Sharing the Gift of Light 2.0

Adventist leaders introduce revamped initiative focused on Ellen G. White’s writings.

April 21, 2025 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

“For the past 20 years we have had wonderful programs that have moved forward in translating and then encouraging the reading and the sharing of Ellen G. White’s writings,” said Merlin Burt, director of the Ellen G. White Estate, on April 8. During the recent Spring Meeting of the General Conference Executive Committee (GC EXCOM) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, Burt and his colleagues detailed some of the features and improvements of the revamped program.

After several successive initiatives, the Adventist Church has been engaged in the 2020-2025 plan titled “Giving the Light,” Burt reminded GC EXCOM members. He then shared that in the upcoming quinquennium (July 2025-July 2030), the plan has been titled “Giving the Light 2.0.” “With each of these successive plans we have a more focused, and a broader, and an intentional approach to how we move forward translating, making available, and reading Ellen White’s writings,” Burt said. “And I want to praise God for how much has happened up to this point.”

Burt added that Ellen White herself “was very intentional about the importance of her writings being translated into other languages.” In fact, Burt shared, beginning in 1889 she devoted her royalties entirely to translation. “God used that to jump-start the translation work during her lifetime, and we can praise God for that prophetic guidance, which still leads us today.”

Regarding the current plan to increase translation and distribution, Burt reminded GC EXCOM members that the funds for the initiative were already allocated last year. “We are looking forward to a very successful plan and strong engagement from each of our [world church] divisions and territories as we try to share the gift of light, the precious prophetic messages God has given us through the writings of Ellen White.”

Details of the Translation Project

Michael Sokupa, associate director of the White Estate and member of the Spirit of Prophecy Committee, reviewed some of the past accomplishment in the area. Years ago a first translation plan included 12 books, he said, which later increased to 16 in 63 languages, reported Sokupa, who is the liaison to the book translation initiative.

Sokupa then shared some details of the revamped plan for 2025-2030. “The new plan aims to translate 83 books into six major languages,” he shared. The six languages include Chinese, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swahili. All translations will be made available in print and digital formats, a booklet GC EXCOM members received explained, but online books must include the latest translation of the books in each language.

He also shared that the plan includes translating another 35 books into nine secondary languages, including German, Hindi, Indonesian, Kinyarwanda, Korean, Malagasy, Romanian, Tagalog, and Ukrainian. The plan also contemplates translating 16 “core books” into another 54 languages, Sokupa reported, making them accessible in print and online. Among those 54 languages are Burmese, Farsi, Latvian, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, and Zulu.

Finally, Sokupa shared, “Sharing the Gift of Light 2.0” will aim to translate up to three of Ellen G. White’s books into 352 languages and make them available in print and online. The three books chosen for this initiative include Steps to Christ, The Great Controversy, and The Desire of Ages, the accompanying booklet specified. Among the languages listed are Albanian, Guarani, Hebrew, Kyrgyz, Nepali, Quechua, and Uyghur.

“This plan has a very strong mission focus,” Sokupa said. “We would like to reach as many mission areas as possible with at least three of Ellen G. White’s [works], so people can have at least some exposure to Ellen G. White’s writings and be able to read them in their own language of preference.” He added, “For some, it is the only language they can access.”

“Sharing the Gift of Light 2.0” also includes translating up to four Spirit of Prophecy educational resources into both major and secondary languages, including Woman of Vision, Understanding Ellen White, The Gift of Prophecy in Scripture and History, and a new Ellen G. White textbook still unpublished.

“The ultimate goal is for many more people to be able to read and study Ellen G. White’s writings in their own language and thus strengthen the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church,” Sokupa said. “It is our prayer that many people will connect to the Bible and come to know Jesus, who is the Morning Star who gives light to our hearts.”

The motion to record the translation plan of the Spirit of Prophecy Committee for 2025-2030, as presented, passed, 149 to 1.