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The Fruitage of Spiritual Gifts - Contents
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    Chapter 25 — Our Largest Advance Move

    THE LEADINGS OF GOD BY the Spirit of prophecy in our church order and mission methods are just as evident as His guidance into the beautiful, harmonious truths of the advent message. It strengthens our faith to observe how the Lord has brought His remnant church forward step by step along the way. This was especially noteworthy in the transfer of our General Conference headquarters from Battle Creek, Michigan, to Washington, D. C., in 1903.FSG 379.1

    This move, though opposed by some, has meant the dawn of a new day in the advent movement. The benefits accruing from this change cannot be named in detail, for they were many. The removal to Washington helped to separate us from the narrow spirit of a small town to the broadening influence of a great capital. It has been a great advantage in every way to be near the seat of the government of America, as we have had dealings with missionaries and officials in all the earth. The headquarters are now located near the mighty centers of population in America, that is, in the Eastern States, with the great need of evangelistic efforts. Having our headquarters in Washington has given us prestige and standing in our great world-wide work. it also has helped to inspire our believers everywhere to a large world-wide mission endeavor. But the greatest advantage or blessing that has come to us has been the spiritual lessons learned in the school of disaster. Instead of bringing discouragement to the people, and causing members to leave, it brought an increase in membership and new life and courage and hope to them. It was the warning from the messenger of the Lord concerning the danger of such disaster and the instruction as to its meaning and purpose that gave us the fruitage of these experiences that was ours.FSG 379.2

    It is hardly possible now to realize what a change this transfer of office has meant. In earlier years overseas people would say, You claim to have a message for the whole world. Where is your center and headquarters for your world-wide movement? In a small city 150 miles from Chicago and not much nearer Detroit, away inland in the United States. But when they were told later that we were in Washington, the whole outlook for our church was different. Then we began to be complimented for our sagacity and mission statesmanship in locating at the capital of America. The spiritual and educational advantages were also far greater.FSG 380.1

    The removal to Washington would scarcely have been possible had not the Lord visited us with His chastening rod, as mentioned in the previous chapter. But even with that we did not move rashly or, indeed, too willingly.FSG 380.2

    For about ten years after the disappointment of 1844 our work was mostly confined to the East, being the largest in Vermont. Many members thought that our headquarters should be in that State; hence, the idea of having our office on the Atlantic Coast was not new.FSG 380.3

    But for years we met with much prejudice against our message and work in the States where the 1844 movement had once been the strongest, whereas the outlook in the States farther west was far more promising.FSG 380.4

    When we located our office and publishing house in Battle Creek in 1855, the Spirit of prophecy stated that in the future we would again find the time propitious to do a large work in the East.FSG 381.1

    Our faithful believers in the East were greatly cheered by such words as the following:FSG 381.2

    “I saw that when the message shall increase greatly in power, then the providence of God will open and prepare the way in the East for much more to be accomplished than can be at the present time.”—Testimonies for the Church 1:149.FSG 381.3

    “The only remedy for the East is thorough discipline and organization.”—Spiritual Gifts 4a:152.FSG 381.4

    “According to the light which God has given me, there will yet be a large company raised up in the East to consistently obey the truth.”—Spiritual Gifts 4a:154.FSG 381.5

    Another series of statements on the danger. of making Battle Creek a “Jerusalem-Center” caused some of our leaders to think of moving out of Battle Creek. These messages “plainly stated that the buildings in Battle Creek should not be enlarged, that building should not be added to building to increase facilities there.” “A limit must be set to the expansion of our institutions in Battle Creek.”—Testimonies for the Church 8:133, 135. Those who thought carefully on these words knew that we must move, and in fact our foreign-mission office was in the nineties moved from Battle Creek to Philadelphia, though it was again moved west to its former location.FSG 381.6

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