- “The fact that a man has been selected to be the president of a conference does not mean that he shall have authority to rule over his fellow workmen. This is after the practice of Rome, and it cannot be tolerated, for it restricts religious liberty, and the man is led to place Himself where God alone should be.“ {Ellen White: 9MR, p. 178.2}
- “They (GC) are following in the track of Romanism.“ {Ellen White: TM, p. 362.2}
- “Apostasy has come in to our ranks as it came in to Heaven, and all who unite with Satan in this kind of work will act on the same principles Satan has worked. Not open, not frank, but in secrecy.“ {Ellen White: 7MR, p 178 (Letter 156, 1897) }
- “In following a course of this kind, men are pursuing a similar course to that of the Roman Catholics who center in the pope every power of the church, and ascribe to him authority to act as God, so that those below him in station lay every plan at his feet that he may prescribe the rules for men and women in every minutiae of life. In following a course of this kind, there is danger that no chance will be left for God to answer the prayers of His delegated servants according to His promise in giving them wisdom in pursuing their work. God does not purpose to have one man prescribe how his fellow workmen shall perform His work. When this manner of action comes in among our people, there is need of a protest.“ {Ellen White: 9MR, p.179.3}
According to Ellen White, the function of the president of the General Conference is directly against God’s will. It doesn’t matter what arguments are used, such as: better coordination’. According to that view, the need for a president was just like with the Hebrews who, during the time of Samuel, demanded to have someone who would act as their king. Secondly, in the meantime, there is no direct decision-making of the church. According to the same principle, the church is invited to vote on the changes, where the majority of members have been present for many years. It is pure manipulation, and it falls under the change of organisation.
Why is there an urgent need for change that the whole church can only hear it after the change is already made? Replacing the decades-old symbol has nothing to do with urgency and shows a deeper degree of our apostasy. Has anyone been asked if Jesuit professors are allowed to be in our theological universities? Revelation makes it very clear that all who want salvation must leave Babylon. These descriptions are just the opposite direction, a return to Babylon and the beast that gives its mark!
The GC has risen above the church just like the politicians of this world, where elections serve only to blind us to feel like we are influencing a decision. Whether the church was asked whether it agrees with joining ecumenical associations or the world union of churches. Arguments are made to the believers that the last church founded by God is rejected when someone takes the view that the majority has been affected by apostasy. In the Old Testament, apostasy was carried by the absolute majority.
During the time of the prophet Elijah, only 7,000 people remained in Israel who did not fall away from God, even though they were insignificantly small compared to the majority of several millions. Yet Israel still had the status of God’s people at that time. The defense of apostasy is based on a statement that according to Ellen White, the GC is God’s voice, and that we reject God’s commandments when we speak out against the decisions made at the GC. God’s prophet, of course, confirmed that the authority of God’s church and GC must not be rejected when it is accompanied by truth:
- ”At times, when a small group of men entrusted with the general management of the work have, in the name of the General Conference, sought to carry out unwise plans and to restrict God’s work, I have said that I could no longer regard the voice of the General Conference, represented by these few men, as the voice of God. But this is not saying that the decisions of a General Conference composed of an assembly of duly appointed, representative men from all parts of the field should not be respected. God has ordained that the representatives of His church from all parts of the earth, when assembled in a General Conference, shall have authority. The error that some are in danger of committing is in giving to the mind and judgment of one man, or of a small group of men, the full measure of authority and influence that God has vested in His church in the judgment and voice of the General Conference assembled to plan for the prosperity and advancement of His work.” {Ellen White: 9T 260.2}
- “But when, in a General Conference, the judgment of the brethren assembled from all parts of the field is exercised, private independence and private judgment must not be stubbornly maintained, but surrendered. Never should a laborer regard as a virtue the persistent maintenance of his position of independence, contrary to the decision of the general body.” {Ellen White: 9T, p. 260,1909}
- “God has invested His church with special authority and power which no one can be justified in disregarding and despising, for he who does this despises the voice of God.” {Ellen White: AA p. 163.2, 1911}
Do we believe that, when we have fallen away from so many fundamental points of truth, the decisions at the GC are guaranteed to be truth? According to Ellen White certainly not! If, in the context of the Omega apostasy, the majority of the people accepted false teachings, that majority would not vote for the truth. That is why this previous statement, that we are obliged to respect the decisions of the GC, applies to us only when the majority in the church remain faithful to the truth, which leads to correct decisions when voting at the GC.
The rabbis also made the decision, as the “voice of God”, to crucify Jesus on the cross, rejecting the truth that He was the Messiah. For this reason, Ellen White stated that she hopes we will not have to leave Babylon again. „Hopes“ means that this IS going to happen!
- “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.“ {Galatians 1:8}
The Apostle Paul says that even heavenly angels can be cursed if they announce a different message than the one that has already been presented and known as truth! But to today’s theologians, the GC is infallible, and is considered to be in a higher position than the angels who are in the immediate vicinity of God! Why did Ellen White write that the GC would become like Rome? Precisely because, like Rome, it claims to be the infallible voice of God, as they persecute all “heretics” who call for a return to the old truths.
The biggest paradox is that the fighters against the doctrine of the Trinity are called the bearers of the “new” apostasy, while they loudly call on the church to return to the old truth that was held until 1931! Some argue that the GC represents the New Testament manifestation of God’s voice, comparing it to the Old Testament where the stones on the priest’s chest would confirm God’s decision.
That is, of course, correct, but only when the Old Testament priests and the GC leaders make decisions following the truth. Was the voice of the priests of the Old Testament always the voice of God, because they carried those stones on their chests? Certainly not, because we know that the fall of the Jews was complete even before Jesus’ mission on earth. Did Ellen White confirm that the GC in its entirety was not always the voice of God, even when the truth was rejected?
- “Yet we hear that the voice of the Conference is the VOICE of God. Every time I have heard this, I have thought that it was almost BLASPHEMY. The voice of the Conference ought to be the voice of God, but it IS NOT…“ {Ellen White, 16LtMs, Ms 37, 1901, par.18}
- ”..it has been some years since I have considered the General Conference as the voice of God” {Ellen White: 17MR 216, 1898}
- “That these men (leaders) should stand in a sacred place, to be as the voice of God to the people, as we once believed the General Conference to be,—i.e. past.“ {Ellen White: GCB 1901 p. 25 {PC422}}
- “And the General Conference is itself becoming corrupted with wrong sentiments and principles.“ {Ellen White: TM, p. 359.1}
This actually shows harmony with the previous quotes, the GC is worthy to be God’s voice if it tells the truth. Ellen White’s presence at the GC meetings did not necessarily imply God’s approval of what was being said there. Nowadays, since the majority of our beliefs and leadership have turned from truth, having God’s approval at these meetings cannot be possible. That is why Jesus asked that when the Son of Man comes, will he even find someone faithful, because there will almost be none! Ellen White’s statement about organizing and accepting apostasy, trampling the truth, was completely fulfilled.
While very liberal views are advocated from the pulpits, the simple truth of justification by faith is neglected, and the Three Angel’s Message is not preached. There is no protest. On the other hand, we do hear protests against the believers who call on their brothers and sisters to come back to the old truth. Leading authorities from the GC circle travel all over the world, full of “worries” to “protect and save the church”. Dear brothers and sisters, let us wake up and not look at the fall of the GC as the Catholics in Rome, because we will be seduced and lose eternal life. May God give us the strength to stand firmly on His side!
This Text is part of the book First Commandment OR Trinity? – Encyclopedia of Evidences of the Old Trampled Truths of All Areas