Paige Phillips Parnell, a former Miss Alabama and first runner-up to Miss America, was living the American dream in Arizona when two Adventist teenagers knocked on her door and gave her a copy of The Great Controversy. She didn’t read the book right away, but put it in a box for later reading. Decades passed. She moved back to Alabama, and at her lowest point, struggling with alcohol addiction, she cried out to Jesus for help. The very next day, she had a desire to clean out the attic, and that’s where she found the old, battered box containing the book given to her by those Adventist teenagers.
Parnell read The Great Controversy from cover to cover. She then shared the truths with her husband, Hayes. They were baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 2018.
When asked how her life changed after becoming an Adventist, Parnell answered with joy, “Well, first God gave me the power to overcome addiction. My diet changed to a healthy one, and we moved to the country where we grow our own food. I stopped wearing jewelry, and now I wear very little makeup. I love the simplicity of this new lifestyle, and being a member of a Church that keeps the commandments of God and has the testimony of Jesus. I’m so thankful for those Adventist teenagers and for Ellen White’s writings.”
The Parnells are members of Floral Crest Church in Bryant, Ala. Their home church has a school, Floral Crest School, which has been in continuous operation since 1905. However, in 2023, Floral Crest School faced the threat of closure due to low enrollment. These problems inspired Parnell to start “Train His Lambs,” a 501(c)3 supporting ministry.
She explained her goal of increasing enrollment in Adventist Church schools. “Numerous church schools have closed in Alabama and Mississippi, and the cost of tuition is the main reason.” The Train His Lambs students earn their tuition scholarships by training in literature evangelism, then going out weekly into the community to distribute copies of The Great Controversy. Since we began providing these tuition assistance scholarships in 2023, enrollment has doubled in 2025. In only two years, we’ve seen amazing results. Praise the Lord!”
In March 2025, Train His Lambs partnered with Streams of Light, a supporting ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, dedicated to proclaiming the three angels’ messages by training missionaries and equipping lay members through innovative outreach programs to reach large cities, help distribute 50,000 copies of The Great Controversy in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Parnell warmly recalled her gratitude to those Adventist teenagers who gave her a copy of The Great Controversy.
“I’ve come full circle with this ministry. Just as those two Adventist teenagers gave me this life-changing book, now our Adventist students go out into the community spreading these books like the leaves of autumn. I’m thankful to be a part of such an important work in these last days of Earth’s history. Jesus is coming again!”
Gulf States | July 2025
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