Pastoral Ministry

Chapter 7—Filing System

The importance of a filing system to any speaker or writer is best demonstrated, not by what Mrs. White said about it, but by what she did about it. The following three quotations were not written by her, but taken from her biography. The first two were written by her son, W. C. White, the third by her grandson, Arthur White. PaM 51.1

Ellen White's writings were filed and indexed during her Australian years—For some months Sister Peck has devoted a portion of her time to sorting, filing, reading, and indexing all of Mother's manuscripts within our reach, and Mother has been looking over her old diaries and manuscripts that were never copied on the typewriter. In these she finds many precious things that are being copied, filed, and indexed with the rest.—Ellen G. White: The Australian Years, 451. PaM 51.2

Ellen White was dependent on her files in her ministry to the church—As we find new material from the file and add to the chapters that have already been prepared and passed upon, and reread these amplified portions to her, she seems to enjoy going over them anew. This perfecting of the manuscript is slow work, but very interesting; and we are hopeful of the outcome.—Ellen G. White: The Later Elmshaven Years, 419. PaM 51.3

A careful filing system is what makes Ellen White's writings readily available today—First, the typewritten copies of manuscripts and letters brought from America and those produced in Australia were sorted out by years. Then the general manuscripts were separated from the letters. Manuscripts were placed in chronological order and numbered serially. Letters were sorted out alphabetically and then numbered in sequence. These were punched at the top and filed in “Shannon” file drawers. This formed the basic E. G. White manuscript file as it stands today. From that time on, as the materials were copied they were given file numbers. This put the letters in chronological order. The record books started by Miss Peck, while valuable and still used occasionally, have been superseded by more comprehensive records that better serve the work of the White Estate. A subject index was made of the manuscripts and letters on four-by-six-inch cards, which serve today, and copies of which serve in the Berrien Springs, Michigan, branch office and the Ellen G. White SDA Research Centers.—Ellen G. White: The Australian Years, 451. PaM 51.4