Fifty Years of Faithful Preservation

The Ellen G. White/SDA Research Centre at Avondale University celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of its opening on May 22, 2026. Merlin Burt, White Estate director at the General Conference, along with associate directors Ted Levterov, Dwain Esmond, and Darryl Thompson, attended the celebration. The Legacy Maker Symposium was held concurrently, focusing on the legacy of Ellen White today.

In 1972 the Ellen G. White Estate, in partnership with the General Conference, established research centers in different parts of the world. The center at Avondale College was described as the “fourth such outreach of the Ellen G. White Estate.”[1] The research centers were designed to hold copies of Ellen White’s manuscripts, along with denominational publications, especially those out of print. They also housed the White Estate’s documents, question-and-answer files, and copies of some of Ellen White’s letters.

The action to establish the research center at Avondale was taken on December 17, 1974, when the Australasian Division Executive Committee set up a subcommittee to “give study to the establishment of the E. G. White Research Centre at Avondale College.”[2] That action prompted discussions with the Ellen G. White Estate main office at the General Conference and led to arrangements for the provision of resources. Hedwig (Hedy) Jemison, secretary and later associate director of the White Estate branch office at Andrews University, spent about three weeks organizing the materials in preparation for the opening. These included some 2,500 documents copied from the White Estate branch office, the question-and-answer files, and various church publications.[3] Altogether, these materials weighed two tons and arrived in Sydney in November 1975.

The center at Avondale opened on February 22, 1976, with Arthur Patrick as its inaugural director. Paul Gordon, associate secretary of the White Estate at the time, cut the ribbon at the opening.

The 1970s were a turbulent time in Adventist history, with disputes over righteousness by faith among the most contentious. The opening of the center made resources available for research that had not previously been easily accessible. In the South Pacific context, these resources proved invaluable to church members and leaders alike.

The research center has continued to serve the church in the South Pacific Division by sharing Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture and emphasized in Ellen White’s prophetic ministry.

The “aims and objectives” of the center included providing “a research tool for our Avondale students” and a “facility” for “serious students.”[4] It was envisioned that the center would stimulate “interest in the early history of the church in Australasia.”[5] But the “supreme value of the center” was to “establish confidence in the great truth . . . that the Lord has raised up a prophet in the remnant church,” something expected in “God’s last-day church.”[6]

Through the Years

In 1984 Arthur Patrick was replaced as director by Eleanor Scale, the administrative assistant at that time. Patrick subsequently became Avondale’s academic registrar. Following Scale’s retirement, Allan Lindsay assumed the directorship. He was already well known for completing the Keepers of the Flame video series, which explored the Adventist understanding of church history and prophecy. Lindsay was succeeded by Lester Devine, whose background was in education, and later by John Skrzypaszek, who holds the distinction of being the longest-serving director. In July 2020 Mark Pearce became the current director. With the exception of Patrick, each director has served in the role until retirement.

Originally the center was housed on the ground floor of Avondale’s library complex, facing Watson Hall, the men’s residence. As the collections increased, space became inadequate. With the major expansion of Avondale’s library in 1998, the center moved to the western side of the library. This allowed for further expansion of the collection, much of which occurred under the leadership of John Skrzypaszek.

From its beginnings until today, the research center has continued to serve the church in the South Pacific Division by sharing Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture and emphasized in Ellen White’s prophetic ministry. It supports the education of students preparing for service, whether in ministry or in teaching, nursing, chaplaincy, or counseling. Above all, it promotes a balanced understanding of the role of Ellen White’s prophetic gift and a positive appreciation of her writings in the twenty-first century.

A major function of the research centers has been to answer questions about Ellen White and her ministry. In the early years most inquiries came by surface mail. As technology advanced—from CD-ROM in the late 1980s to the internet—the number of direct inquiries has decreased because Ellen White’s writings are now accessible online.

Furthermore, long-serving administrative assistant Marian de Berg used her familiarity with the center’s resources, particularly Ellen White’s personal letters, to write Stories From Sunnyside.[7] The book opened a window into Ellen White’s personal life in Australia, showing how she interacted with the local community in which she lived and worked. It demonstrates that her faith was not merely theoretical, but lived, practical, and vibrant.

The research center continues to foster a positive and balanced understanding of Ellen White’s writings and her contribution to the church, especially in the South Pacific. It will no doubt continue this work until Jesus, about whom Ellen White so eloquently wrote, returns.

[1] Alfred S. Jorgensen, “The Ellen G. White S.D.A. Research Centre,” Australasian Record, May 3, 1976, p. 8. This was before a distinction was made between branch offices and research centers.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Milton Hook, “U.S. Research Worker in Australasia,” Australasian Record, Feb. 16, 1976, p. 1.

[4] Jorgensen, p. 9.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Marian de Berg, Stories From Sunnyside: Ellen White in Australia, 1891-1900 (Warburton, Victoria: Signs Publishing, 2017).