120 Years of Selling Truth

Editorial by Paul Glenn

I once heard a customer state, “Paul’s worked at the Adventist Book Center (ABC) since nearly the beginning of time.” The ABC, indeed, was established in the Columbia Union Conference 120 years ago, but to set the record straight, I was only employed for 45 years—mostly at the Potomac ABC in Takoma Park, Md., and in its current LivingWell store in Silver Spring, Md.

The ABC was first known as The Tract Society, established in the Takoma Park/Washington, D.C., area. The name was later changed to the Book and Bible House, located close to the Takoma Park church. In 1961, the Potomac ABC building was constructed at 8400 Carroll Avenue in Takoma Park, until it moved to 12004 Cherry Hill Road in 2000.

One reason the store transitioned to its current location was to provide more space for shoppers and parking. Case in point, April 28, 1995, Rosa Parks (pictured above, far right) graced an author event on Carroll Avenue. Referred to as the “mother of the civil rights movement,” estimates show that 3,000 to 5,000 customers visited the ABC that day. The line snaked inside the store, out the door, and behind the next building.

Books Are My Life

In my 45 years of ministering at the ABC, I have encountered many interesting customers and have experienced countless, beautiful moments, like when a minister from a Sunday-worshipping denomination emphatically told me that Ellen White books were for all people, not just Adventists. Or when the lady who bought The Conflict of the Agesseries enjoyed it so much because now she was more informed than her other Bible study group members. Or when a former Lutheran (now Adventist) told me that her Lutheran pastor used Steps to Christ for her confirmation class because the pastor believed it was the best book to introduce people to Jesus. Or when James E. Johnson, author of his autobiography, Beyond Defeat, and his wife, Juanita, converted to Adventism after several Divine appointments that began with them meeting me. Later, the Pacific Press Publishing Association republished Johnson’s book, adding a “conversion story” chapter to it.

One particular story will always stick with me. A large Baptist church needed several hundred pew Bibles for their church. To meet their specifications and price range, the best solution was a New King James Version Bible. The only “problem” was that the Bible included Adventist “study helps” in the back. 

“No one reads the study helps, so it’s not an issue,” the Baptist leaders said. 

I beg to differ. As a result of those study helps, I hope and believe at least one person has learned of our distinct Adventist message.

A Book Can Change One’s Life

Regardless of the name or location of the store, for the past 120 years, dedicated staff has shown God’s love through inspirational gifts, healthful foods and Christian books—including many Adventist-authored ones not found in most Christian bookstores.

Charlie Jones, author of Life Is Tremendous, states, “You will be the same in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” I, too, strongly believe in the power of a good book. Tap into that power. Tap into your Adventist heritage. Then pay it forward. A shared book may make all the difference in someone else’s life or spirituality.

Paul Glenn, who retired in 2017, served as assistant manager, branch manager, associate manager and buyer for the Adventist Book Center.

Take a road trip with historians Michael Campbell, North American Division director of Archives, Statistics, and Research, and Phillip Warfield, a Ph.D. candidate studying United States 20th Century History at Howard University (D.C.), as they introduce—or for some, reintroduce—several interesting and exciting Adventist spots you and your family can visit this summer. So, grab your hiking boots and sunscreen because we’re off!

Find more details and history in our online articles!

• Ellen White Stayed Here in 1905 (Washington, D.C.)
• George Washington Likely Stayed Here (Pine Forge, Pa.)
• Where the Great Controversy Vision Took Place (Bowling Green, Ohio)
• First Adventist Church in Washington, D.C.
• What Was The People's Church? (Washington, D.C.)
• Where Is the Oldest Adventist Building Still in Use? (Ford, Va.)
• Where the Great Controversy Vision Took Place (Bowling Green, Ohio)
• What Happened to Lucy Byard (And Why is it Important to Adventism?)
• Which Adventists are Buried in Rock Creek Cemetery? (Washington, D.C.)
• Why Did the General Conference Move to Takoma Park?