Dear ___________,
Thank you for contacting the Ellen G. White Estate. To the best of my knowledge, Mrs. White did not direct people to other churches to learn things about the Bible, the Christian life, or their duty to God. Early in our existence, while we were still formulating our own doctrines and long before we organized as a church, she urged our people not to seek "light" from those who were in error. In Early Writings we find the following statement:
I was shown the necessity of those who believe that we are having the last message of mercy, being separate from those who are daily imbibing new errors. I saw that neither young nor old should attend their meetings; for it is wrong to thus encourage them while they teach error that is a deadly poison to the soul and teach for doctrines the commandments of men. The influence of such gatherings is not good. If God has delivered us from such darkness and error, we should stand fast in the liberty wherewith He has set us free
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and rejoice in the truth. God is displeased with us when we go to listen to error, without being obliged to go; for unless He sends us to those meetings where error is forced home to the people by the power of the will, He will not keep us. The angels cease their watchful care over us, and we are left to the buffetings of the enemy, to be darkened and weakened by him and the power of his evil angels; and the light around us becomes contaminated with the darkness. {EW 124.3}
I saw that we have no time to throw away in listening to fables. Our minds should not be thus diverted, but should be occupied with the present truth, and seeking wisdom that we may obtain a more thorough knowledge of our position, that with meekness we may be able to give a reason of our hope from the Scriptures. While false doctrines and dangerous errors are pressed upon the mind, it cannot be dwelling upon the truth which is to fit and prepare the house of Israel to stand in the day of the Lord. {EW 125.1}
While we are no longer in the same situation??our theological formative years as a movement are long behind usthe counsel is still worth our attention. Mrs. White believed that God was leading this church in a special way for the last days. This did not result in her "whipping" other denominations, and she cautioned our ministers against such things, like making "hard thrusts" against the Catholics. But I can't think of an example in which she directed someone to go to another church to learn how to evangelize, how to run the church, etc. She believed that we would find the guidance we need in the Bible, and that God would direct us in some specific ways through the gift of prophecy. Sometimes I think that today we have lost that confidence, and we think we need to go to others to learn these things, when the programs they offer really do not address the needs or situations of Seventh-day Adventists. If we would study what we have, we would be amazed at what we would find! That's how I see it.
At the same time, I do not think she intended to forbid attending other churches, if it was done for the right reason by those who are already sure of their beliefs. She wrote,
Let some of the workers attend religious gatherings in
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other churches and, as there is opportunity, take part in them. Jesus when only twelve years old went into the school of the priests and rabbis at the temple and asked questions. In this temple school, studies were conducted daily, somewhat as we conduct Bible studies. Jesus asked questions as a learner, but His questions furnished new matter for those learned priests to think upon. Similar work might be done today. Judicious young men should be encouraged to attend the meetings of the Young Men's Christian Association, not for the sake of contention, but to search the Scriptures with them and suggest helpful questions. {6T 74.4}
I hope this answers your question. Thank you for writing, and God bless!
William Fagal
Associate Director
Ellen G. White Estate
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 U.S.A.
Phone: 301 680-6550
FAX: 301 680-6559
E-mail: mail@WhiteEstate.org
Web: www.WhiteEstate.org
