APPENDIX 1

"Women can be the instruments of righteousness, rendering holy service It was Mary that first preached a risen Jesus.... Those who engage with the Son of God m His work, be they ever so aspiring, can have no greater, no holier work than this. If there were twenty women where now there is one, who would make this holy mission their cherished work, we should see many more converted to the truth. The refining, softening influence of Christian women is needed in the great work of preaching the truth.... We are lacking in deeds of sympathy and benevolence, in sacred and social ministering to the needy, the oppressed, and the suffering. Women who can work are needed now, women who are not self-important, but meek and lowly of heart, who will work with the meekness of Christ wherever they can find work to do for the salvation of souls " ["Address and Appeal, Setting Forth the Importance of Missionary Work," Review and Herald, Jan. 2, 1879]

"I am now writing upon the great mistakes made in extending our labor where we can not look after it, and having a feverish unrest to create new interests

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 and leave the people already raised up to die for want of help. This is the case all over the different states. I tell you there must be more visiting the churches and caring for those already raised up, strengthening the things that are ready to die.... Churches are raised up and left to go down while new fields are being entered. . .. This is the way matters are going now. . . . The work has not been carried forward as evenly as it should have been. While duties are suffering to be done right in our path, we should not reach out and long and sigh for work at a great distance.... I have had considerable light. The strength, ability and means are needed more at the present crisis in our own country than in any other place.  The heart of the work must be kept strong and in a vigorous helpful action.... Our ministers must be educated and trained to do their work more thoroughly. They should bind off the work and not leave it to ravel out. And they should look especially after the interests they have created, and not go away and never have any special interests after leaving a church. A great deal of this has been done."  [Ellen White to S. N. Haskell, Jan. 27, 1879, HI-1879]

"The committee on credentials and licenses reported, recommending that the credentials of J. N. Ayers, J. H. Cook, C. F. Stevens, J. Lament, L. D. Santee, and Smith Sharp be renewed, and that W. E. Dawson be ordained and receive credentials; which recommendations were adopted, excepting in the case of W. E. Dawson, whose ordination was deferred upon his request. Brother Butler and Sister White spoke at some length on the subject of licenses.... The committee on credentials and licenses further reported, recommending that W. E. Dawson, John Gibbs, Marshall Enoch, Hattie Enoch, G. H. Rogers, J. S. Thorp, George Kennedy, Clarence Santee, N. W. Vincent, and R. F. Barton receive licenses, which recommendation was adopted." [Kansas Conference Proceedings, May 1879]

"It is not always men who are best adapted to the successful management of a church. If faithful women have more deep piety and true devotion than men, they could indeed by their prayers and their labors do more than men who are unconsecrated in heart and in life." [Letter 33, 1879, p. 2]

[Ellen White to Brother Johnson, who apparently was the elder of the South Lancaster, MA, Church; J33-1879] 
"You have a disposition to dictate and control matters and if you cannot do this you are almost sure to be sullen and uncongenial.... The feelings you cherish in reference to the faithful sisters of the church are more satanic than divine. You have united with some others in cherishing feelings that were all wrong. If you only had as much piety, perseverance, earnestness and steadfast energy as has

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been manifested by these humble, devoted women who have the benefit of your sneers, you would have been in a far better condition spiritually.... It is a shame that men who have been as long in the truth as you have been, are not qualified to stand in the church and build up the cause of God by faithful, earnest labor. The church in South Lancaster has had the misfortune to have a large share of unconsecrated, talkative, envious, jealous members to discourage any effort which some are anxious to make to advance the prosperity of the church. This contemptible picking, faultfinding, seeking spot and stain, ridiculing, gainsaying, that you with some others have indulged in, has grieved the Spirit of God and separated you from God. 

"It is not always men who are best adapted to the successful management of a church. If faithful women have more deep piety and true devotion than men, they could indeed by their prayers and their labors do more than men who are unconsecrated in heart and in life.... God calls upon you to be zealous and repent of your lukewarmness, your inconsistencies, your overbearing, dictatorial spirit, which is as unlike the Spirit of Christ as it is possible to be. 

"It is just such material as you, who help compose our churches, that make these churches weak and full of disease.... The South Lancaster church would be much better if they were not burdened with your unconsecrated, perverse spirit.... Oh, my soul is in anguish day and night, as I see the weakness of our churches in consequence of men who want to rule by their own spirit."

"I see that there has been a great neglect of our preachers in doing their work thoroughly and then frequently visiting and disciplining the churches raised up. ... There are needed not only ministers, but those who can act as missionaries,—men and women of good understanding, of moral worth with moral backbone who can circulate around among the people and shed light, precious light everywhere." [To Willie and Mary White, February 12 1879 W15-1879]

[Written from Milton, Oregon, Camp Meeting] 
"Oh, how much this people have needed instruction. Our work is only for the churches. We can not break new fields. We must confine our labors wholly to the churches." [Notice how Ellen White causes James White to modify his earlier concepts about ministry.] —To James White, May 26, 1880, L30-1880.

[Ellen White wrote to Stephen Haskell] 
"While you give so great attention to tract and missionary work to the exclusion of other interests], you hurt yourself. You hurt the other branches of the work. This I find plainly written, but it had passed my mind. I was shown that there must be a judicious change in many things. The branching out and extending labors while the ones already brought into the truth are left to die is a terrible mistake." [October 29, 1880. H55-1880]

"I was unable to sit up yesterday, for with much writing, reining myself up to meet different ones who put in requests for license, speaking in public, and showing the unfitness of different ones to attempt to teach others the truth...." [To Edson and Emma White, written from Salem, Oregon June 14 1880 W32a 1880]

"I had some very bad, bad jobs to perform. I took Brother Bean and wife and talked to them very plain. They did not rise up against it. I cried myself, could not help it. I told him he must not expect credentials for he would not get them He has given that up now." [To W. C. White and Mary White Sept 22 1880 W42-1880]

"As our numbers are increasing, broader plans must be laid to meet the increasing demands of the times; but we see no special increase of fervent piety, of Christian simplicity, and earnest devotion. ... The steady progress of our work, and our increased facilities, are filling the hearts and minds of many of our people with satisfaction and pride, which we fear will take the place of the love of God in the soul.... Where are the burden bearers? Where are the fathers and mothers in Israel? Where are those who carry upon the heart the burden for souls 

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and who come in close sympathy with their fellow men, ready to place themselves in any position to save them from eternal ruin?... While in the midst of a religious interest, some neglect the most important part of the work. They fail to visit and become acquainted with those who have shown an interest to present themselves night after night to listen to the explanation of the Scriptures.... Ministers who neglect their duty in this respect are not true shepherds of the flock." [Testimonies, vol. 4, pp. 535, 536, pub. 1881]

Ministering

"Many love to preach, but they have very little experience in ministering. Search the Scriptures with the families you visit." [Mss. 7, 1891, p. 6] "It is very difficult to impress the minds of our ministering brethren with the idea that sermons alone cannot do the work that is needed for our churches." [P. 7]

"Men have loved to preach, and have not considered that there was real art in ministering. They have not learned the trade of doing personal labor. This work must be entered into as never before." [Letter 61, 1892, p. 3. — EGW revolutionizes concept of ministry in SDA Church]

"Seldom can I give myself the pleasure of listening to discourses from our ministering brethren; but Sabbath afternoon I attended the meeting and heard Professor Prescott preach." [Letter 82, 1895, p. 6]

"We have had abundant work in visiting the churches, in ministering to the poor, in speaking and writing on important themes. The interest in Ashfield and Petersham has been deepening." [Letter 99, 1895, p. 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." [Mss. 45, 1895, p. 3]

"Women who are willing to consecrate some of their time to the service of the Lord should be appointed to visit the sick, look after the young, and minister to the necessities of the poor. They should be set apart to this work by prayer and laying on of hands.... This is another means of strengthening and building up the church. We need to branch out more in our methods of labor. Not a hand 

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should be bound, not a soul discouraged, not a voice should be hushed; let every individual labor, privately or publicly, to help forward this grand work." [Review and Herald, July 9, 1895]

God Resolves Women's Issue, According to Ellen White

"Injustice has been done to women who labor just as devotedly as their husbands, and who are recognized by God as being as necessary to the work of ministry as their husbands. The method of paying men-laborers and not their wives, is a plan not after the Lord's order.... This arrangement... is liable to discourage our sisters from qualifying themselves for the work they should engage in [i.e. ministry].... As the devoted minister and his wife engage in the work, they should be paid wages proportionate to the wages of two distinct workers, that they may have means to use as they shall see fit in the cause of God. The Lord has put His spirit upon them both. If the husband should die, and leave his wife, she is fitted to continue her work in the cause of God, and receive wages for the labor she performs.... This question is not for men to settle. The Lord has settled it. You are to do your duty to the women who labor in the gospel." ["The Laborer Is Worthy of His Hire," Mss. 43a, 1898. MR 267]

"God wants workers who can carry the truth to all classes, high and low, rich and poor. In this work women may act an important part. God grant that those who read these words may put forth earnest efforts to present an open door for consecrated women to enter the field." [Ibid., MR 298]

"Seventh-day Adventists are not in any way to belittle woman's work. If women do the work that is not the most agreeable to many of those who labor in word and doctrine, and if their works testify that they are accomplishing a work that has been manifestly neglected, should not such labor be looked upon as being as rich in results as the work of the ordained ministers? ... You are to do your duty to the women who labor in the gospel, whose work testifies that they are essential to carry the truth into families. Their work is just the work that must be done. In many respects a woman can impart knowledge to her sisters that a man cannot. The cause would suffer great loss without this kind of labor. Again and again the Lord has shown me that women teachers are just as greatly needed to do the work to which He has appointed them as are men." [Ibid., MR 330]

[Related to concepts of "ministering" that Ellen White applied to both men and women.] 
"There are women who should labor in the gospel ministry. In many respects they would do more good than the ministers who neglect to visit the flock of God. Husband and wife may unite in this work, and when it is possible, 

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they should. The way is open for consecrated women." [Mss. 43a, 1898, Evangelism p. 472]

"Christians have a work to do among the lowly, not merely in relieving their physical wants, but by a true profession of faith in Christ, ministering to the wants of the soul." [Mss. 17, 1898, p. 4]

"Lift the standard. The minister of the gospel must not give all his attention to sermonizing. The church of God must be kept in order. There is ministering to be done. The sick are to be visited." [Mss. 107, 1898, p. 6]

"Of this number most were quite poor. Here we found Sister Robinson doing the work of ministering, fully as valuable as any ordained minister." [Mss.182,1898,p.8] 

"There certainly should be a larger number of women engaged in the work of ministering to suffering humanity, uplifting, educating them how to believe—simply to believe—in Jesus Christ our Saviour." [Letter 133, 1898, p. 1]

"Woman, if she wisely improves her time and her faculties, relying upon God for wisdom and strength, may stand on an equality with her husband as advisor, counselor, companion, and co-worker, and yet lose none of her womanly grace or modesty." [The Adventist Home, pp. 159, 160]

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