When you walk into any one of the many Adventist Book Center (ABC) locations, chances are you’ll be greeted by pleasant gospel music in the background, friendly employees, and row after row of Christian books, movies, Bibles, study guides, kids’ games, and more.
This may sound similar to other Christian bookstores you’ve been to. So what makes Adventist Book Centers different? Here’s some background information about why we Adventists are so fond of our ABCs.
The story begins just over a decade after the Seventh-day Adventist Church was organized.
How did Adventist Book Centers start?
The Christian bookstores that became nicknamed “ABCs” had their humble beginnings in 1874. The still-young Seventh-day Adventist Church was active in sharing its newfound scriptural truths and formed several “tract and missionary societies” to hand out evangelistic literature.
As the literature collection grew, these tract societies established Adventist bookstores, since both material and demand were steadily increasing. Back then, they called them “Book and Bible Houses.” By 1972, they were referred to as Adventist Book Centers.
At first, the Southern Publishing Association was appointed to oversee the collective efforts of ABCs. Eventually, the larger Pacific Press Publishing Association took on the responsibility and still manages all ABC stores in the United States. Since then ABCs and other Adventist-owned bookstores have been established throughout the world.1
Their mission?
To spread the Advent message of Jesus’ second coming. And to make this message of hope accessible to as many people as possible, they produced Christian literature, music, church resources, videos…and the list continually grows.
What do they sell at the ABC?
The ABCs’ goal is to be a one-stop shop for Christian media, as well as gifts, games, toys, and other popular items, but with a Christian message and emphasis.
Photo by Heather Ford on Unsplash
Some of the highest-selling items are:
- Bibles (multiple translations available)
- Devotionals
- Christian testimonies and autobiographies
- Bible study guides
- Sabbath school lessons
- Vegetarian cookbooks
- Guidebooks to healthy living
- Christian music, movies, and documentaries
- Supplemental Bible study materials (journals, pens, highlighters, flashcards, bookmarks, etc.)
- Biographies of Christian & historical figures
- Christian fiction (based on historical or biblical events)
- Books by Adventist Church co-founder, Ellen White
- Christian decor and gifts (posters, mugs, pens, and notebooks)
- And…food!
Yes, food! Many Adventist Book Centers carry vegetarian or other health food products, such as soy curls.
As far as the book selection goes, contemporary Christian authors may be featured alongside numerous books from the two major Adventist publishing companies, Pacific Press and the Review & Herald. You can find books dedicated to each major age group, and different language translations are available for some of the more popular titles.
And if you can’t find what you’re looking for in the store, some Adventist Book Centers in Africa have websites for making online orders. For example, the Adventist Book Center in Nairobi provides a link to a website with more resources available in Kenya.
If you live close to an ABC, stop on in!
The Adventist Book Center is meant to be a resource for your Bible study and Christian media needs. Find things for yourself or your family, or if you’re interested in sharing with your friends and neighbors, there are items to help with that, too.
This isn’t just another Christian bookstore. The staff are eager to help and are well-versed in matching a resource with whatever you’ve come in looking for. They can also help you get connected with a local church and provide information about other ministries and services that might be helpful.
Many major towns in Kenya have Adventist Book Centers. Since many of them don’t have websites, a quick search on Google Maps will bring up the ones nearest to you and provide you with contact information.
Other countries in Africa may have Adventist bookstores or publishing houses by other names. Visit the Adventist directory for more information.
If you’re interested in ordering books from the Adventist Book Center website, it offers information about international orders too.
Related Articles
- “Directory,” AdventistBookCenter.com. [↵]
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Didn’t find your answer? Ask us!
We understand your concern of having questions but not knowing who to ask—we’ve felt it ourselves. When you’re ready to learn more about Adventists, send us a question! We know a thing or two about Adventists.