What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "Did Ellen White teach that one may not criticize or question the General Conference, preachers, or unions?"
Answer
Ellen White taught that the General Conference, as the highest authority of God on earth, should be respected, but she also emphasized that the judgment of any single man must never be placed above conscience or the organization. She sharply criticized when leading men opposed divine warnings or when criticism arose from a spirit of distrust and selfishness, seeking to undermine the influence of God’s messages. Nevertheless, she called for boldly pointing out errors and mistakes in administration, because blind trust in human leaders is dangerous.
The Authority of the General Conference and Private Judgment
»I have seen that the judgment of any man should not be subordinated to the judgment of a single man. But when the judgment of the General Conference, which is the highest authority that God has on earth, is exercised, private independence and private judgment may not be maintained, but must be relinquished. Their error was to persistently uphold their private judgment over their duty against the voice of the highest authority that the Lord has on earth.«
Warning about Critics and Distrust Within the Ranks
»Some who were warned put their souls in danger... they stood as critics and claimed to be able to recognize many faults in the men that God used. The chosen instruments of God would have rejoiced in associating with the men who kept away from them by doubting, criticizing, and resisting. Had unity existed among these brothers... some of the errors and mistakes that occurred would have been avoided.«
Dangers of Centralization and the Loss of Divine Assistance
»It is not wise to elect a man as president of the General Conference. ... The voice from Battle Creek, which was regarded as the authority in counsel about how the work should be done, is no longer the voice of God. It has been several years since I regarded the General Conference as the voice of God. That these men should stand at a holy place to be the voice of God to the people, as we once believed of the General Conference – that is over.«
Critique of the Negative Influence of Leading Men
»What better course could one pursue to please the enemy and grieve the spirit of God than the one you, my brother, a teacher in Israel, have followed? You had a whole number of men in responsible positions—union presidents, preachers, and workers—who joined with you to question, criticize, and say, "Report, and we will pass it on.«
The Necessity of Sincere Reproof
»There will always be a spirit that rises against the reproof of sin and injustice. But should the voice of reproof therefore be silenced? If so, we would be no better off than the various denominations in our country that are afraid to address the errors and prevailing sins of the people. Those whom God has set apart as servants of righteousness have the solemn responsibility to rebuke the sins of the people.«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.
