"I have been shown that, in addition to the help now in the office, competent men should be employed to assist in the management of the different departments of the work. Men should be employed who have experience in business and who are wise managers. It would have been better years ago to have employed men who were thorough managers,—men who would have taught thoroughness, promptness, and economy,—even if double the wages that has been paid to foremen had been necessary. Brother R is deficient here; he has not a happy way of correcting evils. He undertakes to do this, but very many things are entirely neglected that ought to be reformed at once. The office has lacked a care-taking economist, a thorough businessman. There is three times as much lost as would be required to pay for the very best talent and experience in this work. 5T 414.1"
"Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:"
Both passages emphasize the importance of selecting competent and capable individuals for leadership and management roles. The qualities mentioned in Exodus (able, fearing God, truthful, hating covetousness) are echoed in EGW's call for 'competent men' and 'wise managers'.