8/22/2019 Ellen G White Estate
29 (Psalm 104:14).Fruit in Our HandsâThe Lord has given His life to the trees and vines of His creation.His word can increase or decrease the fruit of the land. If men would open their understanding to discern the relation between nature and natureâs God, faithful acknowledgments of the Creatorâs power would be heard. Ellen Gould White (Harmon), November 26, 1827 â July 16, 1915. White is the most widely published Seventh-day Adventist author. Her ministry spanned 70 years, from 1844 until 1915. Ellen White is credited as the co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Ellen Gould White (née Ellen Gould Harmon; November 26, 1827 â July 16, 1915) was an author and an American Christianpioneer. Along with other Sabbatarian Adventist leaders such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, she was instrumental within a small group of early Adventists who formed what became known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Smithsonian magazine named Ellen G. White among the '100 Most Significant Americans of All Time.[1]
White claimed to have received over 2,000 visions and dreams from God[2] in public and private meetings throughout her life, which were witnessed by Adventist pioneers and the general public. She verbally described and published for public consumption the content of the alleged visions. The Adventist pioneers viewed these experiences as the Biblical gift of prophecy as outlined in Revelation 12:17 and Revelation 19:10 which describe the testimony of Jesus as the 'spirit of prophecy.' Her Conflict of the Ages series of writings endeavor to showcase the hand of God in Biblical history and in church history. This cosmic conflict, referred to by Seventh-day Adventist theologians as the 'Great Controversy theme,' became foundational to the development of Seventh-day Adventist theology.[3] Her book on successful Christian living, Steps to Christ, has been published in more than 140 languages.
White was considered a controversial figure by her critics, with much of the controversy centering on her reports of visionary experiences and on the use of other sources in her writings. Historian Randall Balmer has described White as 'one of the more important and colorful figures in the history of American religion'.[4]Walter Martin described her as 'one of the most fascinating and controversial personages ever to appear upon the horizon of religious history'.[5] Arthur L. White, her grandson and biographer, writes that Ellen G. White is the most translated female non-fiction author in the history of literature, as well as the most translated American non-fiction author of either gender.[6] Her writings covered a broad range of subjects, including religion, social relationships, prophecy, publishing, nutrition, creationism, agriculture, theology, evangelism, Christian lifestyle, education, and health. She advocated vegetarianism. She promoted and was instrumental in the establishment of schools and medical centers. During her lifetime she wrote more than 5,000 periodical articles and 40 books. As of 2015 more than 100 White titles are available in English, including compilations from her 100,000 pages of manuscript. Some of her other notable books include The Desire of Ages and The Great Controversy.
Personal life[edit]Early life[edit]
Ellen and her twin sister Elizabeth were born November 26, 1827, to Robert and Eunice Harmon at a home on Rte. 114 in Gorham, Maine.[7] Robert was a farmer who also made hats using mercuric nitrate.[8]
Charles E. Dudley, Sr., in his book The Genealogy of Ellen Gould Harmon White: The Prophetess of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the Story of the Growth and Development of the Seventh-day Adventist Denomination As It Relates to African-Americans claims that Ellen White had an African-American ancestry.[9] In March 2000, the Ellen G. White Estate commissioned Roger D. Joslyn, a professional genealogist, to research Ellen G. White's ancestry. Joslyn concluded that she was of Anglo-Saxon origin.[10]
At the age of nine, White was hit in the face with a stone.[8] This occurred while she was living in Portland, Maine, and probably attending the Bracket Street School.[7] This, she said, started her conversion: 'This misfortune, which for a time seemed so bitter and was so hard to bear, has proved to be a blessing in disguise. The cruel blow which blighted the joys of earth, was the means of turning my eyes to heaven. I might never had known Jesus Christ, had not the sorrow that clouded my early years led me to seek comfort in him'.[11] A few years after her injury, Ellen, with her parents, attended a Methodistcamp meeting at Buxton, Maine; and there, at the age of 12, a breakthrough occurred in which she had a conversion experience and felt at peace.[12]
Millerite movement[edit]
In 1840, at age 12, her family became involved with the Millerite movement. As she attended William Miller's lectures, she felt guilty for her sins and was filled with terror about being eternally lost. She describes herself as spending nights in tears and prayer and being in this condition for several months. On June 26, 1842, she was baptized by John Hobart in Casco Bay in Portland, Maine, and eagerly awaited Jesus to come again. In her later years, she referred to this as the happiest time of her life. Her family's involvement with Millerism caused them to be disfellowshipped by the local Methodist church.[13]
Marriage and family[edit]
Sometime in 1845 Ellen Harmon came in contact with her future husband James Springer White, a Millerite who became convinced that her visions were genuine. A year later James proposed and they were married by a justice of the peace in Portland, Maine, on August 30, 1846. James later wrote:
We were married August 30, 1846, and from that hour to the present she has been my crown of rejoicing ... It has been in the good providence of God that both of us had enjoyed a deep experience in the Advent movement ... This experience was now needed as we should join our forces and, united, labor extensively from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific ...[14]
The Whites had four sons: Henry Nichols, James Edson (known as Edson), William Clarence (known as Willie or W. C.), and John Herbert. Only Edson and William lived to adulthood. John Herbert died of erysipelas at the age of two months, and Henry died of pneumonia at the age of 16 [White Estate Biography] in 1863.
Final years and death[edit]
Oak Hill Cemetery-James and Ellen White
White spent the final years of her life in Elmshaven, her home in Saint Helena, California after the death of her husband James White in 1881. During her final years she traveled less frequently as she concentrated upon writing her last works for the church. She died on July 16, 1915,[15] at her home in Elmshaven, which is now an Adventist Historical Site. After three funerals, she was buried with her husband James White in Oak Hill Cemetery, Battle Creek, Michigan.[16]
Ministry[edit]Visions[edit]
From 1844 to 1863 White allegedly experienced between 100 and 200 visions, typically in public places and meeting halls. She experienced her first vision soon after the MilleriteGreat Disappointment of 1844.[17][18] She said she had one that led to the writing of The Great Controversy at an Ohio funeral service held on a Sunday afternoon in March 1858, in the Lovett's Grove (now Bowling Green) public school, an alleged vision of the ages-long conflict between Christ and His angels and Satan and his angels was given to Mrs. White.[19]
Physical phenomena during visions[edit]
J. N. Loughborough, who had seen White in vision 50 times since 1852, and her husband, James White, listed several physical characteristics that marked the visions:
Mrs. Martha Amadon added: 'There was never an excitement among those present during a vision; nothing caused fear. It was a solemn, quiet scene.'[20]
First vision[edit]
In December 1844, White allegedly experienced her first vision during a prayer meeting at the home of Mrs. Haines on Ocean Street in South Portland, Maine.
At this time I visited one of our Advent sisters, and in the morning we bowed around the family altar. It was not an exciting occasion, and there were but five of us present, all females. While praying, the power of God came upon me as I never had felt it before, and I was wrapt up in a vision of God's glory, and seemed to be rising higher and higher from the earth and was shown something of the travels of the Advent people to the Holy City ...[22]
In this vision the 'Advent people' were traveling a high and dangerous path towards the city of New Jerusalem [heaven]. Their path was lit from behind by 'a bright (light) ... which an angel told me was the midnight cry.' Some of the travelers grew weary and were encouraged by Jesus; others denied the light, the light behind them went out, and they fell 'off the path into the dark and wicked world below.'[23] The vision continued with a portrayal of Christ's second coming, following which the Advent people entered the New Jerusalem; and ended with her returning to earth feeling lonely, desolate and longing for that 'better world.'
As Godfrey T. Anderson said, 'In effect, the vision assured the Advent believers of eventual triumph despite the immediate despair into which they had plunged.'[24]
Second and third visions[edit]
In February 1845, White allegedly experienced her second vision in Exeter, Maine known as the 'Bridegroom' vision. Together with the third vision about the new earth, the visions 'gave continued meaning to the October 1844 experience and supported the developing sanctuary rationale. Additionally they played an important role in countering the spiritualizing views of many fanatical Adventists by portraying the Father and Jesus as literal beings and heaven as a physical place.'[25]
Public testimony[edit]
Fearing people would not accept her testimony, White did not initially share her visions with the wider Millerite community. In a meeting at her parentsâ home when she received what she regarded as confirmation of her ministry:
While praying, the thick darkness that had enveloped me was scattered, a bright light, like a ball of fire, came towards me, and as it fell upon me, my strength was taken away. I seemed to be in the presence of Jesus and the angels. Again it was repeated, 'Make known to others what I have revealed to you.'[26]
Soon White was giving her testimony in public meetings â some of which she arranged herself â and in her regular Methodist class meetings in private homes.
I arranged meetings with my young friends, some of whom were considerably older than myself, and a few were married persons. A number of them were vain and thoughtless; my experience sounded to them like an idle tale, and they did not heed my entreaties. But I determined that my efforts should never cease till these dear souls, for whom I had so great an interest, yielded to God. Several entire nights were spent by me in earnest prayer for those whom I had sought out and brought together for the purpose of laboring and praying with them.[27]
News of her visions spread and White was soon traveling and speaking to groups of Millerite followers in Maine and the surrounding area. Her visions were not publicized further afield until January 24, 1846, when her account of the first vision: 'Letter From Sister Harmon' was published in the Day Star, a Millerite paper published in Cincinnati, Ohio by Enoch Jacobs. White had written to Jacobs to encourage him and although she stated the letter was not written for publication,[28] Jacobs printed it anyway. Through the next few years it was republished in various forms and is included as part of her first book, Christian Experience and Views, published in 1851.
Two Millerites claimed to have had visions prior to White â William Ellis Foy (1818â1893), and Hazen Foss (1818?â1893), White's brother-in-law. Adventists believe the prophetic gift offered to these two men was passed on to White when they rejected it.[29]
Middle life[edit]
White described the vision experience as involving a bright light which would surround her and she felt herself in the presence of Jesus or angels who would show her events (historical and future) and places (on earth, in heaven, or other planets).The transcriptions of White's visions generally contain theology, prophecy, or personal counsels to individuals or to Adventist leaders. One of the best examples of her personal counsels is found in a 9-volume series of books entitled Testimonies for the Church, that contains edited testimonies published for the general edification of the church. The spoken and written versions of her visions played a significant part in establishing and shaping the organizational structure of the emerging Adventist Church. Her visions and writings continue to be used by church leaders in developing the church's policies and for devotional reading.[citation needed]
On March 14, 1858, at Lovett's Grove, near Bowling Green, Ohio, White received a vision while attending a funeral service. On that day James White wrote that 'God manifested His power in a wonderful manner' adding that 'several had decided to keep the Lord's Sabbath and go with the people of God.' In writing about the vision, she stated that she received practical instruction for church members, and more significantly, a cosmic sweep of the conflict 'between Christ and His angels, and Satan and his angels.' Ellen White would expand upon this great controversy theme which would eventually culminate in the Conflict of the Ages series.[30]
Personality and public persona[edit]
White was seen as a powerful and sought after preacher.[31][32] While she has been perceived as having a strict and serious personality, perhaps due to her lifestyle standards, numerous sources describe her as a friendly person.[33][34]
Major teachings[edit]Theology[edit]
Jerry Moon argues that White taught assurance of salvation.[37]Arthur Patrick believes that White was evangelical, in that she had high regard for the Bible, saw the cross as central, supported righteousness by faith, believed in Christian activism, and sought to restore New Testament Christianity.[38]
Ellen White avoided using the word 'Trinity', 'and her husband stated categorically that her visions did not support the Trinitarian creed.'[39] Her theology did not include a doctrine of the Trinity.[40]
Education[edit]
White's earliest essays on education appeared in the 1872 autumn editions of the Health Reformer.[41]In her first essay she stated that working with youthful minds was the most delicate of tasks. The manner of instruction should be varied. This would make it possible for the 'high and noble powers of the mind'[41] to have a chance to develop. To be qualified to educate the youth (she wrote), parents and teachers must have self-control, gentleness and love.
White's idea of creating a Christian educational system and its importance in society is detailed in her writings Christian Education (1893, 1894) and Education (1903).
Health reform[edit]
White expounded greatly on the subjects of health, healthy eating and a balanced diet. In her book Counsels on Diet & Foods, she gives advice on the right foods and on moderation. She also warns against the use of tobacco, which was medically accepted in her day. Her views are expressed in the writings Healthful Living (1897, 1898) and The Health Food Ministry (1970) and The Ministry of Healing (1905).
Major writings[edit]
Some of her most well known books are:
A survey conducted in 2016 found that White was the 11th most-read author in Brazil.[42]
Historic legacy[edit]
According to one evangelical author, 'No Christian leader or theologian has exerted as great an influence on a particular denomination as Ellen White has on Adventism.'[43] Additional authors have stated 'Ellen G. White has undoubtedly been the most influential Seventh-day Adventist in the history of the church.'[44][45]
Ellen G. White Estate[edit]
The Ellen G. White Estate, Inc., was formed as a result of White's will.[46] It consists of a self-perpetuating board and a staff which includes a secretary (now known as the director), several associates, and a support staff. The main headquarters is at the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. Branch Offices are located at Andrews University, Loma Linda University, and Oakwood University. There are 15 additional research centers located throughout the 13 remaining divisions of the world church. The mission of the White Estate is to circulate Ellen White's writings, translate them, and provide resources for helping to better understand her life and ministry. At the Toronto General Conference Session (2000) the world church expanded the mission of the White Estate to include a responsibility for promoting Adventist history for the entire denomination.
Adventist historic sites[edit]
Several of White's homes are historic sites. The first home that she and her husband owned is now part of the Historic Adventist Village in Battle Creek, Michigan.[47] Her other homes are privately owned with the exception of her home in Cooranbong, Australia, which she named 'Sunnyside,' and her last home in Saint Helena, California, which she named 'Elmshaven'.[48] These latter two homes are owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the 'Elmshaven' home is also a National Historic Landmark.
Avondale College[edit]
White inspired and guided the foundation of Avondale College,[49]Cooranbong, leaving an educational legacy from her time in Australia. Avondale College is the main Seventh-day Adventist tertiary institution in the South-Pacific Division.
Biographical writings[edit]
Ellen White wrote her own biography first published in 1860 as My Christian Experience, Views, and Labors, in Connection With the Rise and Progress of the Third Angel's Message. This she expanded in 1880 as Life Sketches of James White and Ellen G. White which was later expanded again by White and several authors who covered the remainder of her life, published in 1915 it remains in print as Life Sketches of Ellen G. White (abbreviated as LS).[50][51]
The most comprehensive biography of White is an extensive six-volume work called 'Ellen G. White: A Biography' written by her grandson, Arthur L. White. Thousands of articles and books have been written about various aspects of Ellen G. White's life and ministry. A large number of these can be found in the libraries at Loma Linda University and Andrews University, the two primary Seventh-day Adventist institutions with major research collections about Adventism. An 'Encyclopedia of Ellen G. White' is being produced by two faculty at Andrews University: Jerry Moon,[52] chair of the church history department, and Denis Fortin,[53] dean of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary.
Theatre[edit]
Red Books: Our Search for Ellen White is a play about White, a co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the various perceptions of her throughout the history of the church. It was produced by the Dramatic Arts Society of Pacific Union College in California. It was based on interviews collected from over 200 individuals. The title derives from White's books, which were traditionally bound with a red cover.[54][55]
Film[edit]
Produced by the Seventh-Day Adventist church in 2016, the movie Tell the World[56] chronicles the life of Ellen G. White, 'Her guidance and advice, obtained through Bible studies, as well as dreams and visions revealed by God, guided the steps of the Church in becoming a worldwide movement of compassion in the areas of health, education, community development and disaster relief.'[57] Today, the Seventh-day Adventist church has grown to nearly 20 million members in hundreds of countries.
Examination of the prophetic value of her writings[edit]
Most Adventists believe White's writings are inspired and continue to have relevance for the church today. Because of criticism from the evangelical community, in the 1940s and 1950s church leaders such as LeRoy Edwin Froom and Roy Allan Anderson attempted to help evangelicals understand Seventh-day Adventists better by engaging in extended dialogue that resulted in the publication of Questions on Doctrine (1956) that explained Adventist beliefs in evangelical language.
Evangelical Walter Martin of the countercultChristian Research Institute 'rejected White's prophetic claims', yet saw her 'as a genuine Christian believer', unlike her contemporaries Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, and Charles Taze Russell. Kenneth Samples, a successor of Martin in his interaction with Adventism, also denies White's prophetic claims yet 'believe[s] she, at minimum, had some good biblical and theological instincts.'[58]
Adventist statement of belief about the Spirit of Prophecy[edit]
White's writings are sometimes referred to as the Spirit of Prophecy by Adventists. The term is dually applied to the Holy Spirit which inspired her writings.
Early Sabbatarian Adventists, many of whom had come out of the Christian Connexion, were anti-creedal. However, as early as 1872 Adventists produced a statement of Adventist beliefs. This list was refined during the 1890s and formally included in the SDA Yearbook in 1931 with 22 points. In 1980 a statement of 27 Fundamental Beliefs was adopted, to which one was added to in 2005 to make the current list of fundamental beliefs.[59] White is referenced in the fundamental belief on spiritual gifts. This doctrinal statement says:
One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is an identifying mark of the remnant church and was manifested in the ministry of Ellen G. White. As the Lord's messenger, her writings are a continuing and authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction. They also make clear that the Bible is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested. (Joel 2:28,29; Acts 2:14â21; Hebrews 1:1â3; Revelation 12:17; 19:10.)[60]
Criticism[edit]
Critics have voiced doubts as to the reliability of Ellen G. White as a true prophet and the authenticity of her visions.Ronald L. Numbers, an American historian of science and a graduate of the Loma Linda University School of Medicine, criticized Mrs. White for her views on health and masturbation, the gist of his criticism being that she followed the medical consensus of her epoch.[61][62] Numbers argues that she plagiarizedvitalist writers (such as Horace Mann and Larkin B. Coles) for her arguments against masturbation.[61][63] White's book Appeal to Mothers states that she did not copy her text from the health reform advocates and that she independently reached such conclusions.[64] Numbers' criticism is acknowledged as significant by the staff of the White Estate, which sought to refute it in A Critique of the Book Prophetess of Health.[65] Richard W. Schwarz from the Department of History, Andrews University argued that the similarities are due to supernatural inspiration influencing all those authors, which spoke in more or less the same words to all of them.[66]
Roger Coon wrote a lecture arguing that certain followers of the religion were engaging in 'equal but opposite dangers' in their view of White. He described one group that overdeified her, and one group that 'picks and chooses' from what teachings they follow of hers.[67]
Critics have accused Ellen White of plagiarism. One such was Walter T. Rea, who argued against the 'original' nature of her alleged revelations in his book The White Lie. Another critic is Ronald Numbers.[68]
A lawyer employed by the SDA as legal defense,[69] Vincent L. Ramik, undertook a study of Ellen G. White's writings during the early 1980s, and concluded that they were 'conclusively unplagiaristic.'[70] When the plagiarism charge ignited a significant debate during the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Adventist General Conference commissioned a major study by Dr. Fred Veltman. The ensuing project became known as the 'Life of Christ' Research Project'.[71] Dr. Roger W. Coon,[72] David J. Conklin,[73] Dr. Denis Fortin,[74][75] King and Morgan,[76] among others, undertook the refutation of the accusations of plagiarism. At the conclusion of his report, Ramik states:
It is impossible to imagine that the intention of Ellen G. White, as reflected in her writings and the unquestionably prodigious efforts involved therein, was anything other than a sincerely motivated and unselfish effort to place the understandings of Biblical truths in a coherent form for all to see and comprehend. Most certainly, the nature and content of her writings had but one hope and intent, namely, the furthering of mankind's understanding of the word of God. Considering all factors necessary in reaching a just conclusion on this issue, it is submitted that the writings of Ellen G. White were conclusively unplagiaristic.[77]
Ramik cleared her of breaking the law of the land/time (copyright infringement/piracy), not of plagiarism in the academic sense.[77][78] In 1911, more than 70 years before charges of plagiarism, White wrote in the introduction to The Great Controversy her reason for quoting, in some cases without giving due credit, certain historians whose 'statements affords a ready and forcible presentation on the subject.'[79] That means that she acknowledged the charges of plagiarism and pleaded guilty (in the academic sense, not juridically).
See also[edit]References[edit]
Further reading[edit]
External links[edit]
Writings online[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ellen_G._White&oldid=900878847'
The Ellen G. White Estate, Incorporated, or simply the (Ellen) White Estate, is an organization created in 1933 by the five trustees named in Ellen G. White's last will and testament to act as the custodian of her writings, which Seventh-day Adventists consider as divinely inspired. The headquarters is located at the General Conference in Silver Spring, Maryland, where it functions as a quasi-independent department of the denomination. It has an independent and self-perpetuating board, but the organization receives an annual allocation just like other departments of the world headquarters. The White Estate has branch offices and research centers at Adventist universities and colleges around the world with at least one center in each division of the world church.
The mission of the White Estate is to circulate Ellen White's writings, translate them, and provide resources for helping to better understand her life and ministry. At the TorontoGeneral Conference Session in 2000, the world church expanded the mission of the organization to include a responsibility for promoting Adventist history for the entire denomination. After a century since Ellen G. White's death in 1915 the White Estate will publicly release all of her unpublished writings online.
History[edit]
Other duties include handling her properties, 'conducting the business thereof,' 'securing the printing of new translations,' and the 'printing of compilations from my manuscripts.'[1] Her will, dated February 9, 1912, named five church administrators to serve as a board of trustees:[2]Arthur G. Daniells, William C. White, Clarence C. Crisler, Charles H. Jones, and Francis M. Wilcox. Appointment of the trustees was for life, Ellen White providing that âif a vacancy shall occur for any reason among said trustees, or their successors, a majority of the surviving or remaining trustees are hereby empowered and directed to fill such vacancy by the appointment of some other fit personâ;[1] or if this provision were to fail, the General Conference Executive Committee should appoint someone to fill such a vacancy. The will dedicated the major portion of the existing and potential royalty incomes from her books to the work of the trustees.
At the death of Ellen White, July 16, 1915, this self-perpetuating board began to function. It soon sold Ellen Whiteâs real estate, consisting mainly of Elmshaven, her home property near St. Helena, California, then began the continued care of her literary properties. Under the terms of the will, such responsibilities fell into three areas:
The board now carries a fourth responsibility, which has developed naturally through the yearsâacquainting Seventh-day Adventists and others with Mrs. White and her work.
Organization[edit]
When the board was first organized in 1915, A. G. Daniells served as president. The secretaryship, after being held for a short time by C. C. Crisler, passed to W. C. White, the only member of the board devoting full-time to the work of the trustees. He filled this office until his death in 1937. From 1915 to 1937 the work was carried on at Elmshaven in a rented office building with a vault that was used to house the E. G. White materials.
During the 19 years they worked together, the original members, in addition to routine tasks, (1) published 10 posthumous compilations; (2) produced an 865-page Comprehensive Index to the Writings of Ellen G. White, published in 1926; (3) carried forward the thorough indexing of the Ellen G. White manuscript files; and (4) in counsel with the leading officers of the General Conference in 1933 and 1934, laid the foundation for continuing the trusteeship in perpetuity. The steps taken to ensure the perpetuation of the trusteeship were: (a) in 1933 the trustees, as the constituency, formed a corporation under the laws of the state of California âto carry out and perform the provisions of the charitable trust created by the last will and testament of Ellen G. White deceasedâ; (b) the General Conference agreed to provide adequate financial support for the work of the trustees in the form of an annual budget; the trustees, in turn, assigned to the General Conference all royalty incomes produced by the Ellen G. White books; (c) it was agreed to move the property and work of the trustees at some appropriate future time to Washington, D.C., thus placing it close to the world headquarters of the church.
Period of Transition[edit]
When three of the original trustees diedâone in 1935 and two in 1936âthe vacancies were filled in harmony with the provisions of the will and the bylaws of the 1933 corporation. The full-time secretary, W. C. White, died September 1, 1937. He was replaced by his son, Arthur L. White, who for nine years had served as his secretary and for four years as assistant secretary of the White Estate. The work of the White Estate was moved to the General Conference, Washington, D.C., in January, 1938.
Present Organization[edit]
As demands upon them increasing steadily with the growth of the church and numerous constituencies to be represented, in 1950 the trustees increased the boardâs membership from five to seven, and in 1958 amended the bylaws of the corporation to provide for a constituency and board of nine, seven to be life members and two to be elected for a term corresponding to that of General Conference elected personnel (originally four years, but now five). In 1970 the board was increased to 11; in 1980, to 13; and, in 1985, to 15. The number of life members is currently five. At quinquennial meetings the board also elects the secretary and associate secretaries, as well as officers of the corporation, as provided for in the bylaws.Relationship to General Conference. Through the years a close working relationship has obtained between the White trustees and the General Conference. Most of the trustees are members of the General Conference Executive Committee. Various matters, such as promoting the overseas publication of the Ellen G. White material, appropriation of funds to assist in the foreign language publication of Ellen G. White books, and overall planning of Spirit of Prophecy promotion, including preparation of materials for the annual Spirit of Prophecy Sabbath, although intimately related to the work of the White trustees, are beyond the sphere of their direct responsibility. These are handled by the General Conference Committee through a sub-committee known as the Spirit of Prophecy Committee. This committee includes several of the White trustees. The duties of this subcommittee and the working relationship between the General Conference Committee and the White Estate are currently set forth in a joint agreement adopted by the General Conference Committee and the White Estate trustees on October 10, 1957. There is an interlocking and at times overlapping of responsibilities; nevertheless, a smooth and efficient working relationship between the two organizations is maintained.
Routine Work[edit]
The paid staff members:
Productions of special value to the church include the four-volume Comprehensive Index to the Writings of Ellen G. White (1962, 1992); the six-volume facsimile reprints of the Ellen G. White Present Truth and Review and Herald articles; the four-volume Ellen G. White Signs of the Times articles; the Ellen G. White Youthâs Instructor articles; the Periodical Resource Collection volumes; the six-volume biography of Ellen G. White, by Arthur L. White; and The Published Writings of Ellen G. White on Compact Disc (CD-ROM), a tool of inestimable value to users of computers. Most of her writings are now available online.[citation needed]
Branch Offices and Research Centers[edit]
Beginning in 1974 the White Estate began to set up 'Ellen G. White-SDA Research Centers' on the campuses of Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities. These offices contain duplicates of the Ellen White documents and other historical materials housed in the main office at General Conference headquarters. The five branch offices are located at:
It has local research centers around the world, including a center opened in 2004 at
and 12 centers are located at:
Use of E. G. White Manuscript Materials[edit]
During the later years of her life, Ellen White often drew upon her unique 50,000-page manuscript file in the preparation of published works. The White trustees have continued to draw upon this for the compilations made since her death. These manuscripts constitute an invaluable basic file of historical records and of counsel to the church. As of 2012, approximately half of these manuscripts and letters have been published in full, with about two thirds of the collection published in full or in part.[3]
While all of Ellen Whiteâs writings are available for research, the unpublished letters, manuscripts, and other materials in the Ellen G. White files do not constitute a public archive. The sacred nature of the files generally and the confidential nature of many of the communications in the files require that they be cared for and used responsibly. Even manuscripts whose primary value is historical in nature must not be used in a solely secular manner.[4] Because of this, during the first few decades following Ellen Whiteâs death, careful policies governing the use and release of unpublished materials were set up, ultimately resulting in the publication of 21 volumes known as Manuscript Releases. In recent years the earlier restrictive policies have been adapted to accommodate the needs of increased research.
List of chief officers[edit]
The two chief officers of the board are the chair and the secretary. The chair is also president of the corporation. The secretary serves not only as secretary of the board but as executive secretary of the organization, being responsible for the day-to-day operations of the office and staff. Beginning in 1915, when the terms of Ellen Whiteâs will went into effect, the White Estate has had 10 chairs and 7 secretaries. During the first meeting of the White Estate board, Oct. 28-29, 1915, the trustees elected A. G. Daniells as the first chair, but at the next meeting on Nov. 22, 1915, elected F. M. Wilcox. At that same meeting (Oct. 28-29, 1915) they elected C. C. Crisler who served as the secretary until July 27, 1917, when W. C. White replaced him.
Chair[edit]
Secretary[edit]
See also[edit]References[edit]
Further reading[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ellen_G._White_Estate&oldid=881594871'
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