James and Ellen White

James S. and Ellen G. White were among the founders of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which was organized in Battle Creek in 1863. Long participants in the Adventist movement, they came to Battle Creek in 1855 when the Adventist press was moved there. James served as minister, author, editor and General Conference president. Ellen, a prophetess, reportedly experienced over two thousand visions. Married in New England in 1846, both were involved in the founding of publishing, medical and educational institutions. After James’s death in 1881, Ellen traveled to organize Adventist churches in Europe, Australia, and the American South and West. She is widely known for her writings on health, education, family life, and the Bible and is one of the most translated American authors. She died in 1915.