Interesting reading I must say. I happened on a Seventh Day Adventist cable show the other day and their network, at least I presume it so, 3ABN =Three Angels Broadcasting Network?
Fascinating stuff. I guess my question is, with all the controversy surrounding Ms.White, is this a valid denomination to adhere to as a member of the body of Christ?
Ever the seeker, I appreciate your indulgence.
Seventh-day Adventists are first and foremost followers of Christ. We are a Christian denomination. We adhere to Christian doctrines that are completely supportable using the Bible alone. That being said, we have a different perspective on doctrine based on our understanding of Bible interpretation. Mrs. White is held in high esteem by most Adventists, but she does NOT in any way overrule the Bible. Also, many Adventists hold a variety of personal beliefs which may come into conflict with other Adventists on a broad range of topics, but we still voluntarily associate as a church family. I believe the ability to discuss differing opinions within the context of a church family is actually a strength of the Adventist Church. One does not have to believe Mrs. White was a prophet in order to be an Adventist.
Factually speaking, Ellen G. White (born as Ellen Harmon) was a protestant Christian in the United States during a time of religious re-awakening. Ellen and others were encouraged to study the Bible for themselves, and the group was especially excited about end-time prophecies speaking about the return of Jesus. As a group (and this group was made up of all different protestant denominations at the time), lead by William Miller, they expected Jesus to come back October 22, 1844. Jesus did not come back October 22, 1844. The group was devastated, but some were further compelled to study the Bible even more carefully. The important point for this group was that they believed Jesus would actually come back to Earth to deliver His people from this sinful world. They believed in His promise in the NT that He would return. Some other Christian teachings at the time were drifting away from belief in that promise. Another important thing to note is that this group of people, Ellen White included, were very strong in their belief that the Bible could be studied and correctly interpreted by any person able to read it for themselves. These are the two core belief structures that the Adventist Church was founded on and continues in today. Lead by Ellen White, her husband and others, this group of Christians eventually separated from their previous churches and organized into a new church family, calling themselves Seventh-day Adventists - Seventh-day because they believed the Bible description of Sabbath on the seventh day of the week was still applicable to their lives and within God's will for humanity, and Adventists because their primary objective was looking toward Christ and His second Advent/Coming.
Ellen White did describe herself as God's messenger for her time. She also shared with her church family visionary experiences she claimed were given to her by God. However, she never once claimed to be an official interpreter of Scripture nor did she ever wish to replace or even be equal to Scripture. She had only a few visions, which were primarily for the purpose of encouraging herself and her church family to look to Christ and continue to study the Bible for further revelation. The Adventist Church sees Ellen White's visions and writings as an example of how God continues to use all spiritual gifts described in Paul's letters to the Corinthians in our modern world, just as He did in Bible times, to uplift and grow the Church. Ellen White is an extensively published writer of devotional material. One of the most popular of her books among Adventists is called The Great Controversy. Mrs. White was a self-taught student of Christian history and Bible interpretation and it is obvious that she used every resource available to her when compiling that knowledge along with her devotional insights in The Great Controversy. It's a very interesting read, if you've got some time to look into it.
When speaking of prophecy, we need to be careful we understand what we're talking about. Most often, when I've heard people in our modern world talk about prophecy they mean eschatology, end-time events, or fortune-telling. The Bible does include certain prophecies that function in this way, and history has given evidence that those prophecies are true and applicable. However, the Bible also speaks of prophecy in a completely different context and that's where a lot of people get confused. The Bible also speaks of the gift of prophecy as that of public speaking which proclaims Jesus Christ until He returns. Paul spoke very highly of this kind of prophecy, saying that in his mind if there were a superior gift among all spiritual gifts it would be the gift of prophecy - proclaiming Jesus to the world. In this way, every preacher who preaches Jesus publicly has the gift of prophecy. There is also a third biblical way of understanding prophecy. A prophet in the Old Testament was often called to challenge the systems of society that were doing wrong or were oppressive to God's people. A prophet was often called to challenge the corruption of a nation or the corrupt leadership of a king. This was a dangerous and difficult task. In this way, anyone who stands up for what is right on behalf of God or God's people in a corrupt world is functioning as a prophet.
By the latter two definitions of prophecy, I would personally conclude that Ellen G. White did function as a prophet for her lifetime. When speaking of end-time events or fortune-telling... I would hesitate to name anyone a prophet in that way until the prophecies spoken were fulfilled. The only way to test that kind of prophecy is to wait and see in retrospect. Another way the Bible says to test a prophet is by their fruits. The fruits of Ellen White are great. She lead a major church organization through a very difficult time in US History (the Civil War). She focused and refocused that church organization on Jesus and salvation by faith in His Grace. It is because of her and her contemporaries that there are good quality Christ-centered Adventist schools across the United States and other parts of the world. She also encouraged good health practices that resulted in good quality medical care at Adventist hospitals across the USA. Say what you will about the fortune-telling aspect of prophecy... but she was a really strong leader, and the fruits of her efforts are still being seen today.
