Description
The Reform Movement is a movement called into existence by God among Seventh-day Adventists in the time of great crisis during World War I, 1914-1918, to uphold the sanctity of God’s law. Its pioneers and martyrs through times of peace and crisis, such as the past two world wars, proclaimed the sacredness of Sabbath observance, conscientious objection to military service, a health reform life style which includes vegetarianism and modest dress, the validity of the Spirit of Prophecy, church discipline, and righteousness by faith.
The first Reformers among Adventism were disfellowshiped for their refusal to transgress the Sabbath in the military, bear arms in war, or give their tithes for the war effort, and for denouncing the actions of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination which were contrary to both the Scriptures and the Spirit of Prophecy. The first Reformers were disfellowshiped during the period from 1914 to 1918 in more than 16 countries, mostly in Europe, as well as in America and Australia. In 1919, after the War, they officially registered the organization as the “International Missionary Society of the Seventh-Day Adventists Old Movement Since 1844” with their headquarters in Würzburg, Germany. There were 2,500 to 3,000 members who found themselves deprived of their former church membership who now united as “Reformers.” In 1920, 16 Reformers held an official conversation with A.G. Daniells, General Conference President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, in Friedensau, Germany. They presented four questions which were not answered satisfactorily by the leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Statutes of the Reform Movement as a denomination were written and registered on April 19, 1920, in Würzburg, Germany.
In 1921, the Reformers held their first International Meeting or World Assembly with at least 15 delegates representing at least 12 countries. The movement was already organized into churches, fields, and unions. The largest unions were the German Union and the Danube Union. The brethren already had plans to begin the work in new countries. They were very missions-oriented. Plans were also made to send two representatives to America-Brothers Otto Welp and Henry Spanknoebel-to address the General Conference World Assembly of the Seventh-day Adventists which was to convene in San Francisco in 1922. The Seventh-day Adventists had not held a General Conference World Assembly since 1913. Sister Ellen G. White had at that time sent an important letter to the General Conference delegates in session which prophesied the birth of the Reform Movement: “God calls upon those who are willing to be controlled by the Holy Spirit to lead out in a work of thorough reformation. I see a crisis before us, and the Lord calls for His laborers to come into line… I have been deeply impressed by scenes that have recently passed before me in the night season. There seemed to be a great movement-a work of revival-going forward in many places. Our people were moving into line, responding to God’s call.” —Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, pp. 514, 515.
Regretfully, the two Reformers were not given an audience or an opportunity to address their former brethren at the General Conference World Assembly in 1922 in San Francisco, California. All attempts to reunite with the Seventh-day Adventist Church had thus failed, for it refused to recognize the sin o …
