Ministry in a Growing Movement—1849-63

In November, 1848, during a meeting at Dorchester, Massachusetts, Ellen White was given a vision in which there was revealed to her the duty of the brethren to begin to publish the light that had come to them. “After coming out of vision, I said to my husband: ‘I have a message for you. You must begin to print a little paper and send it out to the people. Let it be small at first; but as the people read, they will send you means with which to print, and it will be a success from the first. From this small beginning it was shown to me to be like streams of light that went clear round the world.’” Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 125.APAY 210.1

In the summer of 1849, the conviction came to James White that the time had arrived to follow the instruction given in the vision. One July day he brought to the Belden home, in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, a thousand copies of the first issue of The Present Truth, which had been printed on credit by Charles Pelton, at Middletown, eight miles away. The Whites had been staying with the Beldens, and several times during the preparation of the paper, James had walked to Middletown and back to read proofs and check the progress of the work. When it came time to take the papers from the printing office, he borrowed the Belden buggy to bring them home. July, August, and September saw a total of four numbers of the little paper sent out. Money was sent in by readers to defray the expense of publication.APAY 210.2

Later that autumn, publication was suspended while theAPAY 210.3

Whites attended meetings. When James White undertook publication again, he found that the response was not so hearty as it had been when the paper first came out. Even Joseph Bates discouraged him from continuing the work, so White decided to give up the project. In a letter written January 10, 1850, he told how his plans were changed. “Last night [January 9, 1850] ... Ellen had the following view in relation to The Present Truth: ‘I saw the paper, and that it was needed. That souls were hungry for the truth that must be written in the paper. I saw that if the paper stopped for want of means, and those hungry sheep died for want of the paper, it would not be James’ fault, but it would be the fault of those to whom God had lent His money.... I saw that God did not want James to stop yet; but he must write, write, write, write, and speed the message and let it go. I saw that it would go where God’s servants cannot go.’” James White Letter, January 10, 1850, Record Book 1, pp. 51, 52.APAY 212.1

The paper was continued, and, in addition, another paper, The Advent Review, was produced during the summer of 1850. These were succeeded in November, 1850, by an enlarged journal called The Second Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, whose publication has continued for more than a century. In the visions and instructions given to Ellen White through the years we find the inspiration that has built a world-belting system of publishing houses, turning out Seventh-day Adventist books, tracts, and periodicals in about two hundred languages.APAY 212.2

Another important event took place in 1849 in the White home. At just about the time the first issue of The Present Truth was being sent out, the couple’s second son was born. “In June, 1849, the way was opened for us to make our home for a time at Rocky Hill, Connecticut. Here, on the 28th of July, our second child, James Edson, was born.” Testimonies for the Church 1:87. The Whites were normal parents in their love and care for their children. It was a heartbreaking experience for them to have to leave the little ones behind in order to meet the numerous appointments with the groups of believers. When James Edson was about seven months old, James White wrote to the Hastings, who were among their closest friends, “Ellen is well. She would write if she could, but has not time. She has some writing of her visions to do, and bub is teething, and is troublesome.” James White Letter, January 10, 1850, Record Book 1, p. 53. Ellen herself wrote, some time later, “Babe is cutting teeth and it takes nearly all of my time to take care of him just now.” Ellen G. White Letter 18, 1850. On one occasion, after an extended absence from home, she noted an incident which gives an insight into her feelings. “My little one is with me; he knew me when I got home. I had been gone from him two months. He first looked at me, then flung his little arms around my neck.” Ellen G. White Letter 8, 1850.APAY 212.3

During these early years messages were sent by Ellen White to the still unorganized advent believers in the form of broadsides, individual letters, and articles in The Present Truth. No book of messages had yet been published. The first book, a small one of sixty-four pages, was issued in 1851 under the title, A Sketch of the Christian Experience and Views of Ellen G. White. The “views” referred to the visions that had been given to her. This book now forms the first part of Early Writings. Four years later, the first of a long series of pamphlets, entitled Testimony for the Church, came from the press. In due time these were gathered, republished, and eventually reached their present form in the nine volumes of the Testimonies for the Church.APAY 213.1

James and Ellen White moved frequently from place to place. During the first years they went out from Gorham, Portland, and Topsham, in Maine. Then three months were spent at Rocky Hill, Connecticut, and six at Oswego, New York. From there they moved to Auburn, New York, for a short stay, and on to Paris, Maine, and Saratoga Springs, New York, and finally to Rochester, New York, where they carried on their publishing venture for three years. In 1855, they moved to Battle Creek, Michigan, where the publishing office remained for forty-eight years. Always their moves were in the interest of the developing work, not because of personal preferences or benefits. Ellen White’s description of some of their activities while living at Rochester seems to be typical of the whole period:APAY 213.2

“From time to time we went out to attend Conferences in different parts of the field. My husband preached, sold books, and labored to extend the circulation of the paper. We traveled by private conveyance, and stopped at noon to feed our horse by the roadside, and to eat our lunch. Then with paper and pencil, on the cover of our dinner box or the top of his hat, my husband wrote articles for the Review and Instructor. The Lord greatly blessed our labors, and the truth affected many hearts.” Testimonies for the Church 1:91.APAY 214.1

The move to Battle Creek was a landmark in the development of the advent movement. For the first time permanent headquarters were established. A building was erected for the publishing house, and counsel and financial support were pledged. Believers in the town helped the Whites get land and build a house, and Battle Creek was home for the couple for the next seventeen years. Thus the publishing work, started in fulfillment of the commission given through the vision, became established at the center of the growing work. Later the publishing project was incorporated and became the denomination’s first legal body on May 3, 1861.APAY 214.2

Since the center of the work was now in Michigan, it was possible for the Whites to give more attention to the work in the Middle West. Their preaching tours took them to Illinois, Iowa, and Ohio. It was during a trip through Ohio in 1858 that the vision regarding the great controversy between Christ and Satan was given. The little book written as a result marked the beginning of what was to develop into the five volumes of the Conflict of the Ages Series.APAY 214.3