In 1946, I was in the U.S.A. and the General Conference asked me to take meetings at various Camps. I roomed at two camps—New Jersey and East Pennsylvania—with Pastor Meade MacGuire and we chatted much about the old days. He had known A. T. Jones. Pastor MacGuire spoke highly of Jones, especially of his knowledge of Church history. His big concern was the trends in SDA Organization.
Jones opposed A. G. Daniells (then General Conference president) on church organization as Jones felt it was drifting Romeward [this was in 1903]. Finally Daniells broke Jones, with the result that Jones finally left the church.
Years later, Daniells and Pastor MacGuire were attending Camps in California. They were returning to Washington, DC by train. Pastor MacGuire said Pastor Daniells was sitting looking out of the carriage window thinking. He looked up and said,
“You know, Meade, I believe Jones was right and I was wrong.”
He was referring to the question of organization. Pastor MacGuire said that Pastor Daniells did all he could to rectify things; but as he was then out of the presidency, no one paid much attention to him.
This is the account as I recall it.
(signed)
George Burnside
95 Browns Road
Wahroonga
NSW Australia 2076
