1 Pet 1:17-- "And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:"

James 2:9 -- "But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors."

Col 3:23-25-- "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons."

Exod 15:20-21-- "And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea."

Judg 4:4-5-- "And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment."

II Ki 22:14-- "So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her."

Luke 2:36-37-- "And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day."

(Diary entry for Sunday, March 15, 1891. written in Battle Creek, Michigan.)

Sunday March 15, 1891. I attended the morning ministers' meeting. The blessing of the Lord came upon me, and I spoke in the demonstration of the Spirit of God and with power. There are those who are working out a great circle. The Lord has given Christ to the world for ministry. Merely to preach the Word is not ministry. The Lord desires His ministering servants to occupy a place worthy of the highest consideration. In the mind of God, the ministry of men and women existed before the world was created. He determined that His ministers should have a perfect exemplification of Himself and His purposes. No human career could do this work; for God gave Christ in humanity to work out His ideal of what humanity may become through entire obedience to His will and way. God's character was revealed in the life of His Son. Christ not only held a theory of genuine ministry, but in His humanity He wrought out an illustration of the ministry that God approves. Perfection has marked out every feature of true ministry. Christ, the Son of the living God, did not live unto Himself, but unto God.

Ellen G. White Estate
Washington, D.C.
March 3, 1988. p. 7.

The Effectiveness of Women's Work. --Women can be the instruments of righteousness, rendering holy service. It was Mary that first preached a risen Jesus. . . . If there were twenty women where now there is one, who would make this holy mission their cherished work, we should see many more converted to the truth. The refining, softening influence of Christian women is needed in the great work of preaching the truth.-- Review and Herald, Jan 2, 1879.

I have been instructed that even where the people hear the truth from the living preacher, the canvasser should carry on his work; for though much wearing labor is put forth by the minister in speaking to the people, much of the truth is not retained in their minds. The printed page is therefore essential not only in the work of awakening minds to a realization of the importance of the truth for this time, but that hearts may be rooted and grounded in the truth, and established against darkness and deceptive error. Papers and books containing the messages of truth are the Lord's means of thus keeping the truth continually before the minds of the people. These publications will do a far greater work than can be accomplished by the ministry of the word alone. Through the work of the canvasser, the silent messengers of truth that are placed in the homes of the people, enlightening and confirming men and women, will strengthen the gospel ministry in every way; for the Holy Spirit will impress minds as they read the books, just as He impresses the minds of those who listen to the preaching of the word by God's delegated ministers, and the same ministry of angels attends the books that contain the truth as attends the work of the minister who is educating the people as to what is truth. Thus the faithful, consecrated canvasser will lay up treasure beside the throne of God.

There are women who should labor in the gospel ministry. In manyrespects they would do more good than the ministers who neglect to visit the flock of God. Husband and wife may unite in this work, and when it is possible, they should. The way is open for consecrated women. But the enemy would be pleased to have the women whom God could use to help hundreds, binding up their time and strength on one helpless little mortal, that requires constant care and attention.

An Invaluable Experience. --All who desire an opportunity for true ministry, and who will give themselves unreservedly to God, will find in the canvassing work opportunities to speak upon many things pertaining to the future, immortal life. The experience thus gained will be of the greatest value to those who are fitting themselves for the ministry. It is the accompaniment of the Holy Spirit of God that prepares workers, both men and women, to become pastors to the flock of God. As they cherish the thought that Christ is their Companion, a holy awe, a sacred joy, will be felt by them amid all their trying experiences and all their tests. They will learn how to pray as they work. They will be educated in patience, kindness, affability, and helpfulness. They will practice true Christian courtesy, bearing in mind that Christ, their Companion, cannot approve of harsh, unkind words or feelings. Their words will be purified. The power of speech will be regarded as a precious talent, lent them to do a high and holy work. The human agent will learn how to represent the divine Companion with whom he is associated. To that unseen Holy One he will show respect and reverence because he is wearing His yoke and is learning His pure, holy ways. Those who have faith in this divine Attendant will develop. They will be gifted with power to clothe the message of truth with a sacred beauty.-- Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 322. (1900)

A Procedure Which Will Limit Women Workers. --Injustice has sometimes been done to women who labor just as devotedly as their husbands, and who are recognized by God as being necessary to the work of the ministry. The method of paying men laborers, and not paying their wives who share their labors with them, is a plan not according to the Lord's order, and if carried out in our conferences, is liable to discourage our sisters from qualifying themselves for the work they should engage in. God is a God of justice, and if the ministers receive a salary for their work, their wives who devote themselves just as disinterestedly to the work, should be paid in addition to the wages their husbands receive, even though they may not ask for this.

There are among us many young men and women who, if inducements are held out, would naturally be inclined to take several years' course of study at Battle Creek. But will it pay? The talents of God's people are to be employed in giving the last message of mercy to the world. The Lord calls upon those connected with our sanitariums, publishing houses, and other institutions to teach the youth to do evangelistic work. Our time and money must not be so largely employed in establishing sanitariums, food factories, food stores, and restaurants, that other lines of work shall be neglected. Young men and young women who should be engaged in the ministry, in Bible work, and in the canvassing work, should not be bound down to mechanical employment.

All who desire an opportunity for true ministry, and who will give themselves unreservedly to God, will find in the canvassing work opportunities to speak upon many things pertaining to the future, immortal life. The experience thus gained will be of the greatest value to those who are fitting themselves for the ministry. It is the accompaniment of the Holy Spirit of God that prepares workers, both men and women, to become pastors to the flock of God. As they cherish the thought that Christ is their Companion, a holy awe, a sacred joy, will be felt by them amid all their trying experiences and all their tests. They will learn how to pray as they work. They will be educated in patience, kindness, affability, and helpfulness. They will practice true Christian courtesy, bearing in mind that Christ, their Companion, cannot approve of harsh, unkind words or feelings. Their words will be purified. The power of speech will be regarded as a precious talent, lent them to do a high and holy work. The human agent will learn how to represent the divine Companion with whom he is associated. To that unseen Holy One he will show respect and reverence because he is wearing His yoke and is learning His pure, holy ways. Those who have faith in this divine Attendant will develop. They will be gifted with power to clothe the message of truth with a sacred beauty.

Let not the work that needs to be done wait for the ordination of ministers. If there are not ministers to take up the work, let men of intelligence, with no thought of how they can accumulate the most property, establish themselves in these cities and towns, and lift up the standard of the cross, using the knowledge they have gained in winning souls to the truth. The knowledge of the truth is altogether too precious to be hoarded up, and bound about, and hid in the earth. Even the one talent intrusted by the Master is to be faithfully employed to gain other talents also. Where are the men and women who have been refreshed with rich streams of blessing from the throne of God? Let them ask themselves what they have done to communicate this light to those who have not had like advantages? How will those who have neglected to use their talents stand in the judgment, when every motive will be brought under scrutiny? The heavenly Master has committed to every one of his servants talents. "And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability."

At a later date the rite of ordination by the laying on of hands was greatly abused; unwarrantable importance was attached to the act, as if a power came at once upon those who received such ordination, which immediately qualified them for any and all ministerial work. But in the setting apart of these two apostles, there is no record indicating that any virtue was imparted by the mere act of laying on of hands. There is only the simple record of their ordination and of the bearing that it had on their future work.

Said the inspired apostle: "Lay hands suddenly on no man." In some of our churches the work of organizing and of ordaining elders has been premature; the Bible rule has been disregarded, and consequently grievous trouble has been brought upon the church. There should not be so great haste in electing leaders as to ordain men who are in no way fitted for the responsible work-men who need to be converted, elevated, ennobled, and refined before they can serve the cause of God in any capacity.

There are ministers who claim to be teaching the truth, whose ways are an offense to God. They preach, but do not practice the principles of the truth. Great care should be exercised in ordaining men for the ministry. There should be a close investigation of their experience. Do they know the truth, and practice its teachings? Have they a character of good repute? Do they indulge in lightness and trifling, jesting and joking? In prayer do they reveal the Spirit of God? Is their conversation holy, their conduct blameless? All these questions need to be answered before hands are laid upon any man to dedicate him to the work of the ministry. We should heed the words of inspiration, "Lay hands suddenly on no man." We need to lift the standard higher than we have done hitherto, when selecting and ordaining men for the sacred work of God.

The same principles of piety and justice that were to guide the rulers among God's people in the time of Moses and of David, were also to be followed by those given the oversight of the newly organized church of God in the gospel dispensation. In the work of setting things in order in all the churches, and ordaining suitable men to act as officers, the apostles held to the high standards of leadership outlined in the Old Testament Scriptures. They maintained that he who is called to stand in a position of leading responsibility in the church "must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers." Titus 1:7-9.

God does not make a decree that men's hearts shall become hard and unimpressible. It is the resistance of light, a refusal to hear the voice of warning and reproof which strengthens the soul in a position of resistance. He is sowing the seed of resistance, which he must reap in a harvest of hardness of heart. Men burden their own hearts in their impenitence. They have sown the seed; they reap what they have sown. The precious opportunity that might have aroused the church and brought them to a sense of their true state, is lost by the unconsecrated influence of men who will not humble their hearts before God. The ministers whom God ordains and accepts as his chosen laborers will be men of integrity. They may, some of them, be unlearned and ignorant men; but grace will reign in their hearts, inspiring them with faith and purifying the motives that govern the outward conduct. They will be living examples of the mind and spirit of Christ, known and read of all men.

"Lay hands," said the inspired apostle,"suddenly on no man" [1 Tim. 5:22]. Do not be in such haste to manufacture leaders, ordaining men that have never been tested or proved. Let the church be conducted in this manner: alternating with several, one leading one week and choosing another for the next week or two, thus keeping individuals at work in the church; and after a suitable trial select by the voice of the church someone to be the acknowledged leader, for never more than a year at a time; then elect again a new one, or the same one if he has been a blessing to the church.

It is a most fatal mistake to suppose that the work of saving souls depends alone on ordained ministers. All who are ordained unto the life of Christ are ordained to work for the salvation of the souls of their fellow men. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." It is by the Spirit's power that souls that are dead in trespasses and sins are quickened to hear the words of life.

It is a most fatal mistake to suppose that the work of saving souls depends alone on ordained ministers. It is by the Spirit's power that souls dead in trespasses and sins are quickened to hear the Word of life. And the command to work unselfishly and earnestly, rests upon every soul. All who are ordained unto the life of Christ are ordained to work for the salvation of their fellow-men. Whatever their work, whatever their business, their first interest should be to seek for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and by precept and example, in word, spirit, and action, show their earnest zeal for Christ. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Signed) Mrs. E. G. White.

It is not right for ministers who have been placed in positions of responsibility in connection with the work of God to carry the responsibilities of secular concerns. The more closely they confine themselves to the ministry of the Word, to the work to which the Lord has appointed them, the more fully will they understand the sacredness of their calling as ministers. That he may gain efficiency in his work, the minister needs to pray much, and to meditate upon the Word. Then angels will cooperate with him, and the Spirit of God will be his teacher. There is a line of labor that belongs in a peculiar sense to the ordained minister; in order to gain an increasing qualification for it, he must grow in spirituality, by conforming his life practise to an ever-deepening knowledge of God and of Christ as a personal Saviour.