For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21 ESV).
To discover how church members around the world currently view Ellen G. White, the Global Church Member Survey asked participants how much they agreed with the Church’s belief that Ellen White’s writings are the result of the spiritual gift of prophecy.
Beliefs About Ellen White’s writings as the Result of the Spiritual Gift of Prophecy
In 2018, 1% strongly disagreed, 0.8% disagreed, 6.4% were not sure, 23.2% agreed, and 68.5% strongly agreed that Ellen G. White’s writings are the result of the spirit of prophecy. The numbers were similar in 2023: 1.2% strongly disagreed, 1.1% disagreed, 5.2% were not sure, 23.7% agreed, and 68.8% strongly agreed.
Members were asked whether they accepted the Adventist teaching that Ellen G. White was a prophet.
Beliefs in Ellen G. White as a Prophet
In 2018, 2.2% did not accept it, 2.6% had major doubts, 5.6% had some questions, 17.4% said they accepted it because the Church teaches it, and 72.3% embraced it wholeheartedly. In 2023, 2.5% did not accept it, 2.1% had major doubts, 5.7% had some questions, 19.9% accepted it because the Church teaches it, and 69.7% embraced it wholeheartedly. The percentage of people who wholeheartedly believe that Ellen G. White was a prophet dropped in just five years from 72.3% in 2018 to 69.7% in 2023.
Broken down by division, when asked whether Ellen White’s writings were the result of prophecy, in 2018, the highest level of agreement came from the East-Central Africa Division at 75.3%, and the highest level of disagreement came from the Inter-American Division at 1.6% (still very low). In 2023, the highest level of agreement came from the Inter-American Division at 81.7%, and the lowest came from the Chinese Union Mission at 3.1%.
The survey asked members whether they were able to access Ellen G. White’s books in their own language.
Access to Ellen G. White Books in Various Languages
In 2018, 48.9% of the church members who completed the survey said they could always access the books in their own language; 17.8% said yes for some books, but not always for others; 16.5% said only sometimes; 14.6% said not at all; and 2.2% said they did not know who Ellen G. White was.
The 2023 survey added another possible response to the questionnaire, so the answers cannot be directly compared to 2018. In 2023, 55.1% answered that they could always access Ellen G. White books in their own language; 19.9% said yes for some books, but not always for others; 11.7% said only sometimes; 6.5% said not at all; 5.7% said they had not tried to access books by Ellen G. White; and 1.1% said they did not know who Ellen G. White was.
When asked whether Ellen White was a prophet, the highest levels of acceptance in 2018 were in the Euro-Asia Division at 81.5%, while the West-Central Africa Division had the highest levels of non-acceptance at 7.3%. In 2023, the Inter-American Division had the highest levels of acceptance at 84.7%, while the West-Central Africa Division still had the highest levels of non-acceptance, although it had decreased to 4.9%.
Finally, when asked whether they could access Ellen White’s writings, in 2018, the North American Division had the highest access at 92.5% and the West-Central Africa Division the lowest at 16.9%. The Southern Asia Division had the highest percentage of members who did not know who Ellen White was at 4.7%
In 2023, the North American Division still had the highest access at 83.9%, while the lowest was the Southern Asia-Pacific Division at 29.4%. The Southern Asia-Pacific Division also had the highest percentage of members who did not know who Ellen White was at 3.3%.
Conclusion
The Global Church Member Survey results reveal a generally strong affirmation of Ellen G. White’s prophetic role and the spiritual value of her writings among Seventh-day Adventists worldwide. While the overall levels of agreement remain high, slight shifts over the years—particularly in wholehearted acceptance—invite further reflection and engagement. In addition, disparities in access to her writings and familiarity with her identity across regions underscore the importance of continued efforts in translation, distribution, and education. As the Church moves forward, understanding and nurturing this foundational aspect of Adventist identity will remain essential.
You can access the full report for 2018 and 2023.
Created in collaboration with the Institute of Church Ministry.
Published by ASTR on 6/17/2025.