Fundamentalism + Ellen White

Reconstructing

When did the Seventh-day Adventist Church decide that it was a good idea to add Ellen White’s name to their fundamental beliefs? What was going on at the time leading up to that decision? What on earth went down in 1980?!!

As we wrap up the Ellen White series (we have one more episode left), we grapple with the more modern history of the church, and prepare to talk about where we go from here in the final episode.

Show Notes/Sources:

-The Fundamentals: A Testimony to the Truth
https://a.co/d/0iHmbXG

-Seventh-day Adventists Believe book
https://a.co/d/3scFCjw

-1922: The Rise of Adventist Fundamentalism by Michael W. Campbell
https://a.co/d/eNVeyko

-August 1919: “A Sure Foundation”

-December 1919: “A Statement of Beliefs”

-April 1920: “The Fundamentals of Christian Faith”

-1931: “Yearbook of the Seventh-day Adventist Denomination”
https://adventistdigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/adl:426296/datastream/PDF/view

-Walter Rea- The White Lie (book)
https://a.co/d/dCg7xTx

-Page 5 of these meeting minutes mention Desmond Ford and Walter Rea
https://documents.adventistarchives.org/Minutes/GCC/GCC1980-01.pdf

-The meeting notes regarding the Ellen White Writings Study Committee and what they said about Walter Rea can be found here
https://documents.adventistarchives.org/Minutes/GCC/GCC1980-02.pdf

-Dr. Davenport scandal
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1982/08/28/davenport-affair-a-sad-one-adventist-head-says/46f91bdb-1e8a-4ed8-ac0d-03cacd57c597/

-Spectrum Magazine article about the 1980 General Conference
https://spectrummagazine.org/article/bonnie-dwyer/2009/06/07/new-statement-fundamental-beliefs-1980

-Adventist Archives website
https://www.adventistarchives.org/

Adventist Periodicals:
-General Conference Bulletin No.5
https://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/RH/RH19800423-V157-20.pdf

-General Conference Bulletin No.6
https://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/RH/RH19800424-V157-21.pdf

-General Conference Bulletin No.7
https://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/RH/RH19800425-V157-22.pdf

-General Conference Bulletin No.8
https://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/RH/RH19800427-V157-23.pdf
Page 14, 4th column. N.R. Dower.
Page 15, 1st column D. Schuitevoerder. “Is this the same text we
received there?”
P. 23, 4th column, unity statements. Unity OR Compliance?