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The Remnant Church Organized

This document summarizes the early organization of the Remnant Church, now known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church, between 1853-1861. It discusses the issuing of identification cards for itinerant preachers (1853), the first tent meetings and Sabbath schools (1854), the move of the publishing work to Battle Creek, Michigan (1855), the merging of church publications into the Adventist Review (1850), opposition to formal organization but recognition of its necessity, early systems for church finance, and the final vote to formally organize the Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association in 1861.

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Faye Egaña
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247 views8 pages

The Remnant Church Organized

This document summarizes the early organization of the Remnant Church, now known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church, between 1853-1861. It discusses the issuing of identification cards for itinerant preachers (1853), the first tent meetings and Sabbath schools (1854), the move of the publishing work to Battle Creek, Michigan (1855), the merging of church publications into the Adventist Review (1850), opposition to formal organization but recognition of its necessity, early systems for church finance, and the final vote to formally organize the Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association in 1861.

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Faye Egaña
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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THE REMNANT

CHURCH
ORGANIZED
Marlon Medalla Jr
Tricia Casidsid
• A, Identity Cards Issued
• *An initial step toward church organization was the need to identify those
persons who, as itinerant preachers, would travel around the country
preaching to small, scattered groups of believers who often were quite cut
off from current happenings. It was decided that identification cards would
be issued and signed by the “leading brethren,” thus certifying the validity of
the doctrines presented by the carrier. This procedure was introduced in
1853 (the forerunner of credentials). While the preachers received no salary
and were thus self-supporting, they traveled and preached with zeal.
• B. Evangelistic Tents and Sabbath Schools
• During the summer of 1853, Elders J. N. Loughborough and M. E.
Cornell were sent out at the expense of the Battle Creek church to
travel in three adjacent states. They became the first to have a “travel
budget.” The following summer they raised the necessary $200 to
purchase a 600-foot circular tent and on June 10, 1854, held the first-
ever tent meeting among Seventh-day Adventists. While both these
events may appear to us quite insignificant, to a motley group of a
few hundred scattered believers these were both momentous risky
decisions with little support except faith.
• C. Move to Battle Creek
• The Whites had settled in Rochester, New York, where they had enough room
to set up a small print shop to produce the magazines and pamphlets that
were rapidly expanding the work of the gospel. However, the primary growth
of the movement was following the westward expansion of the nation, and
Rochester was getting left behind and out of the way. The print shop was
incorporated instead of being under private ownership. Then four laymen
offered James White $1,200 as an interest-free loan to set up the press in Battle
Creek. The offer was accepted, and in 1855 the press moved to a two-story 20
x 30-foot (6mt. x 9mt.) house in Michigan.
• D. Early Publications
• In 1849 a group of Sabbathkeeping Adventists had begun to publish a paper
called The Present Truth. In 1850 they also had published six issues of The
Advent Review. In November of that year, these two papers had merged
under the name Second Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, which today is
simply the Adventist Review. This is the general church paper and contains
news of activities of the church around the world as well as devotional and
doctrinal articles. There is a weekly edition as well as a monthly edition. It is
printed at the Review and Herald Publishing Association in Hagerstown,
Maryland.
• E. Opposition to Organization
• *At first, the mere mention of the word “organization” would bring very
strong feelings and vocal negative opinions. The fact that many had been
disfellowshiped from their previous churches had turned folk strongly against
any formal church structure. However, as the movement grew in numbers
and spread out geographically, it became more evident that church
organization was becoming essential to safeguard against confusion and
fanaticism, keep from becoming a one-leader cult, ensure continuity and
focus to mission and resolve problems arising from property ownership
legalities.
• F. Early Church Finance
• In the 1850’s those who preached the Advent message relied on the
generosity of their listeners and worked when and where they could to
support themselves. A group, under the leadership of J. N. Andrews,
searched the Scriptures to find God’s method for the support of the ministry.
The resulting recommendation was called systematic benevolence. The
initial plan adopted called for each member to give annually at least 1% of
all personal property free of debt, in addition to weekly free-will offerings.
• G. Vote to Organize
• To understand the setting, here’s a quote illustrating much of the current thought of
the times. George Storrs, a prominent leader in the movement, wrote: “Take care
that you do not seek to organize another church. No church can be organized by
man’s invention but what it becomes is Babylon the moment it is organized...”
• When tent ministry became an effective way of spreading the gospel, it required a
full-time commitment of a large number of ministers. This was not possible without
some regular form of support. Finances were therefore carefully studied and plans
were voted. Then some suggested a form of organization was needed to hold
church property. Opposition arose and accusations of “going back to Babylon ,”
“union of church and state ,” “power mongers,” greed and position were all used as
the debate became emotional rather than fact and necessary reality. Reality slowly
won out, and at a general meeting held at the end of September 1860, the name
“Seventh-day Adventist” was selected to represent the movement and a unanimous
vote was taken for the formation of a publishing association. The Seventh-day
Adventist Publishing Association was officially formed on May 3, 1861.

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