4

There is peril also that the individuals of strong conviction who have led out in the establishment of such institutions, shall in their confidence in their interpretations of Spirit of Prophecy counsels, and under the protection of the “Spirit of Prophecy license”, wrongly interpret these counsels. They may do so to justify a work which reaches out beyond that of an auxiliary work to an independent work such as the establishing of standards in medical practice and educational procedures, and even standards for the conduct of church members, which are not in full keeping with those adopted by the denomination. Such procedure has in it the seeds of disunity—of impaired confidence, and of distrust.SPCSSW 27.5

Without the balancing control and the guidance of a well-selected board which assumes its responsibilities and exercises its power in control, an institution of strength, being operated under a charter of independence, may exert its influence in a way which is actually detrimental to the best interests of the Lord’s work. And this peril increases as the promoters of such institutional work use as a cover E. G. White quotations to release restraint as applied by administrators in the field. Thus we see the danger of an auxiliary work conducted under the E. G. White license, insinuating itself into the position of an independent work—setting its own standards, and placing its own interpretation upon the Spirit of Prophecy counsels.SPCSSW 27.6

It is on this point that we should stop to examine some basic principles. Any work must be judged by the fruit which it yields. The Saviour admonished, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” Regardless of finely developed lines of argument which may be spun, utilizing E. G. White statements in their support, if the resulting fabric is such as to be out of harmony with the overall picture of what has been set before us in the Spirit of Prophecy, then it is faulty and should be approached with caution. It is true that messages of reproof have been written to men who have come short in meeting their responsibilities as executives in the work of God. But we are not justified in taking these messages of reproof as justifying the development of a work which attempts to parallel in certain features or functions the organization of the church, or to set about to establish procedures at variance with those which have been adopted by the boards and committees established to carry on the various institutional lines of work.SPCSSW 28.1

Then again there has been somewhat of a growing tendency, as certain self-supporting institutions developed, to endeavor to reach out to other lands and establish centers of a similar character in other countries. Such work is done without a knowledge of the true conditions as they exist in these countries—without a consideration of what it may mean to the newly established constituencies of native peoples, to have injected into their thinking that there are two Seventh-day Adventist groups—each with a mission—one under the management of the organization of the church, and the other under the general direction of a self-supporting organization and operating independently of the administrative functions of the church and perhaps at times criticizing the work of the church and the local leaders of the church. Only those who have had an opportunity to study at close range some of the devastating results of such a work can begin to grasp the distress which arises from the attempt to carry out what seems to be a beautiful dream of self-supporting institutions, establishing child institutions in other divisions of the world field. Here it would seem that institutions established by private enterprise go far beyond their prerogatives as defended by the messenger of the Lord.SPCSSW 28.2

I would not take the position that consecrated families could not conduct a commendable work, laboring in simple and humble ways in lands other than the United States. Some are doing so. The temperament of the people, the basic objectives and understanding of, and confidence in, the church organization, and in close relationship to the leaders of the work in a given area—are all factors which would determine whether such a work was helpful or unhelpful. But the ties must be to the leadership of the field rather than to the parent institution in North America.SPCSSW 28.3

Another point is important. In the work of God we have been called to high standards. When the Seventh-day Adventist church entered the field of medical practice in the 1860’s, James and Ellen White held the concept that if we as a church were to enter the field of the practice of medicine, the work must be of the highest character and quality. When the call was made for the developing of the Loma Linda College of Medical Evangelists into a full-fledged medical school, the following two paragraphs penned by the messenger of the Lord constituted part of the true charter for that institution:SPCSSW 28.4

“The light given me is, We must provide that which is essential to qualify our youth who desire to be physicians, so that they may intelligently fit themselves to be able to stand the examinations required to prove their efficiency as physicians. They should be taught to treat understandingly the cases of those who are diseased.... The medical school at Loma Linda is to be of the highest order, because those who are in that school have the privilege of maintaining a living connection with the wisest of all physicians, from whom there is communicated knowledge of a superior order.... We are to supply whatever may be required, so that these youth need not be compelled to go to medical schools conducted by men not of our faith.”—The Story of Our Health Message, 386.

As this institution was called into being under the providence of God, Ellen White set before us the very highest standards, which must be held up here at the College of Medical Evangelists.SPCSSW 29.1

Unfortunately, either because of a lack of facilities or financial backing in some institutions, or because of faulty concepts of what is called the Spirit of Prophecy blueprint, a substandard work may be conducted with endeavors to justify it on the basis of following that blueprint. It is inconceivable that the God of order, who called into being the organization of the Seventh-day Adventist church; and who indicted the messages which came to us through the messenger of the Lord, giving detailed instruction, guiding us here and guarding us there; should at the same time be one who would make provision for a line of work which is substandard, to be carried on quite independently of the church and of His organization, using for the support of such work the Spirit of Prophecy counsels.SPCSSW 29.2

We thank God for the accomplishments of loyal and true Seventh-day Adventists, who, with a clear concept of relationships, with a clear concept of the self-supporting work as an auxiliary work and not an independent work, have made large contributions to the promulgation of the message. It is our conviction that the larger part of what we speak of as the self-supporting work—bound to the church through the Association of Self-supporting Institutions—is conducted in a manner motivated by sound objectives, and that these have not lost sight of the principles of relationship. It is with deep concern that we have observed some who, having lost sight of certain basic principles, and using the Spirit of Prophecy counsels as a license, are tempted to forge ahead in such a way as to produce a fruit of misunderstanding, impaired confidence, substandard work in the lines of endeavor carried forward. Such a fruit is distressing when we are called upon to meet it, as occasionally we do.SPCSSW 29.3

Let us keep our eyes fixed upon the tremendous possibilities before us, so that in the years to come these various auxiliary institutions operated by consecrated men and women and financed by private enterprise, following carefully the true blueprint, may each one make its contribution to the work of God in the earth. Let us keep in mind that in all of this work—good as it may be—it is possible for us to lose sight of the true objectives and engage ourselves to the point of utter exhaustion in the doing of work which may do little in the way of a lasting contribution to the over-all mission of God’s church.SPCSSW 29.4

Let us keep in mind the perils of a critical attitude. As we review the experiences of Ellen White and her relationship to these problems, we may gain some valuable lessons. She had confidence in the leadership of the church. She was the messenger of the Lord, but she recognized the place of apostles in the church. And at times, even contrary to her best judgment, when the General Conference asked her to move in certain directions, she moved forward because of her confidence in the leadership of the church. She was asked to go to Europe and saw no light in it and everything seemed to point to an impossibility of moving in that direction. But by faith she moved forward, and when she sat down in the train in Oakland to start her journey east to take the boat to Europe, the peace of God came upon her and she was given the assurance that she was moving in God’s direction. The same was true when the General Conference asked her to go to Australia. She went because she was asked by the leaders of the church to go. She had confidence in God’s guidance in the work of the church. And while it was necessary for her to bear messages of reproof and rebuke to individuals and the church, she never intended that these should be used to impair confidence in the work which God has called into being. She recognized that men might come short, that they might fail of reaching God’s fullest ideals. But that did not mean that God would turn His back upon His people, although He could bless them so much more abundantly if they walked fully in every phase of light that was given.SPCSSW 30.1

While in Australia Ellen White was asked some embarrassing questions regarding some things being done at our college in Battle Creek. Certain leaders at the college had launched upon a sports program similar to that of the world, and even boxing matches were being conducted. At this very time, Ellen White was pleading for the establishment of a school in Australia different from the schools of the world—in a land where the folks were quite satisfied with their schools and hardly saw the need—at a time when financial situations were against them. So, with the questions of the brethren in Australia in her mind, she wrote to the president of Battle Creek College, W. W. Prescott:SPCSSW 30.2

“The question is asked me if I would please explain to them the advantages of the schools in America above the schools in Australia and New Zealand. I tell you it is not, with the light I am receiving, altogether a pleasant task. I could only go back to the establishment of the school, and explain why the Lord directed that a school should be established under the control of those who believe the truth revealed in the word of God. I then related your connection with the school was in God’s order. Then the results in the converting power of God; and I have gathered up the items which I knew were signs of the approval of God.”—Prophetic Guidance Syllabus, Letter 46, 1893. (Letter to W. W. Prescott at Battle Creek College, September 5, 1893.)

I have gained quite a helpful lesson from this little statement. Ellen White knew, because of the insight God gave to her, of the problems which existed in our parent educational institution. But when the brethren talked with her about the conditions that had crept in, was that what she brought out? Oh, no. She presented to them the evidences of God’s providences in the establishment of the educational work. She set before them the evidences which indicated God’s favor upon the work, even though there were some shortcomings.SPCSSW 30.3

Ellen White gave earnest support to the auxiliary work, which had great fields of potential usefulness in the utilizing of the talents; the abilities, and resources of men and women who were not employed directly in the work of the church and placed upon the payrolls of the denomination.SPCSSW 31.1

Let us guard carefully against an attitude which so naturally develops on the part of those who are working in a self-supporting line—the looking at those who are supported from the tithe as being selfish in their personal interests, and thinking that because they are supported from the tithe they are—in the eyes of God—not quite as consecrated workers as are those who are working in self-supporting lines.SPCSSW 31.2

Brethren, it is time that we all re-examine certain basic principles. The principle of the support of the gospel ministry from the tithe is God’s planning. Let us never lose sight of the fact that this is God’s basic plan for the ministry and workers employed by the denomination. We believe that the individual who devotes himself wholeheartedly, using his strength and ability and skills in the conduct of the phase of work to which he may be called, and receives his support from the tithe, or whether he works whole-heartedly in some institutional line of work for which the conference does not become financially responsible, but serves the Lord to the best of his ability in that way, or whether he is a self-employed person who divides his time between the earning of a living and the promulgation of the message—perhaps in a more humble and quiet way—each one, in the providence of God, is filling his place and making his contribution towards the finishing of the work, and his reward will be in accord to his consecration to the work.SPCSSW 31.3

We are entering upon the closing work of the church. The greatest days are before us. One of the greatest perils which threaten is that of impaired confidence and disunity. The message set forth in earlier years, “Press together, press together, in unity there is strength,” is the message which must be uppermost in our hearts as we consider every element of the work, which, in auxiliary lines, draws in so many men and women of talent and ability. As we press together as a people, each one doing his part in heralding the message and the hastening of the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Lord will richly bless us. May God hasten that day and may the grace of God be upon each and every one of you in the lines of work to which the Lord has called you.SPCSSW 31.4