From an early date Ellen White seemed to be rather certain that she would attend the 1909 General Conference session to be held in Washington, D.C. The time appointed was May 13 to June 6. This was very different from her experience in 1901, 1903, and 1905, when in each case she hesitated, sometimes for weeks, not knowing whether she should go. As early as September, 1908, she wrote, "I expect to attend the next General Conference in Washington."--Letter 274, 1908. In November she was discussing the best route to take. "But," she told Edson, "I dare not move in any action according to my own judgment." She added, "We will watch unto prayer, and seek to know the will of the Lord. I will trust myself in His hands, and I know that He will work for me."--Letter 334, 1908.
In late February, 1909, she wrote to Sister Gotzian that "I am expected to attend the coming conference in Washington."--Letter 48, 1909. As the time approached she wrote Edson on March 30:
We have decided our family party--Sara McEnterfer, Minnie Hawkins, W.C.W., and your mother--will leave next Monday.... We must go to Los Angeles and direct from there to Paradise Valley, stay a couple of days and then visit Loma Linda, and then on to College View and then to Nashville. I think this is the route. Then to Washington.--Letter 183, 1909.
Instead of dread there was anticipation as the trip was planned. Earlier in the year she had spoken of "relief and success, and joy in many lines of the work" (Letter 16, 1909). "I do not dread the journey," she told Edson. "My health is quite good. I am thankful that my lame hip is little trouble to me now. I have much to be thankful for that at my age--in my eighty-second year--I can be up."--Letter 183, 1909.
Perhaps one reason for her buoyancy was the turn things had taken in the California Conference, which included the entire State north of the Tehachapi Mountains. When Elder Haskell was called to the presidency of this conference in early February, 1908, there had been considerable bickering and some mismanagement. Even in this conference where she lived and had her membership, various attitudes were being taken concerning her work as the messenger of the Lord. W. C. White on June 22, 1908, in writing to the General Conference treasurer, I. H. Evans, reported:
In view of the fact that so much has been done to discredit the testimonies in this conference, Elder Haskell conducted a series of studies on the Spirit of Prophecy.--35 WCW, p. 865.
He referred to the Oakland camp meeting attended by Ellen White, where she spoke six times. Then at the conference session held in Oakland in early 1909, the resolutions passed were headed by the following action:
Whereas, the gift of prophecy has been a counselor to this people for more than half a century; and,
Whereas, Prosperity has attended the work of the third angel's message in proportion as the counsels of the gift of prophecy have been heeded; therefore,
Resolved, That we hereby recognize the goodness of God in placing and maintaining this gift in the church, and advise our ministers and our brethren generally, to become personally acquainted with its teachings, and to give heed thereto, that they may profit thereby.--Pacific Union Recorder, February 18, 1909.
As planned, the party from Elmshaven left home Monday morning, April 5, and reached Mountain View in the early afternoon. After resting in Elder Cottrell's home for a few hours, they continued to San Jose to catch the 5:10 P.M. train for Los Angeles, and then it was on to San Diego and Paradise Valley Sanitarium.
Tuesday morning the party was again on its way, this time bound for College View, Nebraska, over the Salt Lake City and Omaha Railroad (37 WCW, p. 953). There she spoke twice Friday morning, first to the students and faculty of Union College and then a few minutes later to the children in the elementary school room nearby (Letter 88, 1909). The topic of the Sabbath-morning sermon in the College View church, where she addressed 2,000 people, was "Individual Cooperation" (Manuscript 31, 1909). Then again on Sunday she delivered her sixth sermon of the trip to those who gathered in the College View church. This was followed by an address to the college faculty on educational principles (Letter 84, 1909) and a tour of the school farm.
Tuesday morning, April 20, the group hastened on to Nashville, where she was entertained at Nashville Sanitarium for nearly a week, slipping out for a visit to the Hillcrest school and the Oakwood school. She also visited Rock City Sanitarium and other institutions operated to serve black people. She wrote warmly of the work being done by O. R. Staines and F. L. Bralliar at the Hillcrest school (MSS 25, 13, 17, 1909).
Though the Southern Publishing Association was nearby, she did not visit it, having been warned of God to avoid the institution, which just at that time was involved in some conflicts.
The working force, however, heard her speak on Sabbath, April 24, in the Nashville Memorial church. The next day she addressed the black people in their church on Winter Street.
She molded her message to meet the special interests of her audience, saying at one point:
I recall how especially one of your race was recognized by God in the time of the apostles, the record of which we find in the book of Acts. The Ethiopian mentioned there was a man of influence, and was doing a great work when he heard the message of the gospel.
She added:
I am glad that the message of Christ's second advent has reached so many of the colored people. I want to say to you, the Lord is no respecter of persons. He makes no difference ... because of the color of your skin. He understands all your circumstances. We have one Saviour for all mankind.--Manuscript 17, 1909.
Sunday afternoon she went out to the Madison school and addressed those attending a teachers' institute in progress there (Letter 74, 1909; Manuscript 15, 1909). She appealed to the workers not to neglect any field of missionary endeavor, and spoke of their duty to work for the black people, recounting to them her experience in the black church and her visit to the Hillcrest school (Manuscript 15, 1909). She spent a few days at Madison, staying in their "new sanitarium" (Letter 74, 1909).
The journey to Huntsville, Alabama, to visit the school was exhausting. The train made frequent stops in the stifling heat, and she suffered pain in her troublesome left eye (Letter 74, 1909; 37 WCW, p. 959). But she talked to the students the next morning and visited the campus, the buildings, and the farm. That night she rode on the train to Asheville, North Carolina, and on Sabbath morning, May 1, took the service in the Haywood church.
On Sunday afternoon she addressed the congregation in the black church pastored by Elder M. C. Strachen, speaking on John 15. She tarried after the service to shake hands with the members. After dinner, she left on the 2:05 P.M. train for Washington, D.C. By the time she reached Washington, she had spoken fourteen times since leaving home.
In Washington she was entertained near the school grounds where the session was held, at the home of Elder G. A. Irwin, General Conference vice-president (37 WCW, p. 977). There she had two rooms--one for sleeping and the other in which to counsel with those who wished to see her. She quickly arranged for rooms in the nearby D. H. Kress home for Edson and Emma, and urged them to attend the conference at her expense, which they did.
The 1909 General Conference Session
As in 1905, this General Conference session was held in a large tent pitched on the grounds of Washington Missionary College. The opening meeting convened at 10:45 A.M. Thursday, May 13. There were 328 delegates present, a number that swelled a little as the conference progressed. Words of greeting were spoken by George I. Butler, George Amadon, and other pioneer workers, and messages were read from some who could not attend. The afternoon meeting was given over to what was called "the European Division," with Elder L. R. Conradi reporting.
On Thursday evening Elder A. G. Daniells gave his president's address, reviewing the work of the past four years and presenting the accomplishments of the seven General Conference departments. He projected a bright outlook for the future. As he reviewed the accomplishments of the reorganization of the General Conference, he pointed out that while in 1901 the Executive Committee consisted of thirteen members, there were now forty. In 1901 there were two union conferences, and now there were twenty-one "located in nearly all parts of the world." He observed that "to the committees in charge of these union conferences have been transferred countless details of administration which previously came to the General Conference Committee." He closed his observations on these lines by stating:
Thus the reorganization that has been effected since the conference of 1901 has drawn into the administrative circle more than five hundred persons who were not there before, and the results show that this change has greatly increased the efficiency of the management of the work.--The General Conference Bulletin, 1909, 8.
The session itself was quite routine, with a great deal of the time given over to reports of the progress of the cause around the world. A portion of each day was devoted to individual meetings of the various departments and to the business of the quadrennial meeting.
Sabbath morning at eleven o'clock Ellen White addressed the session in the big tent. The Bulletin reported that it "was a day long to be remembered" as the "aged servant of God" stood in that large tent speaking to an audience of well over a thousand people. She seemed to "lay upon those assembled representatives of the third angel's message the importance of rightly representing Christ to the world in our speech, in our character, in all our dealing with our fellow men, in order that we shall not be found fruitless in the great day of harvest" (p. 28).
How did the voice of this little woman of 81 come through to the audience? Those who were there reported that they all heard her clearly and distinctly. One curious young minister, A. V. Olson, attending his first General Conference session, eager to find out for himself, sat near the front, where he heard her well. Then he went to the back of the tent, where he heard equally well. He went outside the tent and even there her voice came through in clear tones. She did not shout. She had no public-address system, but with a steady, low voice supported by her abdominal muscles, she spoke as she had been instructed by God (see Evangelism, 669). She made all hear, with no one straining to catch her words.
Ellen G. White Addresses
Ellen White spoke eleven times in the big tent, taking the Sabbath-morning services on three of the four Sabbaths of the session. On a number of occasions she spoke at the nine-fifteen Bible study hour. On two mornings late in the session, she read not one but two manuscripts each day. All of her addresses except the last one on the closing day of the session were reported in the Bulletin. The titles of her addresses allow us to picture her ministry through the little more than three weeks of the session:
Sabbath sermon May 15 Abiding in Christ The General Conference Bulletin, 37-39
Monday morning May 17 A Call to Service Ibid., 56-58
Wednesday morning May 19 The Work Before Us Ibid., 105
Sabbath sermon May 22 A Risen Saviour Ibid., 136, 137
Wednesday morning May 26 A Lesson in Health Reform Ibid., 213-215
Thursday morning May 27 Let Us Publish Salvation Ibid., 225-227
Sabbath sermon May 29 Get Ready! Ibid., 344-346
Sunday morning May 30 The Spirit of Independence Ibid., 220, 221
God's Plan Ibid., 236, 237
Monday morning May 31 Faithfulness in Health Reform Ibid., 268-270
Tuesday morning June 1 A Plea for Medical Missionary Evangelists Ibid., 291, 292
The Loma Linda College of Evangelists Ibid., 308, 309
Sunday afternoon June 6 Farewell Address--Partakers of the Divine Nature Ibid., 378
Her second Sabbath sermon, "A Risen Saviour," was unique in that she opened her Bible and read not just a verse or two as an introduction to her message but three long chapters from the book of Matthew and fifty verses of a fourth, interspersing her reading with an occasional comment. It is said that she read "in a most solemn and impressive manner." At one point (not soon forgotten by her hearers) in her reading of how Pilate's wife sent word of her warning dream, as recorded in Matthew 27:19, she stepped aside, and a male quartet from England came to the pulpit and sang "Dream of Pilate's Wife." She had earlier called Elder J. S. Washburn, the leader of the group, to sing this selection at the appropriate time in her sermon. In that visit she told him that it had been included in Hymns and Tunes at her request (see No. 1394) (Manuscript 29, 1909).
This demonstrated Ellen White's skillful and effective use of music to enhance her presentations. In fact, she very often chose the hymns that were to be used in connection with her sermons.
After reading from the Scriptures about the closing ministry of Christ, she devoted ten minutes to solemn admonition to follow the example of Jesus and be ready to sacrifice that the gospel might reach the world, especially the large cities of the world. Then she appealed:
Let us come into right relation to God at this meeting. Let us humble ourselves before Him, and obey His commandments. If we do not feel that it is an honor to be partakers of the sufferings of Christ, if you feel no burden of soul for those who are ready to perish, if you are unwilling to sacrifice that you may save means for the work that is to be done, there will be no room for you in the kingdom of God. We need to be partakers with Christ of His sufferings and self-denial at every step. We need to have the Spirit of God resting upon us, leading us to constant self-sacrifice.-- Ibid.
Soon she was speaking of the needs of the cities:
Behold our cities and their need of the gospel. The need for earnest labor among the multitudes in the cities has been kept before me for more than twenty years. Who is carrying a burden for our large cities? ... What is being done in the Eastern cities where the Advent message was first proclaimed? ... The light has been given that the truth should go again to the Eastern States where we first began our work, and where we had our first experiences.-- Ibid.
As noted, she read four of her addresses, a procedure on her part somewhat out of the ordinary. As she advanced in years there were times when, as she was to present a particular subject, she wished to be certain that it would be rounded out effectively. This was so with her address "Faithfulness in Health Reform," given to the session on Monday morning, May 31.
Ellen White's Closing Address
For three weeks and four days Ellen White met with her brethren from the whole world field. She had seen the church grow from fifty Sabbathkeeping Adventists in New England in 1846 to 83,000 at the close of 1908. Of these, 59,000 were in the United States and 24,000 in other parts of the world. Total tithe paid into the treasuries of the church in 1908 had grown to $1.1 million. There were nearly 800 ordained ministers, and 400 more held ministerial licenses (1908 Statistical Report, in The General Conference Bulletin, 1909, 260, 265). The reports brought by delegates from various parts of the world were detailed and thrilling. The day-to-day departmental meetings had been constructive and helpful. The resolutions adopted by the session drawn together in the last issue of the Bulletin filled five pages.
Ellen White used the opportunities given to her to speak in admonishing, encouraging, and instructing. Her prime theme was evangelistic outreach, with emphasis on both personal and city evangelism. Health reform and health interests were a close second. She had attended General Conference sessions from 1863 on, missing some while in Europe and Australia. She had been at the first general gathering of Sabbathkeeping Adventists in 1848, and at succeeding Sabbath Conferences had been with the brethren as they diligently studied the Word and formed the doctrinal structure of the church based on that Word.
While not all had been accomplished that she had hoped and labored for, it was a good and encouraging session.
The last meeting, Sunday afternoon at 3:00 P.M., was given to her. "Partakers of the Divine Nature" was her theme. It came too late to be included in the Bulletin, but it was referred to in the last issue under the title "A Touching Farewell."
As the aged speaker referred to her appreciation of the privileges of the General Conference session, and expressed her intense anxiety that the meeting might result in great good to all in attendance, the congregation responded with many hearty "amens."--Ibid., 1909, 378.
"With trembling lips and a voice touched with deep emotion, she assured the ministers and other workers that God loves them, and Jesus delights to make intercession in their behalf."-- Ibid. Many were deeply moved. She closed her address stating:
Brethren, we shall separate for a little while, but let us not forget what we have heard at this meeting. Let us go forward in the strength of the Mighty One, considering the joy that is set before us of seeing His face in the kingdom of God and of going out no more forever. Let us remember that we are to be partakers of the divine nature, and that angels of God are right around us, that we need not be overcome by sin. Let us send our petitions to the throne of God in time of temptation, and in faith lay hold of His divine power.
I pray God that this may be the experience of each one of us, and that in the great day of God we all may be glorified together.--Manuscript 49, 1909.
Thus closed the last sermon Ellen White was to make at a General Conference session. She moved away from the desk and started to her seat, then turned and came back, picked up the Bible from which she had read, opened it, and held it out on extended hands that trembled with age. She admonished, "Brethren and Sisters, I commend unto you this Book" (reported by W. A. Spicer, then secretary of the General Conference, in The Spirit of Prophecy in the Advent Movement, p. 30).
Thus, in her last words to the leaders of the church officially assembled in conference, Ellen White elevated the Word of God--that Word that had been so precious to her and that she freely used and ever kept before the church and the world.