1888 and Black People

1 November 2011 | Benjamin Baker

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In "1888 and Black People" the controversial 1888 Minneapolis General Conference Session is explored in a new and refreshing light. For almost 125 years the province of doctrinal divide, this talk probes the very practical ramifications of 1888 for black missions in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Benjamin Baker is pursuing a doctorate in history at Howard University. He is the author of six books and the creator of blacksdahistory.org.

David Trim - Wed, 11/02/2011 - 08:58

Insightful and incisive - thank you, Benjamin.

Frank Allen - Wed, 11/02/2011 - 12:44

Baker makes an excellent case for A.T. Jones and EGW support of the black race, on an Christological bases, having its origins from the 1888 Conference. He presented an impassioned burdened EGW over the needs of the South and the unjust misappropriation of funds donated for the poor Blacks. EGW wrote that “mismanagement” had “brought a reproach upon the work” and unless these funds are “restored” leaders will be “held responsibility for that work that might have been done.”

Baker is a supporter of the 1888 message as explained by Wieland and Short. He sees Jesus as fully human having a need to conquer His own sexual desires, thus this implies the Holy Spirit will empower believers to control their passions also. Baker believes this presents a Savior that we can identify with and our example in every way.

Baker sees the 1888 Conference with the “Glad Tidings,” on the book of Galatians as a key to the Advent message. Stating that at the cross Christ offers the gift of unconditional salvation to everyone irrespective of human works.

Aage Rendalen - Thu, 11/03/2011 - 17:58

EGW did not take defection of A. T. Jones lightly. In a letter to him written in 1906 she tries to blackmail him into submission. If he did not shut up about his views, she threatened to divulge information about his private life that she claimed God had revealed to her. Here is an excerpt:

"Brother Jones, I have a message for you. In many respects you are a weak man. If I were to write out all that has been revealed to me of your weakness, and of the developments of your work that have not been in accordance with the course of a true Christian, the representation would not be pleasing. This may have to be done if you continue to justify yourself in a course of apostasy. Until your mind is cleared of the mist of perlexity, silence is eloquence on your part." (Letter 242, 1906)

Aage

Michael - Thu, 11/03/2011 - 18:17

Since this was a private correspondence and there was some level of hypocrisy involved, at least in EGW's view, why was this letter wrong?
If he disagreed with her and her charges were baseless, it was the perfect opportunity to prove her a charlatan, but his subsequent actions speak of the level of veracity.

I realize your perceptions cloud your mind to any but the worst intentions concerning EGW, but your characterizations are hardly conclusive in this case.

Michael

Elaine Nelson - Thu, 11/03/2011 - 18:35

The letter needs no explanation. It stands as written. Such blackmail by someone who had the confidence of the church as a "prophet" and her words were direct from God is a shameful action and it is doubtful that few have read it.

"Proving her a charlatan" would be the same as proving Abraham Lincoln committed treason. Such a letter resulted in Jones being given the "official" damnation. There is another explanation??

Elaine

Frederick Middleton - Thu, 11/03/2011 - 20:25

Baker's insights were powerful and profound. I have had only a vague and sketchy connection, but his information has fleshed it out tremendously. His heart in this matter was transparent. His words dripped with fire when he closed the presentation with the 1899 quote of White which rehearsed Christ's words about the spiritual needs of blacks. Our needs are no less today and our condition is no less spiritually perilous.
Our church still struggles with the "color line" as is evident with current dialog about the need for black and white conferences. With the unbalanced growth that happens among people of color and lacks among white people groups, the "browning" of our church will cause stress anywhere prejudices are unresolved and the issue ignored. Baker's presentation is ultimately an impassioned plea to get to the root of the problem from a Christ-centered look at our own history.
The material Baker shared was cogent, clear, and accurate,without twisting or distortion. I believe it will stand scrutiny if widely published and distributed. One application of what was presented tells me that the loud cry which was delayed because of church inaction on the issues spoken about, will probably not resume until we are so truly converted that the message can go without restraint to every nation, tongue and people ( I might add religion-- as in Islam, etc.). I hope our prejudices will be so melted by the Holy Spirit that we will be able to embrace anyone and tell them this present truth.

Alex - Fri, 11/04/2011 - 10:57

Uh, how about a "summary" of the video, since no one can be expected to watch an hour and change youtube video at work!

Al - Sat, 11/05/2011 - 15:04

I watched the entire video with interest. Anything that adds to the knowledge of Blacks and our relationship to the SDA church is a good thing. Thank you B. Baker for your passionate presentation. Keep going.

onelson - Sat, 11/05/2011 - 21:32

As a black man I appreciate the historical insight from brother Baker even though his positional bias is evident. As it stands right now the SDA church still has a glaring racial divide the "powers that be" do not want to address.

Aside from the racial issue, the heirarchical structure of the church continues to go about business as usual when it is evident change is needed. Money continues to go up the chain, reports continue to surface of the misuse of those funds, and we are kept in check by "not robbing GOD with our tithes and offerings ." I wonder are we anywhere near a spiritual version of "occupy wall street."

I understand EGW will always be a polarizing figure in our church history but for those who cannot find it in themselves to say anything positive of her contributions.......do you really expect her (or anyone) to have a perfect, uncheckered, past? If you're in a leadership position your bound to make some bad calls. We seem to forget that she was also a human being like us, prone to error.

Martin Schrattenholzer - Mon, 11/07/2011 - 14:32

I watched the whole lecture and it was time well spent. Brother Baker certainly gives a compeling presentation of general Adventist history and his specific story of blacks and the church is rarely heard from the official church presentations. Nonetheless, I was disappionted that he did not address what EGW wrote in the 9th volume of testimonies about "crossing the color line". I read those passages just a few weeks ago for the first time. I found them quite shocking after the first read, particularly since I had read her 1891 speech (which was a barn-burner). I am reminding myself that context counts, but still, it seems they are not reflective of the person who gave the 1891 appeal. I was hoping for more light on that subject, perhaps there wil be a second presentation soon.

Aage Rendalen - Mon, 11/07/2011 - 16:32

Martin
What happened between 1891 and 1909 was the whole-sale destruction of civil rights for African Americans enacted after the Civil War. In 1894 the Supreme Court de facto made segregation the law of the land (Plessy v Ferguson). White America reduced African Americans to aliens that were neither "under God" or under the protection of the law. This process had started with Klan, continued with legal assaults in the late 1870s and the 1880s before in triumphed in Plessy in 1894. For white institutions it became fraught with grave danger to encourage any kind of integration. The Adventist church did not have the moral courage to defy this trend, and my guess is that EGW decided that the expedient thing was to go along with mainstream racism. Things went so far, according to an article Benjamin Baker wrote on Oakwood College, that Oakwood's white Adventist faculty segregated itself from its black colleagues and students.

The reason I so admire the Civil Rights pioneers is the sheer moral courage they displayed. It took an incredible degree of courage to be a John Lewis or a Medgar Evers. Such people, to my knowledge, have only very rarely come from the ranks of SDAs. (The name of Vladimir Schelkov (1895-1980) comes to mind; he ended up spending 27 years in Soviet Gulags for refusing to compromise with the state regarding his hard-core SDA principles.)

When it comes to moral courage, most people are like Punxsutawney Phil--ever ready to head back into the burrow for another six weeks or more. I suppose it was not EGW's role to be courageous on other people's behalf, but even her admirers no doubt would have desired more from her than merely telling people to go along with the mainstream.

Aage

Also in Trinidad and Tobago - Mon, 11/07/2011 - 17:48

Martin and Aage,

I too have been worried about this. When I look at all the freedoms that MLK and other campaigners have won me--I have a hard time understanding a call to "go with the flow" for the sake of the gospel.
Theoretically the gospel should bring about social change by changing the individual--but it never seems to have done so in history. Most change seems to be as a result of social agitation.

That is the one counsel I have had a hard time with.

EGW seems to be saying that "crossing the colour line" hinders the spread of the gospel by prejudicing the hearers. Is it more important to make converts than to ensure that others are treated right?
Maybe the conversion process will bring about social change?
My problem is that there is no evidence that hearing the gospel would change those who accept it. Look at our own church's record! Remember the Washington Adventist Hospital incident?