Madison College & ASI Season 2 | Episode 44
In 1939, Ripley's Believe It or Not
wrote about the school in Madison, Tennessee
and included its amazing story in their long list of unbelievable things.
They reported that it was the only college in America
that was self-supporting,
meaning it operated without external funds, income, or endowments.
The remarkable story goes back to 1904
when Percy T. Magan and E. A. Sutherland
started a school that was originally called
the Nashville Agricultural and Normal Institute.
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Here in Madison, Tennessee, just ten miles north of Nashville,
one of America's most remarkable and innovative schools started.
E. A. Sutherland and Percy Magan
resigned from their jobs at Emmanuel Missionary College
and moved down to work in the south.
In 1904 they were here on the Cumberland River
with Ellen White on the Morning Star boat
when it suddenly broke down.
Ellen White and Mr Palmer went ashore
and saw a 412 acre farm that was for sale.
it was overgrown, full of stones, and rundown,
but Ellen White commented that she had seen the place in a vision
and thought they should purchase it.
The two teachers, E. A. Sutherland and Percy Magan, were dismayed,
for they did not think the place looked promising at all,
but they decided to trust the wisdom of Ellen White
and moved ahead and purchased the property.
It began its first term with eleven students but quickly grew,
and under Ellen White's guidance
the educational philosophy of this school was established.
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Madison sought to educate the whole person, body, mind, and soul,
instilling in students a spirit of self-sacrifice,
service, and a love of the simple frugal life.
Using the large property that it had, students worked on the land,
ensuring that they could pay their way through,
making it a self-supporting institution.
If students did not have enough money, they were not turned away,
but encouraged to work their way through school.
The teachers did not have high paying salaries,
and staff and students would work together every day for five hours.
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The focus of Madison was to be different.
Athletics and sports programs were not included,
but instead there was a strong emphasis on mission work.
The purpose was to train self-supporting
domestic and foreign missionary workers and teachers.
'The class of education given at the Madison School
is such as will be accounted a treasure of great value
by those who take up missionary work in foreign fields.
If many more in other schools were receiving a similar training,
we as a people would be a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.'
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As Madison expanded,
it began to plant satellite schools and institutions all across the country.
By 1914 there were 40 schools with a thousand students.
In 1947 these self-supporting entities formed
the Association of Seventh-day Adventist Self-supporting Institutions, or ASI.
Once a year they would meet here at Madison
for a self-supporting workers convention,
laying the foundation for the annual ASI convention
that continues to this day.
In 1979 the name was changed to reflect a more diverse membership,
to Adventist Laymen's Services and Industries,
and it is a powerful, mission-driven organization
that has been responsible for some great projects over the years.
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Unfortunately, the school would sadly close in 1964,
and the reasons are complex and many.
Madison pioneered the self-supporting work,
not to be confused with independent ministries.
Ellen White spoke strongly in favor of the self-supporting work,
saying in the book Welfare Ministry page 64,
'There is a large field open before the self-supporting gospel worker.'
Self-supporting work was and is to work harmoniously with the organized work,
and the collaboration between these two entities
will make the gospel work doubly effective.