Chapter 4—Self-supporting Units and the Organized Work

Approximately 40 years after the organization of the Adventist Church there appeared a new form of lay endeavor: the self-supporting unit. Begun in 1904, the Nashville Agricultural and Normal Institute Corporation (the parent organization for Madison College and Madison Hospital) became the forerunner of scores of similar units that assisted in developing the work in the southern area of the United States. Today approximately 700 self-supporting units and independent businesses, with similar objectives as Madison, function under the General Conference umbrella organization known as ASI (Adventist-Laymen’s Services and Industries International).HUT 42.2

Usually self-supporting groups view themselves as adjuncts to the organized church. Actually, the Adventist Church itself provides the reason for their existence. Composed of dedicated, self-sacrificing men and women, self-supporting units have enlarged and furthered the cause of truth through the years by a variety of means such as schools and medical missionary endeavors.HUT 42.3

Self-supporting units were never intended to spend their energies turning inward on the church to challenge publicly its doctrines, to critique its endeavors, or to prey on its tithes. On the contrary, such units were intended to uphold the church and to extend its influence, like Aaron and Hur, who held up the hands of Moses in the battle of Israel against the Amalekites.—Exodus 17:8-16.HUT 42.4

Unfortunately, some independent ministries (not under the ASI umbrella) openly accept tithe funds from church members and argue that the storehouse principle is invalid. Like disaffected persons who have given up the Adventist faith, leaders of these ministries point to the flaws and failures in the church as reasons why members should divert their tithe to them—although they themselves are accountable to no one. Such independent groups sometimes appeal to the example of Ellen White as their defense for accepting the Lord’s tithe.HUT 42.5