File0001File0002File0003GSEM 534Lecture OutlineRevised:May 29,796Belief in Ellen G. White as a Prophet:Should It Be Made a Test of SDA "Fellowship"?Roger W. CoonIntroduction1. On Madr 26, 1996, an E-nnil message was posted on the SDA hternet web page from"Nancy:"a, I would really appreciate your arswering this inquiry. We are goingthrough quite a conEoversy in our church, and I need guidance,When I was baptized in the SDA Churdr 22 years ago, I was toldI didn't have b believe that Ellen Whib was a prophet to be anSDA. Otherwise, I wouldnjt be an SDA. Other folks in ourchurdr were told the same when they becane SDAs. Ftrowever,sone people in our church said they had to say they believed inEllen White when they joined.You can prove all our docbines from the Bible and I firrnlybelieve them. Since belief in EUen White is not necessary forsalvatio& I can't see why some folks want to strong-arm everyoneinto conforming. It's really dividing the drurdr lherel. Sheherself said that nothing should be preached from the pulpitexcept the Bible,My question is this: is it nec€ssary b believe she was a prophetto be an SDA? I certairily believe that prophecy is a spiritual gift,but I believe the term "spirit of prophecy" means tuving the spiritof Christ, who was also a prophet (Acts 3t2-23). I do not believethe term r€fers to Ellen White. Thank you in advance for helpingme.2. SDA's traditionally have used the expression "test of fellowship" to refer to tests of 'churdr membership, as they relate to:a. Belicfs: The core 'Fundammtal Beliefs" doctrinal fiamework-the 'rminimum"one mtrst believe in order to be accepted as a member in the fellowshipof the churcb and to remain as a meiber "in good and regular standingi'b. Belaoior: Lifestyletonduct, in harmony with those 'Fundamental Belie6," thatdoes not reflect a departue and apostasy from those basic beliefs.3. Two questions, in this context, have been raised since the eartest days of the SDAchurdua. Is belief in Ellen White as a prophet a "test" of Tellowship" (membershipXb. Should belief in EGW as a prophet be made a test of fellowship?Belief in Ellar G. White a Test of Fellouship?-Page 24. And lerhaps four resulting categories of viewpoints, among leaders and members,have arism over the years:a. Belief in her as a prophet a-and shoulil be-a test of fellowship.b. Belief in her as a prophet is-brtt Ehould not be-a test of fe[o;,ship.c. Belief in her as a prophet risn'f-bu t it shoulit De-a test of fellowshi'p.d. Belief in her as a prophet rsz'f-and it should not be-a test of fellowship.5. That there is not, today, unanimity among our believers, coalescing around one of thesefour viewpoints is a surprise-and equally a distress-to many within the church.a. But that there are differmces of opinion upon the questi on antong conseruatioeSDAs may to some be even more surprising-and distressingt6. Historically, the evidence seems to indicate that the rajority of the pioneer sDAleaders opposed making it a test of fellowship.a. Many conservative leaders today still hold to such a position.(1) A number of White Estate Trustees and stafff present and recentlyretired, continue to hold this historic Dosition.b. others, of equal erudition and dedicatio& feel thai the time lus come to makeit a test, 1nd havg increasingly voiced that opinion in public forums.(1) And there is documentary evidence of a fairly tecent shift of opinion,in several directions, as will be noted below.c. lastly, some, frankly, are confused.(1) Perhaps some of the confusion arises because of an individual's irnbilityto distinguish between a ,,teaching', of the church, on the one hand,ilfri"i:{. " the church, on the orher_a point, arso, to be dealtI. Those Who Approve Making It a Test of FellowshipA. Spokespersons for the Affir:srative1. Francis D. Nichol [1897-1966]: Church leader, minister, author, djtor of the Reoiew andHaald for 21 years:a. Nichol poses and then arswers the question in his characterisucally forthrightllanner:(1) There is another question that is sometimes asked: Should aperson be taken into the drurch who does not acc€pt Mrs,White as God's special messenger to the remnant church?We believe that the Adventist ministry in general wouldquickly answer, No. . . . In view of the fact that such abelief in Mrs. White is one of our artides of faith, whvwould anyone wish to belong b our church if he did notacc€pt Mrs. White?-Why I Bdiate in Mrs. E. G. lry7tire [RH:19641, p. 105 (for a more complete text, see Appendix A).b. Nidrol provides no evidence whatever in his essay of any awareness on his partthat his view ildiamehically opposite of the position espoused by E-GWand the early SDA pioneers, or of the historic position of the church.Belid in Ellen G. Whitc a Test of Felloroship?-Page 3c. More astonishing (to those of w who remember him as a most astute logicianand polemicist) is the apparent failure on his part to distinguish betweenEllen White as a person and as a doctrine, and to demonstrate his aPParenthability to $asp Paul's doctrine of spiritual gifts, and the concomitantdoctrine of a rerrnant church possessing the prophetic gift!2. A growing nunber of SDA leaders, teachers, and pastors at all levels of the church,virtually all of whom are conservative in their theology and lifestyle, and who areseriously concerned that the growing negative attitudes eroding confidence inEGW, her role, and message, be reversed, and that she be given her rightfirl placewithin the church which she helped to co-found.B. Reasons for Their Approval1. 'rHistorical Conditioningf' While recognizing that EGW truly did oppose makingbelief in her a test of fellowship, they allege that her opposition is historicallvconditioned, and must be viewed contextually, taking into account her tine andplace.a. They allege that her position of opposition was, indeed, appropriate for her day,in the infancy of the denomination, when she and her ninistry were stillcomparatively uriknown, even within the drurch itself.b. But, say they, times have changed; and the position appropriate to the churchin that day is not at all appropriate now.2. The 1980 (hange in the "Statement of Fundarnental Beliefsl'a. They poirt out correctly, that a change was made at the 1980 GeneralConference Session in which that "Statement of Fundamental Beliefs"dealing with the Spirit of prophecy was amended, so that EGW's nameappmrs earlier in the statement, making mention of it more prominmt