church was emerging, the biggest issue in America was slavery. Many people at the time believed that Ephesians 6:5 should be “taken literally,”—“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear … as you would obey Christ.” But, Ellen White and the other founders of the Adventist Church believed that God was against slavery. John Byington, the first president of the GC, was part of the Underground Railroad, helping slaves to escape to Canada and breaking the Federal law at the time. The Adventist