On Sabbath, August 17, 2024, the Pacific Press Publishing Association celebrated its 150th anniversary in an auditorium at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho. The program, themed “Proclaiming God’s Love for 150 Years,” drew 300 past and present Pacific Press workers and supporters to celebrate the press’s enduring mission of uplifting Christ through literature, media, and music.

Presenters highlighted the press’s resilience through trials, including, in 1906, damage from a 7.9-magnitude earthquake and destruction from a fire two months later. The dedicated staff quickly rebuilt and never missed a weekly issue of Signs of the Times, their flagship publication, even producing three special editions linking the earthquake to Jesus’ imminent return. 

Keynote speakers Ted N.D. Wilson, president of the General Conference (GC), and G. Alexander Bryant, president of the North American Division (NAD), encouraged a similar boldness among believers today. Weaved throughout the program were musical renditions by Chapel Records’ Christian Edition Men’s Chorus and Terry and Perry Mace of the Heritage Singers. 

Nampa mayor Debbie Kling expressed appreciation for the press, which made Nampa its home in 1984. Referencing Isaiah 52:7, she said, “Think about the news of the gospel that’s been spread [by] the Pacific Press for 150 years, 40 in Nampa. We are grateful for you.”

Local church member Thelma Stubbs, who first encountered Pacific Press publications in her native Jamaica, was among the receptive crowd. “Pacific Press has been part of our history forever. When I saw the announcement, I said, ‘I will not miss this,’” Stubbs asserted. 

Pacific Press: Part of Adventist History

A video spanning 150 years, along with in-person reflections, took attendees on a historical journey. Thomas Gott Jr., who built the Nampa facility, lauded the “four heroes” — George Gott (his father), Lowell Bach, Eugene Stiles, and Martin Ytreberg — who championed the press’s move to Nampa to counter rising costs in Oakland.

Adventist historian and educator George Knight recounted Ellen White’s 1848 vision of a regular paper, depicted as “streams of light that went clear around the world.” The Review and Herald Publishing Association arose in 1849, fourteen years before the movement of less than 100 people was officially organized as a church. “It was an impossible prediction, but it moved a people who believed in a God who could do the impossible,” said Knight. 

Charles White, the great-grandson of Ellen and James White, shared his family’s close connection to the press, where his grandfather, father, and a young Charles worked. He fondly remembered worship services, Christmas parties, and camping trips, stating, “[The press] wasn’t just a place to work. It was the hub of our community, the heart of what went on, the center of activity.” 

For White and others, including Jerry Bartlett, who retired after 47 years with the press, the day was a joyful reunion. Bartlett and his wife Teresa had also attended the 100-year reunion. They appreciated seeing familiar faces and found the celebration “so inspiring.”

Merlin Burt, director for the White Estate branch office shared Ellen White’s 1874 vision of establishing a new paper on the Pacific Coast to complement the Review and Herald. It would be the catalyst for “the message [going] in power to all parts of the world, to Oregon, to Europe, Australia, to the islands of the sea, to all nations, tongues, and people.”* At a camp meeting in Yountville, California, 105 believers raised $19,414, or half a million dollars today, to support this vital work.

Pacific Press: A Global Impact and Legacy

The event also recognized Pacific Press’s global impact. In 2014, it became the church’s sole publishing house in North America, operating under the division. The Review and Herald Publishing Association closed its Maryland facility but has maintained its administration and board of directors. Over the years, both organizations laid the foundation for the church’s 62 global publishing houses. 

Stephen Apola, associate director of the GC Publishing department, presented Pacific Press president Dale Galusha with a plaque honoring the press for 150 years of producing “inspiring, educational, and uplifting truth-filled literature.” In a video, GC publishing director Almir Marroni added, “Each publication is more than just ink on paper. It is a vessel of God's word and a source of spiritual nourishment.”

Among several video greetings from the press's global partners, Saul Ortiz, president of the Inter-American Division Publishing Association, praised the press “as an indispensable partner in the translation and dissemination of Adventist literature.” In a surprise appearance, Ortiz and Moises Reyna, Mexican Adventist Publishing House president, also gave Galusha plaques honoring Pacific Press as a global publishing leader.

Inspiration for Today

Finally, Bryant and Wilson explored how the faithfulness of Pacific Press pioneers can inform our mission in 2024. Bryant’s message, “What if We Were Them?” drew parallels between the Adventist pioneers, Christ’s 12 disciples, and the present-day church. He emphasized that despite lacking finances, organizational structure, a strategic plan, or physical facilities, “[the pioneers and disciples] turned the world upside down.” 

Citing The Great Commission, Bryant noted that God often “calls His people to do the impossible,” continuing, “What if we were them?” From the pioneers, he said, we learn that while God’s call to mission is never easy, “if we’re bold and courageous, have innovation and creativity, the Lord will lead us through any challenges.”

Bryant’s testimony highlighted the pioneers’ influence, revealing how the publishing ministry transformed his life and ministry – from reading The Desire of Ages daily as a new convert and Oakwood freshman to selling Adventist books as a young pastor receiving a small stipend, leading to multiple baptisms. 

“What if we were them? How would we meet [today’s] challenges? What sacrificial measures would we make to reach the world with the present truth?” Bryant asked. He continued, “God has impressed me that we are them to our generation. We are them with the messages of the three angels, the love of God, and His soon return.” 

He then charged attendees to use all available tools and technologies, as the pioneers did, “to carry this message to the end of the world [so] Jesus will come.”

In his message, “After 150 Years … The Greatest Anniversary is Yet to Come,” Wilson stressed the significance of Pacific Press’s role in these last days. “Pacific Press, get ready because your most important days are not in the past 150; they are just ahead.” He underscored the “dynamic privilege” for all church members of “be[ing] part of God’s last-day Advent movement, proclaiming life-saving messages to the world.”

Wilson urged those present to deepen their influence through the daily study of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, along with dedicated prayer time. He encouraged participants to share God’s messages through Pacific Press materials, live a sanctified life, uphold core Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, and prepare for “the greatest anniversary reunion,” with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. 

Before the audience became a mass choir, ending the day with a resounding medley of “We Have This Hope” and “Jesus is Coming Again,” Wilson offered a vivid depiction of Jesus’ return. “We’ll look up, see Jesus, and say, this is the God we’ve waited for. He will save us. Jesus will look down and say, well done, good and faithful servants--and may I paraphrase? Well done, good and faithful employees of Pacific Press. Enter in the joy of your Lord.”

Click here to watch the live stream of the event and here to watch the historical video. 

The original version of this story appeared on the North American Division (NAD) website.

* Ellen G. White, Life Sketches of Ellen G. White (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1943), pp. 208, 209.