Farewell Event for Merlin Burt

Merlin Burt, current director of the Center for Adventist Research and professor of church history at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, is leaving Andrews University to serve as the director of the Ellen G. White Estate.

Merlin Burt was born into a pastor’s family. He attended school in southern California and in Texas, graduating from Loma Linda University with a degree in respiratory therapy, and from Southwestern Adventist University with a Bachelor of Theology. He served briefly in this area before feeling the call into gospel ministry. He served as a pastor in California and Ohio with his last pastoral assignment at a church in Cincinnati, Ohio. While in Ohio, he worked with the conference leadership in the proper preservation of the conference historical records.

He earned an MDiv from Andrews University. While in the Seminary, he worked as a student in the Ellen G. White Estate Branch Office at Andrews.

In 1993, he moved to Loma Linda University and became the chair of Archives and Special Collections and director of the Ellen G. White Estate Branch Office. He also taught in the School of Religion. He served there for 10 years.

Merlin received his PhD from the Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary in May 2003. His dissertation is titled "The historical background, interconnected development and integration of the doctrines of the sanctuary, the Sabbath, and Ellen G. White's role in Sabbatarian Adventism from 1844 to 1849."

In November 2003, he arrived at Andrews University as the director of the Center for Adventist Research and director of the White Estate Branch Office. He worked to fully integrate the Branch Office with the Adventist Heritage Center. Additionally, he served as a professor of church history at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. During this time, he served as one of the three key organizers of the Adventist Digital Library and served as the administrative leader. He traveled extensively throughout the world speaking on topics usually associated with Adventist history and Ellen White. In 2020, the first cohort of teachers began classes in a new certification program Burt designed to enhance the knowledge and ability of teachers of Adventist history and Ellen White at denominational tertiary institutions around the world.

In September 2020, he will become the director of the Ellen G. White Estate at the General Conference in Maryland.  

Burt has published numerous articles and chapters and has served variously as a speaker, editor and organizer of various conferences and symposiums. He is author of "Adventist Historical Places: New York and New England;" is in the process of writing a textbook on the development of Seventh-day Adventist theology; and is editor of "Understanding Ellen White," a book published by Pacific Press for the Ellen G. White Estate on Ellen White Issues.

Merlin and Sarah, his wife of 41 years, have three grown children, two sons and a daughter.They also have four grandchildren and one in utero. His hobbies include collecting Adventist-related materials and woodworking. His passion is for Seventh-day Adventists to connect God’s leading in the past to a personal living Christian experience.

A Google folder has been created as a place for you to share your memories, images and appreciation for his service. Please use this link to upload a message of congratulation and appreciation.

Please register for this event at https://andrews.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYkdOCprz0rHN2plJmJASRFYY7sVT5bl7O4