Author Denis Fortin has done extensive research and gives the reader an outstanding biography in this book about an influential Adventist leader. George I. Butler (1834–1918) is often associated with the significant 1888 session of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. While Butler had an impact on that historic session, he did not attend because of health issues. But there is much more to Butler than his association with that meeting.
Butler, the eighth child in his family, was born into a Baptist family. His grandfather, Ezra, held various government positions, including governor of Vermont. In 1856 George Butler’s parents sold their potato starch factory and moved to Waukon, Iowa. Although other members of the Butler family were Seventh-day Adventists, George was not. But in 1857 he had a spiritual experience and was baptized by John N. Andrews. In 1859 Butler married Lentha Lockwood (d. 1901). They had three children.
Church work
It did not take long for Butler to become a successful traveling evangelist in the Midwest and, eventually, in the eastern states. Additionally, he addressed numerous gatherings of Seventh-day Adventists.
Butler experienced fulfillment in his busy ministry, though at times he overextended himself. A little more than 10 years into his ministry, the 37-year-old Butler was elected president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, a position he held from 1871 to 1874. He replaced the worn-out James White, who again served as president from 1874 to 1880. Butler returned to the presidency in 1880 and served until 1888. In addition to Butler’s health issues, his wife also suffered from poor health. He left active ministry and moved to Bowling Green, Florida, where he operated an orchard and took care of his wife.
Relationships
At times Butler’s relationships with James and Ellen White were strained. James White was a fellow minister, and his difficult relationship with Butler and others is often attributed to White’s personality and health issues. His relationship with Ellen White, on the other hand, was more difficult to deal with because Butler and most in the church recognized her as one who received messages from the Lord. Perhaps an incident between Paul and Peter, two New Testament writers, helps us understand such conflicts. Paul and Peter are both recognized as contributors to the biblical canon. Both of them are recognized as messengers of the Lord. Yet Paul severely rebuked Peter (Gal. 2:11–14) to his face and publicly stated that Peter was “clearly in the wrong.” Disagreements, even between God’s messengers, may happen.
I believe that Butler’s character was revealed when he retired after 1888. He lovingly cared for his wife, who died in 1901. (In 1907 he married Elizabeth Work Grainger.) A few days after his wife’s death, when Butler was nearly 70 years old, he again became an active minister. Butler was almost immediately elected president of the Florida Conference and later was also president of the Southern Union. The titles do not really tell the story. That area had few Adventists and few churches at that time, so Butler was a traveling preacher and evangelist, not an administrator who could call upon others to do his bidding. He had to do the work. Butler did not complain that he was “demoted,” as some see it. He worked enthusiastically. Not many seem to possess such character.
Denis Fortin has effectively presented the life of a minister who was dedicated to God and the mission of the church. That characteristic of Butler can be understood and appreciated in reading this book.
