Ellen G. White® Estate: About The White Estate

[Material adapted slightly from the Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, second revised edition (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1996), vol. A-L, pp. 503-506.]

? Mission Statement

The Ellen G. White Estate supports the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in uplifting Jesus Christ and His Word by sharing Ellen White’s prophetic ministry and writings throughout the world.

? Vision Statement

A worldwide community of believers preparing for the soon return of Jesus in which Ellen White’s inspired messages are widely available, deeply valued, richly lived, and faithfully shared.

? Origins of the White Estate

The Ellen G. White^® Estate, Incorporated, is an organization created by the last will and testament of Ellen G. White to act as her agent in the custody of her writings, handling her properties, "conducting the business thereof," "securing the printing of new translations," and the "printing of compilations from my manuscripts." Her will, dated Feb. 9, 1912 (printed in its entirety as Appendix N in Messenger of the Lord, by Herbert E. Douglass) named five church leaders to serve as a board of trustees: Arthur G. Daniells, president of the General Conference; William C. White, her son; Clarence C. Crisler, a secretary; Charles H. Jones, manager of the Pacific Press; and Francis M. Wilcox, editor of the Review and Herald. Four of the five were members of the Executive Committee of the General Conference.

Appointment of the trustees was for life, Ellen White providing that "if 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 person"; 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. (For additional information, see Appendix B, "The Settlement of Ellen G. White's Estate," in volume 6 of A. L. White's biography of Ellen White, Ellen G. White: The Later Elmshaven Years.)

At the death of Ellen White, July 16, 1915, this self-perpetuating board began to function. It soon sold Ellen White's 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: (1) possession of the copyrights to her writings and the care and promotion of her books in the English language; (2) preparation of manuscripts for, and the promotion of the translation and publication of her writings in other languages; and (3) custody of the files of manuscripts and other files, and the selection of matter from the Ellen G. White manuscript files for publication. The board now carries a fourth responsibility, which has developed naturally through the years--acquainting Seventh-day Adventists and others with Mrs. White and her work.

? Organization of the Estate

The Original Board:
When the board was organized in 1915, A. G. Daniells served temporarily as president, followed by F. M. Wilcox from 1915-1922. A. G. Daniells again served as president from 1922-1935. 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 Ellen G. White materials.

During the 19 years they worked together, the original members, in addition to routine tasks, (1) published 10 posthumous compilations (for an annotated bibliography of the Ellen G. White books, see White, Ellen G., Writings of, and Appendix D in the Comprehensive Index to the Writings of Ellen G. White); (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 "to carry out and perform the provisions of the charitable trust created by the last will and testament of Ellen G. White deceased"; (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:
When three of the original trustees died--one in 1935 and two in 1936--the 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 on Sept. 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:
With the demands upon them increasing steadily with the growth of the church and numerous constituencies to be represented, in 1950 the trustees increased the board's 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 Estate 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 Oct. 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.

? The Work of the White Estate

Routine Work. The paid staff members: (1) safeguard and maintain the records in the custody of the trustees, and the indexes thereto, in such a manner as to serve the church; (2) handle the copyrights to the Ellen G. White works; (3) conduct such research in these works and the related historical materials as may be called for; (4) respond to questions that may be directed to the White Estate in personal interviews and in a worldwide correspondence; (5) assemble, when authorized by the trustees, materials for compilations from Ellen G. White's writings; (6) foster, in conjunction with the Spirit of Prophecy Committee, the ever-widening publication of these writings in various languages and at times make selections or abridgments as called for and authorized; (7) fill assignments in church, institutional, and field visitation as the needs and best interests of the advancing work of the church require; (8) conduct tours of historical sites of denominational interest, especially in the New England states; and (9) prepare articles, correspondence lessons, and text materials.

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 Youth's Instructor articles; the Periodical Resource Collection volumes; the six-volume biography of Ellen G. White, by A. L. White; and The Published Writings of Ellen G. White on Compact Disc (CD-ROM), a tool of inestimable value to users of computers.

? Use of Ellen G. White Manuscript Materials

During the later years of her life, Ellen G. 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. The copyright of these manuscripts resides solely with the White trustees.

While all of Ellen White's 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. "Spiritual things are spiritually discerned" (The Desire of Ages, p. 55; see also 1 Cor. 2:14). Because of this, during the first few decades following Ellen White's 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, and today they may be accessed online at egwwritings.org.

? Officers of the White Estate Board

The two chief officers of the board are the chair and the secretary. The secretary serves not only as secretary of the board but as president of the organization, and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the office and staff. Beginning in 1915, when the terms of Ellen G. White's will went into effect, the White Estate has had 12 chairs and six secretaries.

Chairs: A. G. Daniells, 1915-1935; J. E. Fulton, 1935-1936; J. L. Shaw, 1936-1937; F. M. Wilcox, 1938-1944; M. E. Kern, 1944-1951; D. E. Rebok, 1952; A. V. Olson, 1952-1963; F. D. Nichol 1963-1966; W. P. Bradley, 1966-1980; Kenneth H. Wood, 1980-2008; Don C. Schneider, 2008-2013; G. T. Ng, 2014-

Secretaries: Clarence C. Crisler, 1915-1917; William C. White, 1917-1937; Arthur L. White, 1937-1978; Robert W. Olson, 1978-1990; Paul A. Gordon, 1990-1995; Juan Carlos Viera, 1995-2000; James R. Nix, 2000-2020; Merlin D. Burt, 2020-.

? Ellen G. White^® Estate Branch Offices and Research Centers

The White Estate maintains four branch office research centers--at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, at Adventist University of Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, and at Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, Cavite, Philippines. These offices contain duplicates of the Ellen G. White documents and other historical materials housed in the main office at General Conference headquarters. Beginning in 1974, the White Estate also has set up Ellen G. White-SDA Research Centers on the campuses of 19 Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities worldwide, in the countries of Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Costa Rica, England, France, India, Jamaica, Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Puerto Rico, Russia, South Africa and the United States.

? How to Contact the Ellen G. White^® Estate Main Office

Ellen G. White^® Estate
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 U.S.A.
Phone: +1 301 680-6540
FAX: +1 301 680-6559

E-mail: [email protected]

? How to Contact the Ellen G. White^® Estate Branch Offices

United States of America

Michigan
Ellen G. White^® Estate Branch Office

James White Library
     Andrews University
     Berrien Springs, MI 49104-1400
          Director: Kevin Burton
Director Email:    [email protected]
           Phone: +1 269 471-3209
          FAX: +1 269 471-2646
Web site: www.centerforadventistresearch.org

   California
     Ellen G. White^® Estate Branch Office

Del E. Webb Memorial Library
Loma Linda Heritage Research Center
     Loma Linda, CA 92350
         Director: Theodore Levterov
Director Email:    [email protected]
   Phone: +1 909 558-4942
         FAX: +1 909 558-0381
Web site: library.llu.edu

Kenya
Ellen G. White^® Estate Branch Office

Adventist University of Africa
     Private Bag; Mbagathi 00503
     Nairobo, Kenya
Director: Super Moesi
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone:    +254 733333451 or +254 733333452
FAX:
Web site: aua.ellenwhite.org

Philippines
     Ellen G. White Research Center
     Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies
     P.O. Box 038, 4118 Silang
     Cavite
     Philippines
          Director: Reuel U. Almocera
Director Email:   [email protected]
   Phone:    [63] (46) 414-4314; 4315; 4300
          FAX:       [63] (46) 414-4310; 4320
Web site: www.aiias.edu

? How to Contact the Ellen G. White^® Estate Worldwide Research Centers

Argentina
     Ellen G. White Research Center
     Universidad Adventista del Plata
     25 Little de Mayo
     3103 Villa Libertador San Martin
     Entre Rios, Argentina
          Director:
Email:     [email protected]
   Phone:     (54) 343-491-8000 ext. 1450
          FAX:        (54) 343-491-8001
Web site: http://www.centrowhiteargentina.org/

Australia
     Ellen G. White Research Center
     Avondale University, Box 19
     Cooranbong, NSW 2265
     Australia
          Director: Mark Pearce
Director Email:    [email protected]
   Phone:    61 2 4980 2138

Brazil, SOUTHEAST- SAO PAULO
     Ellen G. White Research Center
     Centro Universitário Adventista de Sao Paulo
     Caixa Postal 11
     13165-970 Engenheiro Coelho, SP Brazil
          Director:    Renato Stencel
Director Email:      [email protected]
   Phone:      55 (19) 3858-9033
          FAX:         55 (19) 3858-9025
Web site: www.centrowhite.org.br

Brazil, NORTHEAST - BAHIA
     Ellen G. White Research Center
     Faculdade Adventista da Bahia
     Caixa Postal 18
     44300-000 Cachoeira, BA Brazil
          Director: Gerson Rodrigues
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone:    55 (75) 3425-8311
          Fax:         55 (75) 3425-8101

Brazil, NORTH - PARA
     Ellen G. White Research Center
     Bairro Paricatuba, Benevides,

Pará, BRAZIL CEP 68795-000
          Director: JeanC. Zukowski
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone:    (91) 37249500

Costa Rica
     Ellen G. White Research Center
     Universidad Adventista de Centroamerica
     Apartado 138-4050
     La Ceiba, Alajuela 4050, Costa Rica
           Director: David Macario
Director Email:    [email protected]
Phone:    (506) 2430-3329
           FAX:       (506) 2441-3465

England
     Ellen G. White Research Center
     Newbold College
     St Marks Rd, Binfield
     Bracknell, Berkshire RG42 4AN
     England
          Director: Rory Mendez
     Director Email: [email protected]
   Phone:    44 (1344) 407448
Web site: https://www.newbold.ac.uk/academia/ellen-g-white-research-centre/

France
     Ellen G. White Research Center
     Campus Adventiste du Saleve
     BP 74
     74165 Collonges-sous-Saleve, Cedex
     France
         Director:    Edwin Sully Payet
Director Email:   [email protected]
         Phone:      +33 04 50 87 68 36

India
     Ellen G. White Research Center
     Spicer Adventist University
     Aundh Road, Ganeshkhind Post
     Pune 411007, Maharashtra
     India
          Director:  Jesin Israel Kollabathula
   Director Email: [email protected]
  Phone:    91 8275 244631

Jamaica
     Ellen G. White Research Center
     Northern Caribbean University
     P.O. Box 22
     Mandeville, Jamaica
          Director: Robert A. Wright
Director Email: [email protected]
   Phone:     (876) 963 7769
          Fax:          (876) 963 0075
Web site: egw-sdaresearch.ncu.edu.jm

Kenya
     Ellen G. White Research Center
     University of Eastern Africa, Baraton
     P. O. Box 2500
     Eldoret 30100
     Kenya
          Director:   James Mutua
Director Email: [email protected]
   Phone:    (254) 053 52625
          FAX:       (254) 053 52263

Korea
     Ellen G. White Research Center
Sahmyook University
     Hwarang-ro 815 Nowon-go
     Seoul 139-742
     Republic of Korea
          Director:
          Phone:   (82) 2 3399 1503
          FAX:        (82) 10 3399 3437

Email: [email protected]
Web site: https://www.syu.ac.kr/egw/

Mexico
Ellen G. White Research Center
Universidad de Montemorelos
Apartado 16
Montemorelos 67500
Nuevo Leon, Mexico

Director: Juan Jose Andrade
Director Email:  [email protected]
   Phone:    52 (826) 263 0900 ext. 1700/1701
          Website: http://www.cwhite.um.edu.mx/

Nigeria
     Ellen G. White Research Center
     Babcock University
     Private Mail Bag 21244
     Ikeja, Lagos State
     Nigeria, West Africa
          Director: Emmanuel Orihentare Eregare
Director Email:    [email protected]
   Phone:  +2348067676676
          Web site:  https://babcock.edu.ng/

Peru
     Ellen G. White Research Center
     Universidad Peruana Union
     Carretera Central Km 19, Ñaña
     Lima 8, Peru

     Director:  Cristian Gonzalez
Director:   [email protected]
   Phone:    (511) 618 6300, Ext. 3157
     Cell:        51 989 111204
     Fax:        (511) 618 6339
Web site: https://cia.upeu.edu.pe/

Puerto Rico
     Ellen G. White Research Center
     Universidad Adventista de las Antillas
     P.O. Box 118
     Mayaguez, PR. 00681-0118
Puerto Rico, United States
   Director: Obed Jiménez

Director Email: [email protected]
          Phone:    (787) 834-9595

Romania
     Ellen G. White Research Center
Centrul Adventus Pentru Studii

adventiste Universitatea Adventus

din Cernica 11-13 Decebal,

Cernica 077035 Jud Ilfov, ROMANIA
          Director: Dan-Adrian Petre
Director Email:   [email protected]
   Phone:    (40)730 419 414

Russia
     Ellen G. White Research Center
Zaokskaya Dukhovnaya Akademiya
     Rudneva, 43-A
     Zaokski, Tula Region 301000
     Russian Federation
          Director: Vsevolod Andrusiak
Director Email:   [email protected]
   Phone:    (7) (48734) 2 0410
          FAX:       (7) (48734) 2 0411
Web site:   www.zau.ru

South Africa
     Ellen G. White Research Center
     Helderberg College
     P.O. Box 22
     Somerset West 7129, Cape
     South Africa
          Director:  Passmore Hachalinga
Director Email:    [email protected]
   Phone:    27 (021) 850 7560
          FAX:       27 (021) 850 7560

Thailand
Ellen G. White Research Center

Asia-Pacific International University 195 Moo 3,

Muaklek District Saraburi Province 18180 THAILAND
          Director:   MahaingamVarah
Director Email:    [email protected]
   Phone:    (+66) 36 720 777(Ext.1212)

United States

Ellen G. White Research Center
   Eva B. Dykes Library
   Oakwood University
     7000 Adventist Boulevard
     Huntsville, AL 35896, USA
          Director:  Howard Weems
          Phone: +1 (256)726 7035
          FAX: +1 (256)726 8414
          E-mail: [email protected]