Other States Organize

When the Review that reported the meeting of the Michigan Conference came to the hands of J. N. Andrews, who was working in Minnesota, he took the matter of organization to a conference held there. Believers and workers adopted a resolution patterned after the example of Michigan.WV 83.9

Soon Ohio followed, through the efforts of M. E. Cornell, who had gone there to meet appointments for James and Ellen White, who were exhausted.WV 84.1

The stage had been set, and now the believers in most states moved rather promptly into full organization.WV 84.2

The October 29 Review and Herald expressed James White's concern over the peril of inexperienced persons attempting to lead out in organizing local churches. He closed his editorial with these words:WV 84.3

The question has been Shall we organize? That question being answered in the affirmative, the question now is How shall we organize? Beware, brethren, of moving hastily in this matter. By hard tugging, our experienced ministers may be induced to take hold of this work, and not leave it for novices in the faith to make still greater confusion by meddling with the organization of churches (The Review and Herald, October 29, 1861).WV 84.4

This was followed by an in-depth article from Loughborough titled “Church Discipline.” He wrote at length of the relation of members to church officers, of the problems of dealing with those who had never been under discipline, of some who were inclined to rebel against the Spirit of Prophecy counsels, and of receiving and propagating rumors and accusations.WV 84.5