Resolution on the Spirit of Prophecy

Documents June 24, 2010

We, the delegates to the 2010 General Conference Session in Atlanta, Georgia, acknowledge with gratitude the continuing contribution to the Seventh-day Adventist Church found in the writings and ministry of Ellen G White.  We are witnesses to how the Church has been blessed and guided by God through the inspired counsel of His messenger.  Her counsels exalt the Bible as the Word of God, lift up Jesus as Creator and Redeemer of the world, and encourage a life of service and sacrifice.  Her ministry has directly aided in the preservation of unity in the Church and its expanding global outreach.

The gift of prophecy, like the other spiritual gifts, is to bring about unity, equip God’s people for the work of ministry, build up the body of Christ, protect it from being deceived by false doctrine, and foster individual and collective spiritual growth (Ephesians 4:11-15).  We recognize in Ellen G White the gift of prophecy, and affirm that as this gift is valued and its instruction heeded, the Church prospers.

Consequently, we express our gratitude to God for His gracious gift in the prophetic ministry of Ellen G White.  We call upon Seventh-day Adventists everywhere to prayerfully study her messages and benefit from the inspiration and instruction found there.  We encourage the teachers and administrators of our educational institutions and the leaders of our health-care facilities and publishing houses to review her counsels for their areas of service.  We urge pastors to make use of these writings in their sermon preparation and in their planning with the members for the mission of their churches.  We appeal to Church administrators at every level to exert their influence in affirming the importance of these writings for the Church and to continue efforts to make these writings available to church members at affordable cost.  And we affirm our commitment to “believe His prophets” (2 Chronicles 20:20), that we may prosper in fulfilling our mission to the world and thus hasten the coming of Jesus.

This statement was approved and Resolution was voted by the General Conference Session of the Seventh-day Adventists Church in Atlanta, Georgia, June 24-July 3, 2010.