Through the South to the Conference of 1901
305
development in all lines of service. “God desires His work to be a
rising, broadening, enlarging power,” Mrs. White declared during
a council meeting held the day preceding the formal opening of the
Conference session. “But the management of the work is becoming
confused in itself.... God calls for a change.” [
Unpublished Ms.
]
[386]
On the opening day of the Conference, Mrs. White spoke further
regarding these matters:
“Greater strength must be brought into the managing force of the
Conference.... God has not put any kingly power in our ranks to control
this or that branch of the work. The work has been greatly restricted
by the efforts to control it in every line. Here is a vineyard presenting
its barren places that have received no labor. And if one should start
out to till these places in the name of the Lord, unless he should get the
permission of the men in a little circle of authority he would receive
no help. But God means that His workers shall have help. If a hundred
should start out on a mission to these destitute fields, crying unto God,
He would open the way before them.... If the work had not been so
restricted, ... it would have gone forward in its majesty. It would
have gone in weakness at first, but the God of heaven lives; the great
Overseer lives....
“There must be a renovation, a reorganization; a power and strength
must be brought into the committees that are necessary.”
The General
Conference Bulletin, April 3, 1901
.
A few days later, when it was proposed to organize the Southern
field into a strong union conference, Mrs. White, in another talk before
the delegates, said:
“The arrangements which are being made for that field are in
accordance with the light which has been given me. God desires the
Southern field to have a conference of its own. The work there must be
done on different lines from the work in any other field. The laborers
there will have to work on peculiar lines, nevertheless the work will
be done....
“The Lord God of Israel will link us all together. The organizing
of new conferences is not to separate us. It is to bind us together.
[387]
The conferences that are formed are to cling mightily to the Lord, so
that through them He can reveal His power, making them excellent
representations of fruit bearing.”
The General Conference Bulletin,
April 5, 1901
.