The George Irwin family were converted to the Seventh-Day Adventist faith in 1885 by a series of meetings held by D. E. Lindsay and W. H.

As president, he sought to re-organize the duties of the ministry, and made a tour of Australia.

[1] A. G. Daniells was elected General Conference President in 1901, and Irwin was asked to replace him as head of the Australian Union.

[2] He became disheartened about his time as General Conference president, viewing it as an "utter failure.

He left this position two years later to become president of the Board of Directors of what is now Loma Linda University.