Major Cornelius White, pastor and administrator in the Pacific Union since 1948, passed away Dec. 18 after a long battle with cancer. A memorial service was held in the White Memorial Church on Monday, Dec. 27.

White worked his entire 43-year ministerial career in the Pacific Union, serving in several conferences before working 20 years in the Pacific Union headquarters, eight years as associate secretary and 12 years as executive secretary.

White was born in 1926 in Muskogee, Okla. Both his parents were Seventh-day Adventists. In 1939, White's family moved to California and settled on a cotton ranch near a little place called Red Top, between Chowchilla and Dos Palos in the San Joaquin Valley.

In an autobiographical sketch White wrote when he retired in 1991, he recalled: "Upon arriving in California, living in the country, and being without a car, we wondered where we would find a Seventh-day Adventist church. You can imagine how surprised we were to discover that the little white church located about a half-mile from where we lived was a Seventh-day Adventist church. We knew it was providential. It didn't matter to us that is was a German church. For several months we attended Sabbath school, church services and prayer meeting regularly and the only word we understood was 'amen.' We finally started an English-speaking Sabbath school class."

This experience, and the church they settled in next, may have laid the foundation for White's lifelong commitment to diversity in the church. He continues: "During the latter part of 1940, our five families [his and four other families of relatives that had moved together from Oklahoma] applied for membership in the Chowchilla church about 11 miles away. It was also made up of German families, but all services were conducted in English. The membership warmly accepted us into their fellowship and our memberships were transferred from Oklahoma. The Chowchilla experience was such a beautiful one that we still consider that church as our home church in California."

In 1942, White's family moved to Los Angeles, where he graduated from Lynwood Academy in 1944. He graduated from Pacific Union College in 1948, and immediately entered the ministry as pastor of the 19-member church in Tucson, Ariz.

In Tucson, he met and married Rue Pearl Haynes. In 1951, the Whites moved to the Northern California Conference where White pastored the Beacon Light church in Richmond for more than 10 years, and the Market and E Street church in Stockton for seven years. Next, he pastored the Miramonte church in Los Angeles for two years, followed by one year as director of lay activities and inner city ministry for one year.

In 1971, White was elected associate secretary of the Pacific Union. He was elected executive secretary in 1979, a position he held till he retired. After retirement, he served as interim pastor of the Miramonte church.

White concluded his retirement speech in 1991 with these words: "Rue Pearl, our children and I consider it the greatest privilege God could give us to have had the opportunity to serve the constituents of the Pacific Union Conference for these 43 years. I enjoyed every day of every year. Thanks to God and to you, our members, for so enriching our lives."

White is survived by his wife, three sons — Marvin, Maurice and Major, Jr. — and grandchildren. Cards and condolences may be sent to Mrs. Rue Pearl White and Family, in care of Southern California Conference, Box 969, Glendale, CA 91209-0969.