Transcript Plan A, Exhibit A - searchshareministry

God’s Ideal in Gospel Ministry
Reform
 The
Medical Missionary work
 The
Publishing work
 Our
Educational System
 Our
Method of Organization & Leadership
as in “Public Evangelism and Gospel
Ministry”
 And
the LORD shall make thee the head, and
not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and
thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou
hearken unto the commandments of the
LORD thy God, which I command thee this
day, to observe and to do them: Deuteronomy
28:13


And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went
to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep
the commandments of God, and have the testimony of
Jesus Christ. Revelation 12: 17
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an
holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew
forth the praises of him who hath called you out of
darkness into his marvellous light. 1 Peter 2:9

And to make thee high above all nations which he
hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and
that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy
God, as he hath spoken. Deuteronomy 26:19

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and
keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure
unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an
holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt
speak unto the children of Israel. Exodus 19:5,6
God has called His church in this day, as He called
ancient Israel, to stand as a light in the earth. By the
mighty cleaver of truth, the messages of the first,
second, and third angels, He has separated them from
the churches and from the world to bring them into a
sacred nearness to Himself. He has made them the
depositaries of His law and has committed to them the
great truths of prophecy for this time. Like the holy
oracles committed to ancient Israel, these are a sacred
trust to be communicated to the world. . . Nothing is to
be permitted to hinder this work. It is the all-important
work for time; it is to be far-reaching as eternity. The
love that Jesus manifested for the souls of men in the
sacrifice which He made for their redemption, will
actuate all His followers. {5T 455.2}
Our position in the world is not what it should
be. We are far from where we should have been
had our Christian experience been in harmony
with the light and the opportunities given us, had
we from the beginning constantly pressed
onward and upward. Had we walked in the light
that has been given us, had we followed on to
know the Lord, our path would have grown
brighter and brighter. {8T 247.1}
Satan has stolen a march upon us !
There is little left today of the New
Testament model of leadership of which
the pioneers originally adopted

And he ordained twelve, that they should be with
him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast
out devils: Mark 3:14,15
And when it was day, he called unto him his
disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he
named apostles; Luke 6:13
Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples
unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should
leave the word of God, and serve tables.
 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven
men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and
wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer,
and to the ministry of the word. Acts 6:2-4

.
. . the apostles were led by the Holy Spirit to
outline a plan for the better organization of all
the working forces of the church. The time had
come, the apostles stated, when the spiritual
leaders having the oversight of the church
should be relieved from the task of
distributing to the poor and from similar
burdens, so that they might be free to carry
forward the work of preaching the gospel.
Acts of the Apostles 89.1

And when they had ordained them elders in
every church, and had prayed with fasting, they
commended them to the Lord, on whom they
believed. Acts 14:23

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou
shouldest set in order the things that are
wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I
had appointed thee: Titus 1:5
And there stood up one of them named
Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there
should be great dearth throughout all the world:
which came to pass in the days of Claudius
Caesar.
 Then the disciples, every man according to his
ability, determined to send relief unto the
brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders
by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 11:28-30

The organization of the church at
Jerusalem was to serve as a model for the
organization of churches in every other
place where messengers of truth should
win converts to the gospel. Acts of the
Apostles 91.1
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to
all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost
hath made you overseers, to feed the church of
God, which he hath purchased with his own
blood.
 For I know this, that after my departing shall
grievous wolves enter in among you, not
sparing the flock.
 Also of your own selves shall men arise,
speaking perverse things, to draw away
disciples after them. Acts 20:28-30

 Holding
fast the faithful word as he hath been
taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine
both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Titus 1:5
Elders should be well-versed and knowledgeable in the
scriptures!
Previous to the official establishment of SDA
organization, many were afraid of and opposed
any form of organization fearing it would lead to
the confusion of Babylon

I saw that everything in heaven was in perfect order. Said
the angel, "Look ye; Christ is the head; move in order,
move in order. Have a meaning to everything."
Said the angel, "Behold ye, and know how perfect, how
beautiful the order in heaven; follow it." . . . {5MR 227.1,2}
Formality should be shunned; but, in so doing, order
should not be neglected. There is order in heaven. There
was order in the church when Christ was upon the earth,
and after His departure order was strictly observed
among His apostles. Early Writings 97.1
And now in these last days, while God is
bringing His children into the unity of the faith,
there is more real need of order than ever
before; for, as God unites His children, Satan and
his evil angels are very busy to prevent this
unity and to destroy it. EW 97.1

I saw that the church should feel their
responsibility and should look carefully and
attentively at the lives, qualifications, and general
course of those who profess to be teachers. If
unmistakable evidence is not given that God has
called them, and that the "woe" is upon them if
they heed not this call, it is the duty of the church
to act and let it be known that these persons are
not acknowledged as teachers by the church. This
is the only course the church can take in order to
be clear in this matter, for the burden lies upon
them. {EW 100.1}






1 Timothy 3:1-7 This is a true saying, If a man desire the
office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife,
vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to
teach;
Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but
patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in
subjection with all gravity;
(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall
he take care of the church of God?)
Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the
condemnation of the devil.
Moreover he must have a good report of them which are
without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.


James White has stated that there are “the following classes of
rulers and officers of the Christian church . . . . . Apostles,
Evangelists, Elders, Bishops, Pastors, and Deacons.” And then
divided the officers into two major classes, -“Those who hold
their office by virtue of an especial call from God, and those
selected by the church: the former embracing apostles and
evangelists; and the latter, elders, bishops, pastors, and
deacons.”
Apostle = “Anyone especially sent out of God in any age to
proclaim His truth.” “Especially applicable to those
who are called of God to lead out in any new truth or
reform; such for instance, as Luther, Melanchthon,
Wesley, and William Miller.” -James White




Evangelist = “a preacher of the Gospel, not fixed in any place,
but traveling as a missionary to preach the
gospel, and establish churches.”
Pastor = “Literally a herdsman, a shepherd; specially a
pastor, a teacher, a spiritual guide of a particular
church”
Elder = or Bishop – “a local office confined to a particular
church” involves leading out and “pastoring” the
local church. [“Should act as chairman in all its
business meetings”] – John Loughborough
Deacon = the role here according to the NT Christian church
was like a waiter, servant, attendant who “had
charge of the alms and money of the church, an
overseer of the sick and poor, an almoner
An early General Conference session rejected the
idea of a church manual where all the little
details of church management is spelled out
--The study of the scriptures and the guidance of
the Holy Spirit should direct us in these things !
Our ministers should plan wisely, as faithful stewards.
They should feel that it is not their duty to hover over
the churches already raised up, but that they should be
doing aggressive evangelistic work, preaching the
Word and doing house-to-house work in places that
have not yet heard the truth. . . . They will find that
nothing is so encouraging as doing evangelistic work in
new fields. --Letter 169, 1904. {Ev 382.3}
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
Nurture and oversee church members
Should be an example of SDA lifestyle
Using God’s wisdom feed the flock unselfishly with
good spiritual food [should know how & be able to preach]
Not to dictate but encourage
Minister to sick - “call for the elders of the church”
James 5:14,15
Labor two by two in evangelistic work
Encourage members and provide missionary work for them
Instruct membership in “the necessity of faithfulness in
payment of tithes, pledges, and offerings”
Responsibly deal without partiality with erring members and
sin in the church
Uphold church standards and policies

Their[Publishing workers] labor is no more wearing
than is that of the faithful minister. On the contrary,
ministers, as a rule, make greater sacrifices than are
made by the laborers in our institutions. Ministers go
where they are sent; they are minutemen, ready to
move at any moment, to meet any emergency. They are
necessarily separated, to a great degree, from their
families. The workers in the publishing houses, as a
rule, have a permanent home and can live with their
families. {7T 208.3}

And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go
again and visit our brethren in every city where we have
preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the
churches. Acts 15:36,41

Beside those things that are without, that which cometh
upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 2 Corinthians 11:28

Christ's ministers are the spiritual guardians of the people
entrusted to their care. Their work has been likened to that of
watchmen. In ancient times sentinels were often stationed on
the walls of cities, where, from points of vantage, they could
overlook important posts to be guarded, and give warning of
the approach of an enemy. {Acts of the Apostles 360.3}
Not long after the death of the prophet John - Many
early Christians abandoned the model of NT
leadership of elders overseeing the local church to
church leadership centering around a Bishop as
head over the congregation
Since the death of our Prophet The influence and authority of the church elder
has generally been reduced to leading out in
platform duties on Sabbaths
Have SDA’s abandoned the
Biblical Leadership Model ?
Do we need to Reform?

God has not given His ministers the work of setting
the churches right. No sooner is this work done,
apparently, than it has to be done over again. Church
members that are thus looked after and labored for
become religious weaklings. If nine tenths of the
effort that has been put forth for those who know the
truth had been put forth for those who have never
heard the truth, how much greater would have been
the advancement made! God has withheld His
blessings because His people have not worked in
harmony with His directions. {7T 18.2}

It weakens those who know the truth for our
ministers to expend on them the time and talent that
should be given to the unconverted. . . So long as
church members make no effort to give to others the
help given them, great spiritual feebleness must
result. {7T 18.3}

If one tithe of the labor that has been expended
upon our churches had been devoted to those who
are perishing in ignorance, living in sin, many would
have repented long ago. {RH, June 11, 1895 par. 1}

There has been so much preaching to our churches, that they
have almost ceased to appreciate the gospel ministry. The
time has come when this order of things should be changed.
Let the minister call out the individual church-members to
help him by house to-house work in carrying the truth into
regions beyond. {RH, June 11, 1895 par. 5}

Do not depend on the ministers to do all the work in your
church and neighborhood. The pastors must seek the lost
sheep, and you must help them; and while the ministers are
called to labor in other parts of the vineyard, the people of
God must have light in themselves, {RH, May 7, 1889 par. 8}

Instead of keeping the ministers at work for the
churches that already know the truth, let the
members of the churches say to these laborers: "Go
work for souls that are perishing in darkness. We
ourselves will carry forward the services of the
church. We will keep up the meetings, and, by abiding
in Christ, will maintain spiritual life. We will work for
souls that are about us, and we will send our prayers
and our gifts to sustain the laborers in more needy
and destitute fields." {6T 30.2}

Phm 1:2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus
our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:
Philemon 1:2

Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and
Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
Colossians 4:15

The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and
Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the
church that is in their house. 1 Corinthians 16:19


A vital connection with the Chief Shepherd will make the
undershepherd a living representative of Christ, a light
indeed to the world. An understanding of all points of
our faith is indeed essential, but it is of greater
importance that the minister be sanctified through the
truth which he presents for the purpose of enlightening
the consciences of his hearers. In a series of meetings
not one discourse should be given consisting of theory
alone, nor should one long, tedious prayer be made. {4T
315.1}
We need a converted ministry; otherwise the
churches raised up through their labors, having no
root in themselves, will not be able to stand alone. {4T
315.2}

Through the grace of Christ, God's ministers are made
messengers of light and blessing. As by earnest,
persevering prayer they obtain the endowment of the
Holy Spirit and go forth weighted with the burden of
soulsaving, their hearts filled with zeal to extend the
triumphs of the cross, they will see fruit of their
labors. . . Many souls will be turned from darkness
to light, and many churches will be established.
Men will be converted, not to the human
instrumentality, but to Christ. Self will be kept in the
background; Jesus only, the Man of Calvary, will
appear. {AA 278.2}
And as they went through the cities, they
delivered them the decrees for to keep, that
were ordained of the apostles and elders which
were at Jerusalem.
And so were the churches established in the
faith, and increased in number daily. Acts
16:4,5


If the ministers would get out of the way, if they would
go forth into new fields, the members would be
obliged to bear responsibilities, and their
capabilities would increase by use.--Letter 56, 1901.
{Ev 382.4}
Our people have had great light, and yet much of our
ministerial force is exhausted on the churches, in
teaching those who should be teachers; enlightening
those who should be "the light of the world"; watering
those from whom should flow springs of living water;
enriching those who might be veritable mines of
precious truth; repeating the gospel invitation to such as
should be scattered to the uttermost parts of the
earth,{Ev 382.5}



As I traveled through the South on my way to the conference, I
saw city after city that was unworked. What is the matter? The
ministers are hovering over churches which know the truth
while thousands are perishing out of Christ. {Ev 381.2}
If the proper instruction were given, if the proper methods
were followed, every church member would do his work as a
member of the body. He would do Christian missionary work.
But the churches are dying, and they want a minister to preach
to them. {Ev 381.3}
They should be taught to bring a faithful tithe to God, that He
may strengthen and bless them. They should be brought into
working order, that the breath of God may come to them. They
should be taught that unless they can stand alone, without
a minister, they need to be converted anew, and baptized
anew. They need to be born again.--Manuscript 150, 1901.
Imagine if all our schools,
colleges, and educational
institutions, followed all the
principles of reform and their
whole goal was to train young
people and students to go out as
missionaries according to their
talents and calling ?
Imagine if there were a health
reform vegetarian restaurant in
every city around the world ?
Imagine if our Publishing Houses
were continually cranking out
attractive, powerful, truth-filled,
inexpensive literature to send
everywhere by the hands of
dedicated colporteurs ?
Imagine if we had simple, health
reform, natural remedies -based
sanitariums outside of every
major town and city ?
What if Loma Linda had kept its
earliest goals and philosophy of
earnestly training gospel
medical missionary evangelists
to go all over the world and fill
numerous sanitariums with
qualified, Spirit-filled workers ?
Imagine if we had a few good
science-based,
professional-quality creation
museums strategically placed
near great population centers ?
Imagine if all our tithe paid
Pastors [Ministers] worked full
time like evangelists raising up
new churches continually ?
We would have gone
HOME long ago !!
 Our
position in the world is not what it should
be. We are far from where we should have
been had our Christian experience been in
harmony with the light and the opportunities
given us, had we from the beginning constantly
pressed onward and upward. Had we walked
in the light that has been given us, had we
followed on to know the Lord, our path would
have grown brighter and brighter. {8T 247.1}
Imagine if church members
everywhere were filled with the
mighty outpouring of God’s Holy
Spirit and became involved in
some way for witnessing and
evangelism ?