View source for Biography:James Springer White

{{short description|Co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church}}
{{Other people|James White}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| image     = James White (1864).jpg
| image_size     = 
| caption  = James White
| birth_place =  Palmyra, Maine
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1881|8|6|1821|8|4|mf=y}}
| death_place = Battle Creek Sanitarium, Battle Creek, MI
| occupation  = President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists<br />Author<br />Teacher<br />Preacher<br />Co-founder adventist movement
| spouse      = [[Biography:Ellen G. White|Ellen G. White]]
| children    =  Henry Nichols <br/> James Edson White <br/> William C. White <br/> John Herbert 
}}
'''James Springer White''' (August 4, 1821 – August 6, 1881), also known as '''Elder White''', was a co-founder of the [[Religion:Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventist Church]] and husband of [[Biography:Ellen G. White|Ellen G. White]]. In 1849 he started the first Sabbatarian Adventist periodical entitled ''The Present Truth'', in 1855 he relocated the fledgling center of the movement to Battle Creek, Michigan, and in 1863 played a pivotal role in the formal organization of the denomination. He later played a major role in the development of the Adventist educational structure beginning in 1874 with the formation of [[Organization:Andrews University|Battle Creek College]].

== Early life ==

James White was born on August 4, 1821, in the town of Palmyra, Maine. The fifth of nine children, James was a sickly child who suffered fits and seizures. Poor eyesight prevented him from obtaining much education and he was required to work on the family farm. At age 19 his eyesight improved and he enrolled at a local academy. He earned a teaching certificate in the common branches and briefly taught at an elementary school. He was baptized into the Christian Connexion at age 15. He learned of the Millerite message from his parents and after hearing powerful preaching at an advent camp meeting in Exeter, Maine, White decided to leave teaching and become a preacher. Consequently, he has ordained a minister of the Christian Connexion in 1843. White was a powerful preacher, and it is recorded that during the winter of 1843, 1,000 people accepted the Millerite message owing to his preaching. At times, however, White was met with angry mobs who hurled snowballs at him.<ref>{{cite book | title = Light Bearers |author1=Schwarz, Richard W.  |author2=Greenleaf, Floyd | edition = Revised | orig-year = 1979 | year = 2000 | publisher = General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Department of Education | location = Silver Spring, Maryland | ISBN = 0-8163-1795-X | pages = 43|chapter = The Millerite Movement – 1839–1844}}</ref> During these early travels he met Ellen G. Harmon whom he married on August 30, 1846. James White and [[Biography:Ellen G. White|Ellen G. White]] had four boys, Henry Nichols (1847–1863), James Edson (1849–1928), William Clarence (1854–1937) and John Herbert (1860–1860).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tomclough.com/p1570.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051103152506/http://www.tomclough.com/p1570.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2005-11-03 |title=Person Page 1570 |access-date=2006-04-28 }}</ref>

== Adventist service ==

[[File:Historic_Adventist_Village_-_Home_of_James_and_Ellen_White_(lateral).jpg|240px|left|Historic Adventist Village-Home of James and Ellen White (lateral)|thumb]]
[[File:Oak_Hill_Cemetery_-_James_and_Ellen_White.jpg|240px|right|Oak Hill Cemetery-James and Ellen White|thumb]]
The paper which James White initially started, "The Present Truth", was combined with another periodical called the "Advent Review" in 1850 to become the "Second Advent Review and Sabbath Herald", still published as the "Adventist Review" today.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia | title = Adventist Review | encyclopedia = Seventh-Day Adventist Encyclopedia | pages = 25–29 | publisher = Review & Herald Pub. Assn. }}</ref> This periodical became the main source of communication for the Sabbatarian Adventist movement regarding points of doctrine and organization. It also became a venue for James and Ellen White to quickly and efficiently share their views to like-minded believers. James White served as editor of the periodical until 1851 when he invited Uriah Smith to become editor. He played a senior role in the management of church publications as president of the Review and Herald Publishing Association. He also served on several occasions as president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.(1865–1867; 1869–1871; 1874–1880).

In 1865 White suffered from a paralytic stroke. White eventually determined that he should retire from the ministry and live out his days gracefully. In 1880, G. I. Butler replaced him as General Conference president. During the summer of 1881, White came down with a fever and was taken to the Battle Creek Sanitarium. Despite the efforts of Dr. Kellogg, White died on August 6, 1881.

== Publications ==
White was a prolific writer and publisher for the Adventists. Some of his most popular publications include:

*''Life Incidents'' (1868). Republished by Andrews University Press with an introduction by Jerry Moon ([https://web.archive.org/web/20090226125812/http://www.andrews.edu/universitypress/catalog.cgi?key=168 publisher's page])
*''Word to the Little Flock'', 1847 Pamphlet
*''Signs of the Times'', 1853
*''Life Incidents'', 1868 Steam Press
*''Selections from Life Incidents'', 1868 Steam Press
*''A Solemn Appeal Relative to Solitary Vice, and the Abuses and Excesses in Marriage Relation'', 1870 Steam Press
*''Sermons on The Coming and Kingdom of Our Lord Jesus Christ'', 1870 Steam Press
*''Sketches of the Christian Life and Public Labors of William Miller'', 1875 Steam Press
*''The Sounding of the Seven Trumpets of Revelation 8 & 9'', 1875 Steam Press
*''The Second Coming of Christ, Matthew 24'', 1876
*''Early Life & Experiences of Joseph Bates'', 1877 Steam Press
*''Biblical Institute'', 1878 Steam Press
*''Life Sketches'', 1880 Steam Press

==See also==
* General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
* [[Religion:Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventist Church]]
* [[Biography:Ellen G. White|Ellen G. White]]
* Adventist Review
* [[Religion:Adventism|Adventist]]
* [[Medicine:Adventist Health Studies|Adventist Health Studies]]
* [[Biography:Seventh-day Adventist Church Pioneers|Seventh-day Adventist Church Pioneers]]
* [[Religion:Seventh-day Adventist eschatology|Seventh-day Adventist eschatology]]
* Seventh-day Adventist theology
* Seventh-day Adventist worship
*Millerites
* History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
* Teachings of Ellen White
* Inspiration of Ellen White
* [[Unsolved:Prophecy in the Seventh-day Adventist Church|Prophecy in the Seventh-day Adventist Church]]
* The Pillars of Adventism
* Second Advent
* Historicism
* Sabbath in Seventh-day Adventism

== References ==
{{reflist}}

=== Resources ===
* Gerald Wheeler. ''James White: Innovator and Overcomer''. Review and Herald, 2003

==External links==
* [http://www.whiteestate.org/pathways/jwhite.asp Biography on www.whiteestate.org]
* [http://www.whiteestate.org/about/egwbio.asp#marriage Marriage to Ellen G. White]
* [http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=moa;idno=AJK1999.0001.001 ''Life Incidents'' at Making of America]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060718085649/http://www.adventistarchives.org/DocArchives.asp Adventist Archives] – Contains many articles written by James White
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080421050822/http://www.presentdaytruth.com/books/present-truth/index.php Original "The Present Truth" Articles] – Published by James White, known later as the ''Advent Review''

{{s-start}}
{{succession box
|title   = President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
|before  = John Byington 
|after   = J. N. Andrews
|years   = 1865–1867
}}
{{succession box
  | title  = President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
  | before = J. N. Andrews 
  | after  = G. I. Butler
  | years  = 1869–1871
}}
{{succession box
  | title  = President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
  | before = G. I. Butler 
  | after  = G. I. Butler
  | years  = 1874–1880
}}
{{succession box
  | title  = Editor of the ''Adventist Review''
  | before = (Founder)
  | after  = Uriah Smith
  | years  = 1851–1855}}
{{succession box
  | title  = Editor of the ''Adventist Review''
  | before = Uriah Smith
  | after  = Uriah Smith
  | years  = 1861–1864}}
{{succession box
  | title  = Editor of the ''Adventist Review''
  | before = Uriah Smith
  | after  = Uriah Smith
  | years  = 1871–1872}}
{{succession box
  | title  = Editor of the ''Adventist Review''
  | before = Uriah Smith
  | after  = Uriah Smith
  | years  = 1873–1877}}
{{succession box
  | title  = Editor of the ''Adventist Review''
  | before = Uriah Smith
  | after  = Uriah Smith
  | years  = 1880–1881}}
{{s-end}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:White, James Springer}}
[[Category:Founders of religions]]

{{Sourceattribution|James Springer White|1}}