A. G. Daniells Biography

By Benjamin McArthur

At the turn of the 20th century, the Seventh-day Adventist Church — and the entire nation &mdash found themselves entering a new world. New ways of thinking were required if Adventism was to fulfill its commission to the rapidly changing world — including multilevel, specialized administration. America had become a major player on the world stage, and the population was becoming predominantly urban.

In 1901, during this crucial moment in the development of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Arthur Grosvenor Daniells was elected president of the General Conference, and his gifts of leadership were desperately needed. Like many effective leaders, he was a quiet man, but possessed the capacity for hard work. He chaired endless committees, dealt with a mountain of correspondence daily, traveled the country and the world. He had the ability to discern danger or opportunity in situations where others might see only confusion; the maturity to let others rail at him without responding in kind; a self-confidence tempered by his awareness of his limitations and need for advice; an unwavering loyalty to Ellen White; and, above all, a commitment to his vision of an Adventist presence throughout the world. He engineered sweeping structural reforms in 1901 and 1903, and influenced the general shape of the denomination for that century and beyond. You’ll be fascinated by the passion for his church and His God.

Hardbound, 464 p.

Contents:

I. Iowa Beginnings
II.To the Antipodes
III. A “Public Man”: Daniells and the Reorganization of 1901
IV. The Office of President
V. Taking on Battle Creek
VI. The Crisis of 1903
VII. The Color Line
VIII. A Global Vision
IX. Administrator and Urban Evangelist
X. Winds of War
XI. Progress, Contention, Dismissal
XII. A Second Act