Ellen White on the Church: Who Does “The Church” Really Mean?
I hear leaders in my faith community say “the church,” referring to the organization, or the General Conference. I have done my own research, and I cannot find Ellen G. White ever saying that “the church” refers only to people who hold positions in the General Conference office.
When we make a careful, personal study, we discover this is a misconception — when leaders refer to “the church” as meaning only the General Conference structure, this notion has no foundation in Ellen G. White’s writings. When I first joined the church, I believed this myself. Now God has opened my eyes to the truth found in Ellen G. White’s actual writings on the church.
The church, according to Ellen G. White, is made up of faithful men and women who believe the three angels’ messages — whether they serve within conference structures or work independently. When this understanding is twisted by certain leaders, some come to believe they have the right to mistreat those who are not affiliated with the conference, believing they may treat them poorly.
Nowhere does Ellen G. White say that “the church” refers exclusively to denominational members in good standing with a conference structure. The truth is that the church is anyone who believes the three angels’ messages — whether they have never attended any congregation, whether they attend a conference-affiliated congregation, or whether they attend an independent congregation.
Ellen White on the Church
“Brother Root has felt a pressure bearing against the influence he was trying to exert in the church. When he sees things are going wrong in the church, it is his duty to speak, and it is the duty of the church to sustain him. He has felt fearful of speaking out his convictions in regard to things in the church, which looked to him as though moving wrong. Someone must take the responsibility of moving, of speaking and correcting wrongs, although they cross the track of members of the church who have influence. The church have failed to stand together.” (1LtMs, Ms 8, 1867, par. 9)
“Those who have been brought together in church capacity have bound themselves by their act in joining the church to keep evil speaking out of their ranks. It is the duty of those in responsible positions in the church to closely guard this matter to see that order and harmony are preserved in the church. From the light given me by God in regard to the church here in Christiania, this work has been greatly neglected. Because of this, the enemy has worked through unruly elements to weaken the church. When I was here last year, I bore my testimony on this point, through my interpreters. At that time there was a demoralized condition of things in the church. And those occupying positions of responsibility did not seem to understand the harm that the mischiefmakers were doing.” (4LtMs, Ms 26, 1886, par. 2-3)
“The church is God’s fortress, His city of refuge, which He holds in a revolted world. Any betrayal of the church is treachery to Him who has bought mankind with the blood of His only-begotten Son. From the beginning, faithful souls have constituted the church on earth. In every age the Lord has had His watchmen, who have borne a faithful testimony to the generation in which they lived. These sentinels gave the message of warning; and when they were called to lay off their armor, others took up the work. God brought these witnesses into covenant relation with Himself, uniting the church on earth with the church in heaven. He has sent forth His angels to minister to His church, and the gates of hell have not been able to prevail against His people.” (AA 11.2)
“The setting of the gifts in the church does not imply that every individual was to have them in exercise.” (PP 27.3)
“Yet these gifts are said to be ‘set in the church,’ and if a gift is bestowed upon even one member of the church, it may be said that that gift is ‘in the church,’ or that the church ‘has’ it. So the last generation was to have, and it is believed does now have, the testimony of Jesus, or the gift of prophecy.” (PP 27.3)
“The spirit existing in the church is such as to lead away from God and the path of holiness. Many of the church have ascribed their state of spiritual blindness to the influence growing out of the principles taught at the Institute. This is not entirely correct. Had the church stood in the counsel of God, the Institute would have been controlled. The light of the church would have been diffused to that branch of the work, and the errors would not have existed there that did. It was the moral darkness of the church that had the greatest influence to create the moral darkness and spiritual death in the Institute. Had the church been in a healthy condition, she could have sent a vitalizing, healthful current to this arm of the body. But the church was sickly and did not enjoy the favor of God nor the light of His countenance. A sickly, deathly influence was circulated all through the living body until the disease was apparent everywhere.” (2T 138.3)
“Instead of pressing with the church and having confidence in the church, you have too much confidence in your opinion and judgment. If there is a disaffected one who complains of the church, you too often sympathize with him, and instead of checking the complainer, receive what he says and get up a tried, dissatisfied feeling and speak of the wrongs (as you consider them) of the church. If any case of dissatisfaction arises you take the wrong side and unite with the complainer. Here you show your lack of confidence in the church, and this course causes the church to lose confidence in you. You feel like drawing off from the church, and the church feels it and they lose confidence in you…. When you take an humble position, and are willing to be counseled, advised, and corrected by those of sound judgment and experience in the church, then the church will feel it, will know it, and you will be united with them.” (1LtMs, Lt 13, 1859, par. 4)
“It is impossible for E to be fellowshiped by the church of God. He has placed himself where he cannot be helped by the church, where he can have no communion with nor voice in the church. He has placed himself there in the face of light and truth. He has stubbornly chosen his own course, and refused to listen to reproof. He has followed the inclinations of his corrupt heart, has violated the holy law of God, and has disgraced the cause of present truth. If he repents ever so heartily, the church must let his case alone. If he goes to heaven, it must be alone, without the fellowship of the church. A standing rebuke from God and the church must ever rest upon him, that the standard of morality be not lowered to the very dust. The Lord is displeased with your course in these things.” (1T 215.1)
“He places himself outside of the pale of the church where he cannot be brought under the discipline of the church, and yet he has a voice in the church as if he belonged to the church. I cannot see the consistency of this and know that this move is all out of God’s order. It shows blind, hazardous movements; it is giving influence to a man who refuses to be in harmony with the church, and through this one man whose way is after the world and not after the Lord’s plans Satan comes in to control other minds. Then how could you or any member of the church, if they stood in the light, place him on a committee?” (4LtMs, Lt 43, 1886, par. 2)
“There are opportunities and privileges in the church to help those who are ready to die, and to inspire the church with zeal, but not to tear the church to pieces. There are plenty of opportunities in the church to walk in Christ’s lines. If the heart is full of zeal to press on to a deeper sanctification and holiness, then work in that line in all humbleness and devotedness. The church needs freshness and the inspiration of men who breathe in the very atmosphere of heaven, to vitalize the church, notwithstanding the tares are among the wheat.” (8LtMs, Ms 21, 1893, par. 25)
“After the meetings had been two or three days in progress, one who had been a member of the church, but who had left it about two years before, because of his opposition to the testimonies, arose and said that he desired to take his stand again with the church. It was the written testimonies of Sister White which had led him to leave the church, and now it was her testimony, her preaching at this meeting that brought him back to the church. He wished to be baptized again, and to be received as a brother by his former brethren and sisters. Many hearts rejoiced greatly that this brother was restored to the church.” (EA 124.3)
“Let every member of the church become an active worker,—a living stone, emitting light in God’s temple. Those who bear responsibilities in the church should devise ways in which an opportunity will be given to every member of the church to act some part in the work. This has not been done in the past, and there are but few who realize how much has been lost on this account. Plans have not been formed whereby the talent of all could be employed in the service of the cause. The enemy is not slow in employing those who are idlers in the church, and he uses the unappreciated talent of the members of the church for his own work.” (PH078 27.1)
“We should all be working together with God. No idlers are acknowledged as his servants. The members of the church should individually feel that the life and prosperity of the church is affected by their course of action. Those in the church who have sufficient talent to engage in any of the various vocations of life, such as teaching, building, manufacturing, and farming, will generally be prepared to labor for the upbuilding of the church by serving on committees or as teachers in Sabbath-schools, engaging in missionary labor or filling the different offices connected with the church.” (RH, January 1, 1880, par. 7)
“Elders, local and traveling, are appointed by the church and by the Lord to oversee the church, to reprove, exhort, and rebuke the unruly and to comfort the feebleminded. There is no higher tribunal upon earth than the church of God. And if the members of the church will not submit to the decision of the church, and will not be counseled and advised by them, they cannot be helped. If one and then another think they know best, and choose their own judgment instead of the judgment of the church, what kind of a church should we have? What would be the use of a church if each one is permitted to choose his own course of action? Everything would be in the greatest confusion; there would be no harmony, no union.” (1LtMs, Lt 5, 1863, par. 4)
“‘And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’” (1LtMs, Lt 5, 1863, par. 5) — referencing Hebrews 13:17, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account,” and 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13.
“God was displeased with you and displeased with the church that they suffered Mary to remain with you so long, giving the enemies of our faith occasion to speak reproachfully of our faith.” (1LtMs, Lt 1, 1864, par. 3)
“The world is against the church to weaken and destroy it, but let the church of God press together, press together, press together. Let not Satan thrust himself between the members of the church. Do not give one stroke on the enemy’s side of the question. Put away egotism. Do not think that one or two men in the church are all the men who are conscientious in the church. You are far too narrow in your thoughts and in your actions.” (6LtMs, Lt 29, 1889, par. 11)
“The church upon the earth is not perfect. The church militant is not the church triumphant. Earth is not heaven. The church is composed of erring men and women who will need patient, painstaking effort, that they may be educated, trained, and disciplined by precept and example to do their work with acceptance here in this life and to be crowned with glory and immortality in the future life.” (6LtMs, Lt 22a, 1889, par. 16)
“Unless you who are placed in important positions in the church shall cultivate tact far more than you have done in dealing with human minds, there will be great loss to yourselves and to the church.” (6LtMs, Lt 22a, 1889, par. 17)
“The church in [name omitted] has greatly backslidden from God. It is no longer in a state of healthful prosperity. Each individual member of the church has had burdens and discouragements of his own to bear, but these he should have borne and kept his soul alive before God without weakening others in the church. He should have added to the strength of the church instead of diminishing it. Brother C has not taken a position to strengthen his own faith or that of the church. He has been acting on the side of the enemy to dishearten and discourage.” (5T 285.2)
“You have injured your own soul more than any of the church. You have felt tried with the course the church pursued toward you. You have no complaint to make, for you took yourself out of the hands of the church. Every move made by every member of the church has not been at all times with due consideration and compassion, yet you have caused grief in the church and were not prepared to look upon any move they might make in the true light. You should have submitted to the judgment of the church. If they decided wrong, God could take hold of this matter in His own time and vindicate the right.” (1LtMs, Lt 5, 1863, par. 8)
“If religion reigns in the home, it will be brought into the church. The parents who do their work for God are a power for good.” (RH, March 7, 1907, par. 3)
“It may be that in the church there are those who are cold, proud, haughty, and un-Christian, but you need not associate with this class. There are many who are warm-hearted, who are self-denying, self-sacrificing, who would, were it required, lay down their lives to save souls.” (RH, January 16, 1894, par. 8)
“Brother and Sister D might have been a precious help to the church in bringing them up to a position of better understanding had the church accepted their efforts. But envy, evil surmisings, and jealousy have driven them away from the church. Had they left the scenes of their trial sooner than they did, it would have been better for them.” (4T 330.2)
“I was shown that the men who act in the church are all out of their place. The church cannot progress with such ones to act for them. The church would be far better off without anyone to lead than the ones who act as leaders, for then all would feel a measure of responsibility. Marquette has been a very hard place for the servants of God to labor, for there has been a class there of self-righteous, talkative, unruly ones, who have stood in the way of the work of God. If they were received into the church they would tear the church to pieces. They would not be subject to the church, and would never be satisfied unless the reins of church government were in their own hands.” (T08 32.2)
“I was shown that ministers should pray more and rely upon God for heavenly wisdom, then there would not be so many mismoves.” (1LtMs, Ms 8, 1863, par. 10-11)
“There have ever been individuals of independent minds, who have claimed that they were right, that God had especially taught, impressed, and led them. Each has a theory of his own, or views peculiar to himself, and each claims that his views are in accordance with the word of God. Each one has a different theory and faith, yet each claims special light from God. These draw away from the body, and each one is a separate church of himself. All of these cannot be right, yet they all claim to be led of the Lord. The word of inspiration is not yea and nay, but yea and amen in Christ Jesus. Christ here shows that there must be union with others, even in our desires for a given object. Great importance is attached to the united prayer, the union of purpose.” (T24 140.2)