William Ambrose Spicer
Encyclopedia
William Ambrose Spicer (1865–1952) was a Seventh-day Adventist
minister and president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
.
He was born December 19, 1865 in Freeborn
, Minnesota
in the United States
in a Seventh-day Baptist home. Spicer worked for the church in the US, England
and India
, where Spicer College
is named after him. He served as Secretary of the General Conference during the presidency of A. G. Daniells and Daniells served as the Secretary during Spicer's years as President. The two men led the Adventist Church for the first 30 years of the twentieth century.
In 1898, Spicer worked in India as editor of the Oriental Watchman.
Spicer and Daniells led the church in a strong mission emphasis. New opportunities brought about the reorganization of existing institutions and the creation of new ones. Spicer viewed these opportunities to spread the Adventist "message" as a sign of fulfilled prophecy. In 1914, he reported to the SDA world church, "... And the same living God who launched the definite advent movement on its way at the exact time of the prophecy (1844), began at the same time in a special way to open the doors of access to 'every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.' We have seen the way open again and again immediately before our own feet as the heralds of the third angel's message have entered the various lands."
Spicer reported on the conflict between Kellogg and the General Conference leadership. He met with Kellogg to discuss what was considered pantheistic ideas.
The Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement
had come about as a result of the actions of L. R. Conradi and certain Europe
an church leaders during the war, who decided that it was acceptable for Adventists to take part in war, which was in clear opposition to the historical position of the church that had always upheld the non-combative position. Since the American Civil War, Adventists were known as non-combatants, and had done work in hospitals or given medical care rather than taken combat roles. The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
sent Spicer to investigate the changes. He was unable to resolve the schism.
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
minister and president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is the governing organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is located in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, where it moved in 1989...
.
He was born December 19, 1865 in Freeborn
Freeborn
"Freeborn" is a term associated with political agitator John Lilburne , a member of the Levellers, a 17th-century English political party. As a word, "freeborn" means to be born free, rather than to be born in slavery or bondage or vassalage...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in a Seventh-day Baptist home. Spicer worked for the church in the US, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where Spicer College
Spicer memorial College
Spicer Memorial College is a Seventh-day Adventist institution of higher learning in Aundh, Pune, India. It is considered the church's flagship provider of higher education in India...
is named after him. He served as Secretary of the General Conference during the presidency of A. G. Daniells and Daniells served as the Secretary during Spicer's years as President. The two men led the Adventist Church for the first 30 years of the twentieth century.
1887–1903
Spicer's responsibilities with the church during this time included assisting Stephen Haskell as his secretary. This led 22-year-old Spicer to England. There he gained experience as an editor of Present Truth and in assisting with evangelistic campaigns. In 1892, he returned to the United States and served as Secretary of the recently established (1889) Foreign Missions Board. This began decades of Spicer's leadership in the SDA Church's mission development.In 1898, Spicer worked in India as editor of the Oriental Watchman.
Secretary of the General Conference, 1903–1922
As Secretary to the General Conference, Spicer assisted President Daniells in shaping the church's response to issues. Daniell's crises were met often in collaboration with Spicer: the reorganization of the church accomplished at the 1901 and 1903 General Conference sessions; the denominational dispute between Daniells and Kellogg; racial issues arising; etc.Spicer and Daniells led the church in a strong mission emphasis. New opportunities brought about the reorganization of existing institutions and the creation of new ones. Spicer viewed these opportunities to spread the Adventist "message" as a sign of fulfilled prophecy. In 1914, he reported to the SDA world church, "... And the same living God who launched the definite advent movement on its way at the exact time of the prophecy (1844), began at the same time in a special way to open the doors of access to 'every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.' We have seen the way open again and again immediately before our own feet as the heralds of the third angel's message have entered the various lands."
Spicer reported on the conflict between Kellogg and the General Conference leadership. He met with Kellogg to discuss what was considered pantheistic ideas.
The Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement
Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement
The Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement is a Protestant Christian denomination, part of the Sabbatarian adventist movement, and formed as the result of a schism within the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Europe during World War I over the position its leadership took on proper Sabbath observance...
had come about as a result of the actions of L. R. Conradi and certain Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an church leaders during the war, who decided that it was acceptable for Adventists to take part in war, which was in clear opposition to the historical position of the church that had always upheld the non-combative position. Since the American Civil War, Adventists were known as non-combatants, and had done work in hospitals or given medical care rather than taken combat roles. The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is the governing organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is located in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, where it moved in 1989...
sent Spicer to investigate the changes. He was unable to resolve the schism.
External links
- "William Ambrose Spicer, A Personal Tribute" by J. L. McElhany(DjVu file)
- Biographical Sketch of W. A. Spicer by D. E. Rebok (PDF file)
- William A. Spicer Papers at the Center for Adventist Research at Andrews University (PDF file)
- Books by W. A. Spicer
- Our Day by Spicer on Project Gutenburg
- Our Day online text and PDF.
- How the Spirit of Prophecy Met a Crisis: Memories and Notes of the "Living Temple" Controversy by W. A. Spicer
- Spicer, W. A. (1923) Providences of the Great War. Washington, Review and Herald. (PDF file)