What is “Mainstream Adventism”? When the editor asked that I write a short piece on this subject, almost immediately I reached for the dictionary. He and I developed this habit during the years when F. D. Nichol was editor of the Adventist Review (at that time the Review and Herald), and we were associate editors. If in our frequent discussions in the office any one of the three of us suspected that a word was inappropriate or mispronounced, ceremoniously and without delay we reached for the dictionary and looked up the word. On rare occasions we caught Elder Nichol in a mistake. This was cause for great mirth and satisfaction on our part, and an opportunity for good humor on his. On one such occasion he burst out, “Isn’t it terrible that a person can spend his whole life trying to master his mother tongue, and he still makes mistakes!”

As I looked up mainstream, I obtained considerable help. Three definitions were given: (1) the middle of the stream, where the current is strongest, (2) the part of something considered to be the most active, productive, lively, busy, etc., (3) a major or prevailing trend or line of thought, action, etc.

On a statistical basis, clearly the “most active, productive, lively, busy” part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the organized body that has its world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. With a global membership of 7,724,633 at the end of June, 1993, this is the body “where the current is strongest;” this is the body with the “prevailing trend or line of thought.”

Historically, also, this is the mainstream, for this is the organization that was founded by Joseph Bates and James and Ellen White. Not without significance is the fact that in her will Mrs. White entrusted her writings to a board made up of leaders in this mainstream body She could have chosen representatives from splinter groups, who claimed to possess a special level of sanctification and who declared that the main body had gone into apostasy. But she did not. She chose a group of leaders who belonged to the body with which she had been identified throughout her ministry. Clearly, she believed that the mainstream Adventist Church would be true to its divine commission as long as time should last.

How does mainstream Adventism perceive itself? It sees itself as raised up supernaturally to give to a rebellious world God’s final loving appeal to repent. Against the background of the cosmic controversy between Christ and Satan, it sees itself as the remnant church, which keeps “the commandments of God,” and has “the testimony of Jesus Christ”—defined by the Revelator as “the spirit of prophecy.” Its mission is to take the three angels’ messages to “every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” The basis for this self-perception and mission is found in Revelation 14:6-12; 12:17; 19:10.

Mainstream Adventism holds that the “Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of His [God’s] will. They are the standard of character, the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience” (The Great Controversy, p. 9). The church seeks to understand the teachings of Scripture by using the historical-linguistic-grammatical method of Bible study and exegesis. Though it has adopted a statement of beliefs, it does not have a creed. It believes that the biblical mine of truth is inexhaustible, and that continued study will yield clearer understandings and added facets. It embraces fully Ellen White’s view, written in 1887: “The Bible is yet but dimly understood. A lifelong, prayerful study of its sacred revealings will leave still much unexplained” (Counsels to Writers and Editors, p. 82). This attitude of mainstream Adventism is set forth clearly in a portion of the preamble to the 1980 Statement of Beliefs:

Revision of these statements may be expected at a General Conference session when the church is led by the Holy Spirit to a fuller understanding of Bible truth or finds better language in which to express the teachings of God’s Holy Word. 

But while mainstream Adventism is open to new truth and to better understandings of old truths, it holds adamantly that “new light” will neither undermine nor contradict the truths that have made the church what it is. “No line of truth that has made the Seventh-day Adventist people what they are, is to be weakened” (1980 Statement of Beliefs, p. 52). Critics tend to consider mainstream Adventism as overly cautious about accepting new teachings, especially new interpretations of prophecy. But this caution is well justified. Too often in the past what has been heralded as new light has in time proved to be old error. Mainstream Adventism believes deeply that the truths held by the church have “point by point … been sought out by prayerful study, and testified to by the miracle-working power of the Lord” (Statement of Beliefs). When God says, “This is truth,” why discard it? Why not be cautious about replacing it?

Mainstream Adventism identifies strongly with the desire of Christ, expressed in his final prayer, that his followers may be one, even as he and his Father are one (John 17:21). True “mainstreamers” are troubled by polarization within the church, whether it be caused by issues rooted in race, gender or doctrine. To achieve unity, they seek to minimize differences. Except where principle or landmark doctrines are involved, they try to find common ground on which to stand with fellow church members. In their numerous publications they emphasize matters on which they agree, not those on which they disagree. This is strong evidence of true Christianity, evidence that self has been crucified, that pride of opinion has been sacrificed. It reveals that the divine counsel is being followed that has to do with making differences public (See Counsels to Writers and Editors, pp. 74-82).

Mainstream Adventism views the Holy Scriptures as the infallible and authoritative word of God, through which the Holy Spirit reveals God’s will and offers salvation to the human race. At the same time, it believes that the Spirit inspires extra-biblical prophets, giving them enlarged concepts of Bible truth to share with the people of their generation. The gift of prophecy is among the spiritual gifts provided by Christ for “the edifying” of his church. (See Eph. 4:1-15.) Thus mainstream Adventism, having thoroughly tested the life and ministry of Ellen G. White, believes wholeheartedly that God called this remarkable young woman to the prophetic office. Her writings are not ordinary Christian literature but carry the authority of their Author. They are a “lesser light,” as she herself described them, but they are a light that points to the greater light, the Holy Scriptures, and to Christ, the light of the world.

Critics sometimes accuse mainstream Adventism of failing to follow the “lesser light” faithfully. They declare that perceived departures from divine counsel indicate apostasy This is inaccurate and unfair. Ellen White wrote in the context of a different time and simpler culture. As a consequence, believers living today in various countries and cultures must seek out the underlying principles of her counsel, and apply these principles as best they can, guided by the Holy Spirit. Not surprisingly, mainstream Adventism feels constant tension between the principles and ideals set forth in the inspired writings and their practical application in today’s various cultures. What may seem to critics or the uninformed as disregard or rejection of divine counsel is not; it is the unavoidable consequence of the freedom God has given equally conscientious people to use sanctified reason in understanding and applying inspired counsel.

A practical illustration of this involves the matter of responsible stewardship, particularly in regard to the payment of tithe. Having examined carefully the total corpus of the inspired counsel found in the Bible and the writings of Ellen G. White, mainstream Adventism has concluded that God calls for his people in modern times to return their tithes to him through the channel of the organized church. Critics tend to feel that the church holds this view merely to protect income. They see this as arrogance on the part of what they term “the hierarchy.” The truth is, however, that mainstream Adventism believes as it does because it follows principles of true scholarship—it establishes its beliefs on the basis of the total teaching of documents (in this instance, the Bible and Ellen G. White’s writings), not on a few statements that seem to support a pet theory, and not on one or two instances where special circumstances existed. Thus it believes, logically, that diverting tithe from the divinely-appointed channel can only retard the effort of the church to reach the entire world with the “everlasting gospel.” And, because Jesus taught that “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,” mainstream Adventism feels a deep concern for people who use their tithe to support splinter movements and offshoots. It fears that these people may gradually espouse teachings that are far from “sound doctrine,” and that ultimately they will be led astray by Satan, making shipwreck of their faith.

Mainstream Adventism knows that it is “enfeebled and defective, needing constantly to be warned and counseled,” but it believes that “the church is nevertheless the object of Christ s supreme regard” (Testimonies, 7, p. 16). It identifies with Ellen G. White’s message to the 1913 General Conference session, entitled “Courage in the Lord.” That message included statements such as the following: 

I am encouraged and blessed as I realize that the God of Israel is still guiding His people, and that He will continue to be with them, even to the end… We are to cherish as very sacred the faith that has been substantiated by the instruction and approval of the Spirit of God from our earliest experience until the present time… The work that lies before us is one that will put to the stretch every power of the human being. It will call for the exercise of strong faith and constant vigilance. At times the difficulties that we shall meet will be most disheartening. The very greatness of the task will appall us. And yet, with God’s help, His servants will finally triumph. (Life Sketches, pp. 438,439)