Seventh-day Adventist Church

From New World Encyclopedia

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Christian denomination which, as its name suggests, is best known for its teaching that Saturday, which it claims is the seventh day of the week, is the Sabbath. In addition, the group believes that the second advent of Jesus Christ is imminent. The denomination, which was officially established in 1863, grew out of the Millerite movement in the United States during the middle part of the 19th century. Seventh-day Adventists are also known for their teachings regarding diet and health, their belief in the unconscious state of the dead, and the belief that Jesus is now performing an investigative judgment in heaven. As of June, 2006, the church has 14,754,022 baptized members.[1]

Origins

Church pioneers James and Ellen White.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church was born out of the Millerite Movement of the 1840s, which was part of the wave of revivalism known as the Second Great Awakening. The Millerite movement is named after William Miller, who, during his early adulthood, became a Deist. After fighting in the War of 1812, Miller bought a farm in Low Hampton, New York, (now a historic site owned and operated by Adventist Heritage Ministry), where he began attending a local Baptist church to please his grandmother. One day, when reading a sermon upon request of the local deacons, he was convinced of the benefits of Christian salvation. Despite ridicule from his deist friends, he began studying the Bible, using a concordance as his only study aid. He had a particular interest in the prophecies of the Book of Daniel, and their relation to events of history.

When studying Daniel chapter 8, Miller became convinced that the "cleansing" in Daniel 8:14 KJV referred to Christ's return to "cleanse" the church. Using the "year-for-a-day" principle being based on the prophecy of Seventy Weeks, he concluded that the "two thousand and three hundred days" of Daniel 8:14 represented a period of 2300 years commencing in the year 457 B.C.E., when the command was given by Artaxerxes I to rebuild Jerusalem. This led him to conclude that the second coming of Christ would occur in the year 1843. The Millerite movement resulted in the "seventh month movement", which taught that the "priestly ministry of Christ" would culminate in the cleansing of the earth. In the process, the second coming of Christ was predicted to occur on or before October 22, 1844. Christ's failure to arrive on this day came to be known as "the Great Disappointment".

A small number of Millerites believed that their calculations were correct, but that their understanding of the sanctuary being cleansed was wrong, and they began to teach that something else happened in 1844. Their Bible study led them to the conviction that in 1844 Jesus had entered into the "Most Holy Place" of the heavenly sanctuary, and began an "investigative judgment" of the world: a process through which examines the heavenly records to "determine who, through repentance of sin and faith in Christ, are entitled to the benefits of atonement", after which Jesus will return to earth. According to the church's teaching, the return of Christ may occur very soon, though they are determined to never set dates for His coming in accordance with the Gospel of Matthew which says, "no one knows the day or the hour" (Matthew 24:36 NIV).

At about the same time that the followers of the movement were studying the sanctuary, the question of the correct day of biblical day of rest and worship was raised. The foremost proponent of Sabbath-keeping among early Adventists was retired sea captain Joseph Bates. Bates was introduced to the Sabbath doctrine by a tract written by a Millerite preacher named Thomas M. Preble who in turn had been influenced by a young Seventh Day Baptist lady by the name of Rachel Oakes Preston. This message was gradually accepted and formed the topic of the first edition of the church publication, The Present Truth (now the Adventist Review) which first appeared in July 1849. While initially it was believed that the Sabbath started at 6pm, by 1855 it was generally accepted that the Sabbath begins at sunset.

For about 20 years, the Adventist movement consisted of a loosely knit group of people who adhered to this message. Among its greatest supporters were James White, Ellen G. White and Joseph Bates. After intense discussions a formally organized church called the Seventh-day Adventist Church was established in Battle Creek, Michigan in May of 1863, with a membership of 3,500. Through the evangelistic efforts of its ministers and laity and the guidance of Ellen G. White, the church quickly grew and established a presence beyond North America during the late 1800s. In 1903, the denominational headquarters were moved from Battle Creek to temporary quarters in Washington D.C. and soon thereafter established in nearby Takoma Park, Maryland. In 1989, the headquarters was moved again, this time to Silver Spring, Maryland.

Doctrine

The core teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination are expressed in the church's 28 Fundamental Beliefs. This statement of beliefs was originally adopted by the church's General Conference in 1980, with an additional belief (number 11) being added in 2005. On the whole, Adventist doctrine resembles mainstream trinitarian Protestant theology, with emphasis placed on premillennialism and Arminianism. Seventh-day Adventists uphold evangelical teachings such as the infallibility of Scripture, the substitutionary atonement, the resurrection of the dead and justification by faith. There are, in addition, some distinctive teachings that are unique to Seventh-day Adventism.

Law

Seventh-day Adventists believe that the Law of God is fully summarized in the Ten Commandments, which continue to be binding upon Christians. Just as Christ lived by the Commandments, so too should followers of Adventism. These precepts remain the regulations of God's covenant with humanity, and provide the standard basis by which God judges the merits of human beings. Together, these Commandments identify what is sin, and therefore justify the need for a Saviour in the person of Jesus Christ. Thus, it is these laws which imbue the Gospel with its meaning; without these laws there would be no need for atonement via the blood of Christ. Adventists perceive the Ten Commandments to be the paramount instrument in urging conversions of sinners, since Christ is the only way by which to overcome transgression of these laws. Individuals who transgress the Ten Commandments are bound by their sin. By obeying the commandments, human beings emancipate themselves from the fetters of sin and the emotions which are closely related, such as worry, guilty conscience, and remorse, all of which wreak havoc over the vitality of the human body. Despite this focus on the law, Seventh Day Adventist believe that salvation is dependent entirely on grace of God rather than works. Grace supplies Adventists with the ability to overcome sin.

Sabbath

The Sabbath is indispensible in the process of worshipping God for Seventh Day Adventists, since it serves to commemorate His creation. Based on their interpretation of Genesis, Adventists believe that the Sabbath was God's greatest gift, in effect a day which has been given to human beings so that they can cultivate their personal relationship with God. Just as God rested on the Seventh day, Adventists believe that all humanity are to follow his example and therefore have been given this day to rest as well. Not only are human beings able to replenish the vitality of their bodies by way of this rest on the seventh day, but they are able to follow God's example. On this day they are encouraged to cultivate a higher level of companionship with God through worship, song, and prayer. Thus, Adventists consider themselves santified by way of their observance, as their communion with God's will leads to holiness. Since the Sabbath was first undertaken in the Garden of Eden, an atmosphere without sin, continued observance of the Sabbath allows for weekly experience of heaven on earth.

By commemorating creation, the observance of the Sabbath is thought to affirm allegiance with the one true God. While all the other commandments can be more or less found in other religions, Adventists note that observance of the Sabbath is a sign of righteousness unique to the Christian faith. It is only on the basis of the Judeo-Christian God's special revelation that the Sabbath is observed on the seventh day, thus, observance of the Sabbath reveals a willingness to accept God's will over and above individual judgement. As well, since Jesus propounded the Sabbath for the redemption of his people, its observance also marks acceptance of Jesus Christ as the redeemer. The Sabbath serves as a symbol of "resting" in Christ, as the day of rest suggests that all efforts to acheive righteousness through one's own works are set aside, further illustrating their faith in the righteousness bestowed upon them by the gospel.

Unlike many other Christian denominations, Adventists believe that the Sabbath should be observed on the seventh day of the week, i.e. from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, as opposed to on Sunday. This shift of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, Adventists claim, has no biblical basis, and represents the work of Satan against sanctimony. Adventists cite the historical evidence that shift to Sunday worship was largely effected by Gentile Christians in Rome, where anti-Judaic sentiments were prevalent. In order to distinguish themselves from the Jews, early Christians of Rome began to commemorate the Sabbath on other days, particularly Sunday mainly because the importance traditionally accorded to sun-worship by the pagan Romans. It was Constantine in 321 who finally solidified Sunday should be a religious holiday, due to its historical popularity in Roman popular religion, as well as its growing popularity among Christians. Further, Constantine decreed that agrarians could continue with their work activities on that day. In 364 C.E. the Council of Laodicea stipulated that the Sabbath should be honoured on Sunday, while work was permissable on Saturday. Each of these changes, according to the Seventh-day Adventists, were prophesied in the Book of Daniel (7:25), who speaks of an attacking power which is represented by a "little horn." This little horn is considered to be responsible for the deception conceived by an apostate power, that is, the Catholic Church, which claims to have by its own authority transferred solemnity from the seventh day back to the first day. As such, Adventists believe that it is been their role to restore the original day of the Sabbath before the onset of the Second Advent.

Eschatology

Adventists have a unique view of the end times, based on the historicist method of prophetic interpretation. They believe that Jesus Christ will return visibly to earth after a "time of trouble". All prophecies of the scripture will be fulfilled at the Second Advent. This Second Advent is inextricabaly linked to the First Advent, where Christ won his first victory over Satan, and thereby foreshadows Christ's eminent success after his second arrival on earth. The question of the Sabbath will be a foremost issue in the midst of the end-times, as every human being will be faced with the decision of whether they will accept the commandments of God or of humanity. Those who reject the Sabbath will receive the mark of the beast. The second coming will be followed by a millennial reign of the saints in heaven.

Several features will allow Adventists to distinguish between the genuine Second Advent and purported eschatons. First, Jesus will return in a literal, personal form rather than as a spiritual or metaphorical entity. Human encounter with Christ will not be inward and invisible, and his personage will leave no doubt in the mind of any witness, righteous and the wicked, of His authenticity. All believers who have ever lived will meet Jesus after he has returned, regardless of status, so they may participate in the celebration of the Second Advent. This grand celebration is made possible by the ressurection of all the righteous dead, and the ascension of all those living in righteousness to the heavens so that they too may meet with the Lord. Meanwhile, those who have not accepted Christ's salvation will be promptly destroyed.

Although Jesus' return will be instantaneous and unexpected, it will be precipated by a number of strange occurances and cataclysmic events. A number of anomolous natural occurances have been considered by Adventists to mark the proximity of the return of Chrsit, including the massive earthquake which occured in Lisbon, Portugal in 1755, as well darkening of the sun and moon, which Adventists texts note as having occured in various parts of North America in 1780. Further, Adventists interpret Matthew 24:14 to suggest that the endtimes will come during a time in which the gospel is preached in all nations of the world. Thus, Adventists believe statistics which reveal that the gospel has been distributed in virtuall every country and language suggests that the endtimes are approaching. The sheer volume of religious movements will also burgeon as eschaton approaches, of which the Advent movement is seen to be the most veracious. Despite the increase in religious movements and promulgation of the gospel, there will be a general decline in genuine religiosity before the endtimes. Also, the papacy of the apostate will rise to great influence, which Adventist claim is currently evidenced in the contemporary world. This focus on the papacy will separate church and state and thereby force people to choose between their respective representatives: God and the beast. There will also be a rise in lawlessness and calamity, where for a period of time crime and sexual impropriety will abound, while wars, natural disasters, and famines will occur. Adventists take the sexual revolution of the sixties, World War II, and malnutrition in Africa and Asia as indicators of the impending endtimes. Considering all these factors suggesting the impending nature of eschaton, Adventists must be ready for the end of the world at all times.

Death as Sleep

Adventists believe that death is an unconscious sleep, commonly known as "soul sleep", and reject the idea of an immortal soul. Death is only a state of temporary unconsciousness while one awaits their resurrection. As evidence for this idea, Seventh Day Adventists cite descriptions in the Old Testament which refer to kings such as David and Solomon as slumbering with the forefathers of Israel and Judah, as well as New Testament descriptions, such as that of Lazarus, who Christ claims in John 11: 11-14 to be "sleeping". Sleep represents the cessation of daily activities, thought and emotionality, while dissociating those who are asleep from those who are awake, all of which Seventh Day Adventists see as analogous to the relationship between the living and the dead. Moreover, sleep presupposes the possibility of awakening, which in this case is the ressurection from death by way of Christ.

Conditional immortality

For Seventh Day Adventists, God is the only entity which is truly immortal, since they acknowledge no evidence in the scriptures that human beings possess an eternal soul or spirit. Humanity derives its finite existence from God, thus, any hope for human immortality relies entirely upon God's grace. Originally, Adam and Eve were immortal on the condition that they obeyed God's commands. Their transgression of God's will eating from the tree of Good and Evil lead to their mortality, which has characterized humanity ever since. Continued existence depends upon continued obedience of God's plan. Thus, the power of free will which God bestowed upon Adam and Eve determined whether or not they would live forever. The ability to choose good is the condition which must be followed for life to persist eternally, and has governed the existence of all human beings since the Fall. Adventists teach that those who choose wickedness will not endure eternal torment in hell, but instead will be permanently destroyed.

Great Controversy

Adventists believe that humanity is involved in a "great controversy" between Jesus Christ and Satan. Seventh Day Adventists that this controversy between God and Satan is the focal point of a dramatic, cosmic struggle which is being acted out upon planet earth, effecting all human beings who have ever existed. The conflict of good and evil began in heaven when Lucifer, one of God's foremost angels, dissented to his subordinance to the Creator of the universe. Lucifer mounted a movement against God, seeking to obtain God's power while promulgating none of God's love. As a result, many of the angels were no longer perceptive of God's love, and one-third of the ministering spirits rebelled under Lucifer's charge, creating warfare in the heavens. Adventists conceive of Satan as having an intellectual disagreement with God's laws. Satan does not accept responsibility for the wickedness in the world, but instead places the blame on God, considering His laws to be arbitrary and an impediment to personal freedom.

After being cast out of heaven, Lucifer, now known as Satan, began to proliferate his spirit of rebellion on earth. Adventists claim that his first of such acts occured when he tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden and caused her to bite the fruit so that she too could have equality with God. By tainting humanity with orginal sin, Satan deprived human beings of dominion over earth, and claiming himself prince of the terrestial world, issued a challenge to God. This is a unique understanding of the origin of evil, which teaches that evil began in heaven when an angelic being (Lucifer) rebelled against the Law of God. Such an understanding of dystheism relieves God of any responsibility for evil in the world, instead placing the blame directly on Satan. Through the generations, wickedness continued to stain earthly humans as a result of Satan's influence, culminating in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The crucifixion illustrates Satan's most most involved attempt to undermine the mission of Jesus, as it was Satan who cultivated jealously in the hearts of other religious leaders so that they would end His public ministry permanently, and eventually incited Juda's betrayal of Jesus which lead to his execution. However, Christ's continued obedience to the will of His Father demostrated the inevitable fact that Satan's cruelty who forever render him subordinate to good, and foreshadows his eventual downfall.

The controversy most important in the contemporary world, according to Seventh Day Adventists, involves not only Christs' law but also His word in the form of the scriptures. Methods of Biblical interpretation, Adventists claim, do not allow the Bible the necessary theological prominence that it deserves. That is, critical methodologies, largely influenced by academia, seem to deny the idea that The Bible is indeed the Word of God. Such an approach, Adventists claim, throws the miraculous attributes of Jesus Christ into question. A strategy employed by Satan throughout the course of the cosmic conflict has been to convince human beings that they can garner an understanding of Truth without accepting Jesus, instead espousing other means to knowledge, such as reason, nature and the apostate. While Adventists acknowledge each of these avenues as helpful in revealing truth, any one of these are incomplete in comparison to the power of Christ. Therefore, it is imperative for Adventists that contemporary Christians have faith in their acknowledgement that the Bible is divine revelation, and they must consistently use Christ to interpret these documents. Since the physical world is considered the realm of Satan, Adventists are urged to look beyond it in order to ascertain the true importance of Jesus and his Atonement, and thereby aid in the cessation of the Great Controversy. Any given individual's success in the Great Controversy is made possible only through acceptance of Jesus Christ, so that they may be ready at all times for the onset of the final battle between Good and Evil.

Heavenly sanctuary

Adventists teach that Christ ascended to heaven to minister in the heavenly sanctuary. In 1844, he began the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary in fulfillment of the Day of Atonement.

Investigative Judgment

This doctrine asserts that a judgment of professed Christians began in 1844, in which the books of record are examined for all the universe to see. The investigative judgment will affirm who is worthy of salvation, and vindicate God as just in His dealings with humankind.

Remnant

Adventists teach that there will be an end-time remnant who keeps the commandments of God and has "the testimony of Jesus" (Revelation 12:17). This remnant proclaims the "three angels' messages" of Revelation 14:6-12 to the world.

Spirit of Prophecy

Ellen G. White is believed by Adventists to have possessed the "Spirit of Prophecy" and her writings are considered an authoritative source of guidance. Adventists make it clear that the Bible is the definitive source of truth.

Practices and customs

Sabbath activities

File:Bundabergsda.jpg
Bundaberg Seventh-day Adventist Church

The undertakings on the Sabbath are of immense importance for Seventh-day Adventists. A typical Adventist's Sabbath routine will often begin on Friday evening with sundown worship at home or in church, known as Vespers. Saturday morning commences with Bible study and a prayer of thanksgiving for physical and spiritual rest and repose. Adventists believe that "we are called to grow into the likeness of His character, communing with Him daily in prayer, feeding on His Word". Another activity that occurs on Sabbath is Sabbath School, analogous to Sunday school in other churches. Sabbath School is a structured time of study at church, consisting of an introduction to the day's study, discussion in classes and a conclusion by the Sabbath School's leader. The Church uses a Sabbath School Lesson, which deals with a particular Biblical doctrine or teaching every quarter. The Lesson is the same worldwide. Different groups are formed in which biblical themes and practical questions can be freely discussed. Special meetings are provided for children and youth in different age groups during this time. After a small break, the community joins together again for a church service that follows a typical evangelical format which may vary from church to church but which will always have a sermon as a central feature. Worship through music is a standard and prominent feature.

Sabbath afternoon activities may vary widely depending on the cultural, ethnic and social background. Some may have an Adventist Youth program which is focused on the youths of the church, and some churches may have a scout-like program called Pathfinders that focuses on the study of the Bible and their relationship with God, often through physical activities such as hiking and nature viewing. Sleeping and playing games is also often an afternoon activity.

Seventh-day Adventists practice communion usually four times a year. The communion is an open service (available to members and Christian non-members), based on the Gospel account of John 13. The communion service includes a feet washing ceremony, known as the Ordinance of Humility. The Ordinance of Humility is meant to symbolize Christ's washing of his disciples' feet at the Last Supper. Male and female participants go to separate rooms to conduct this ritual, although some congregations allow married couples to perform the ordinance on each other, so there is also an area for married couples. After its completion, participants return to the main sanctuary for consumption of the Lord's Supper, which consists of unleavened bread and unfermented grape juice.

Mission & Outreach

Traditional Adventist evangelistic efforts started in the late 1800s. This usually consisted of street missions and the distribution of tracts such as "The Present Truth", which was published by James White as early as 1849. Adventist mission work today reaches people in more than 204 countries of the world. Adventist mission workers preach the gospel, teach relevant living skills, heal people through Adventist hospitals and clinics, spread the gospel on radio and television, run development projects to make better lives for people, and provide comforting relief in times of suffering. Missionary outreach of the Seventh-day Adventist church is aimed to both non-believers and other Christian denominations. Seventh-day Adventists believe that Christ has called His believers to minister to the whole world. Thus, the church actively ministers in over 204 countries worldwide. Adventists are cautious, however, to ensure that evangelism does not impede upon the basic rights of the individuals whom they seek to help. Religious liberty is a stance that the Seventh-day Adventist church actively supports and promotes.

Adventists, as demonstrated in their expansive distribution of tracts, have for a long time, like their Millerite fathers, been proponents of media-based ministries. Until J. N. Andrews was sent to Switzerland in 1874, Adventist global efforts consisted entirely of the posting of tracts such as White's to various locations. The reading of such material was the primary reason that Andrews was eventually called to travel overseas. In the last century, these media based efforts have also made use of emerging media such as radio and television. The first of these was H. M. S. Richards' radio show, "Voice of Prophecy", which was initially broadcast in Los Angeles in 1929. Since then Adventists have been on the forefront of media evangelism, and one program, "It Is Written", was the first religious program to air on colour television. Today "The Hope Channel", the official television network of the church, operates six international channels broadcasting 24 hours a day on both cable and satellite networks. In addition, a number of evangelistic events broadcasted live via satellite have also been undertaken by evangelists such as Mark Finley, Dwight Nelson and others, addressing audiences in as many as 40 languages simultaneously. Additionally, a privately owned station 3ABN broadcasts Adventist themed programs.

Health and Diet

Since the 1860s when the church began, wholeness and health have been an emphasis of the Seventh-day Adventist church. Seventh-day Adventists present a health message that recommends vegetarianism and expects abstinence from pork, shellfish, and other foods proscribed as "unclean" in Leviticus 11. Seventh-day Adventists also abstain from alcohol and tobacco. The pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church had much to do with the common acceptance of breakfast cereals into the Western diet. John Harvey Kellogg was one of the early founders of the Seventh-day Adventist health work. His development of breakfast cereals as a health food led to the founding of Kellogg's by his brother William K. Kellogg. Research funded by the National Institutes of Health has shown that the average Adventist in California lives four to ten years longer than the average Californian. The research, as cited by the cover story of the November 2005 issue of National Geographic magazine, asserts that Adventists live longer due to their abstinence from smoking and drinking, as well as their healthy, low-fat vegetarian diet rich in nuts and beans.

Seventh-day Adventists run a large number of hospitals and health-related institutions. Their predominant school of medicine in North America, Loma Linda University, is located in Loma Linda, California. In Australia, the church-owned Sanitarium Health Food Company is one of Australia's leading manufacturers of health and vegetarian-related products.

Sexuality and Abortion

According to an official statement from the General Conference, heterosexual marriages are the only biblically ordained grounds for sexual intimacy accepted by Seventh-day Adventists. An extramarital affair is one of the sanctioned grounds for a divorce. Masturbation has also been traditionally condemned as a sinful practice, contrary to God's design for the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit and for sex as a shared experience within marriage. Seventh-day Adventists do not perform same-sex marriages and gay men cannot be ordained.

The official Seventh-day Adventist position on abortion is that "abortions for reasons of birth control, gender selection, or convenience are not condoned by the Church." At times, however, women may face exceptional circumstances that present serious moral or medical dilemmas, such as significant threats to the pregnant woman's life, serious jeopardy to her health, and pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, in these cases individuals are counseled and encouraged to make their own decisions.

Structure, polity and institutions

Structure and polity

The French-speaking Ottawa Seventh-day Adventist Church, a former synagogue

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is run by a form of democratic representation which mixes hierarchical (or episcopal), presbyterian and congregational elements. All church offices are elected from the grass-roots upwards and no positions are permanent. The local church is the foundational level of organisational structure and represents the public face of the church. Every baptised Adventist is a member of a local church and has voting powers within that church. A number of church offices exist within the local church, including the ordained positions of pastor, elder and deacon, as well as the positions of clerk and treasurer, which are largely concerned with bookkeeping. All of these positions, except that of pastor, are appointed by the vote of elected committees or as a result of a local church business meeting.

Directly above the local church in structure is the local conference, mission or field. The conference is an organisation of churches within a state, or part thereof, which appoints ministers, owns church land and organises the distribution of tithes and payments to ministers. The conference is also responsible for the appointment and ordination of ministerial staff. Above the local conference is the union conference which embodies a constellation of conferences within a particular area. The highest level of governance within the church structure is the General Conference which consists of 13 divisions, each assigned to various geographic locations. The General Conference is the ultimate church authority and has the final say in matters of conjecture and administrative issues. The General Conference is headed by the office of President, which, as of 2006, is held by Jan Paulsen. The General Conference head office is located in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.

Each organization is governed by a general session which occurs at certain intervals. It is at this session where general decisions concerning the church are made. The president of the General Conference, for instance, is elected at the General Conference Session every five years. Delegates to a session are appointed by organisations at a lower level. For example, each local church appoints delegates to a conference session. The church manual gives provisions for each level of government to create educational, healthcare, publishing, and other institutions that are seen within the call of the Great Commission.

Other institutions

Seventh-day Adventists have had consistently been interested in education. The Adventist church runs one of the largest unified Protestant education systems in the world, operating over 6,800 schools at primary, secondary and tertiary levels, as well as some worker training institutions. These schools span 145 countries worldwide, educating approxiamately 1,300,000 students and employing over 66,000 teachers. The Adventist educational program is comprehensive, encompassing "mental, physical, social, and spiritual health" with "intellectual growth and service to humanity" as its ultimate goal.

The Youth Department of the Seventh-day Adventist church runs an organisation for 10- to 16-year-old boys and girls called Pathfinders, which is similar to the Boy Scouts of America, except that membership is open to both boys and girls. Pathfinders exposes young people to such activities as camping, community service, personal mentorship, skills-based education, and leadership training. For younger children, Adventurer, Eager Beaver, and Little Lambs clubs are programs that are available that serve as a stepping stone into the Pathfinder program.

For over 100 years the Seventh-day Adventist Church has been an active advocate for freedom of religion. In 1893 its leaders founded the International Religious Liberty Association, which is universal and non-sectarian. The Seventh-day Adventist Church State council serves to protect religious groups from legislation that may affect their religious practices. This is primarily achieved through advocacy. Recently the organisation has been fighting to pass legislation that will protect Seventh-day Adventist employees who wish to keep their Sabbath.

For over 50 years the church has been active in humanitarian aid through the work of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). ADRA works as a non-sectarian relief agency in 125 countries and areas of the world. ADRA has been granted General Consultative Status by the United Nations Economic and Social Committee. Worldwide ADRA employs over 4,000 people to help both provide relief in crises and development in situations of poverty.

Other important institutions include the Biblical Research Institute, the official theological research center of the church. It has numerous articles available on its website.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag

The official church magazine is the Adventist Review, published by the Review and Herald Publishing Association. Another major magazine published by the church is the bimonthly Liberty Magazine, which addresses issues of religious freedom.

Membership

Adventist church in Campion, Colorado

The primary prerequisite for membership in the Seventh-day Adventist Church is baptism by immersion. This, according to the church manual, should only occur after the candidate has undergone proper teaching as to what the church believes. See also Adventist baptismal vow. As of June, 2006, the church has 14,754,022 baptized members.[1] Over 1,093,089 people joined the Adventist church in the twelve month period ending June 2006 (inclusive), through baptisms and professions of faith. The church is one of the world's fastest-growing organizations, primarily due to increases in membership in developing nations. Depending on how the data was measured, it is said that church membership reached 1 million between 1955 and 1961, and grew to 5 million by 1986. At the turn of the 21st century the church had 10,782,042 members which grew to 14,487,989 members at the end of 2004, and 2005 statistics reported 14,399,072 members.[2] It is believed that over 25 million worship weekly in churches.[3] The church operates in 204 out of 230 countries and areas recognised by the United Nations.[2]

Movements and offshoots

The Seventh-day Adventist church considers itself remarkably unified considering its large geographic span. However, as in any church, certain groups, movements or subcultures have arisen within the mainstream church with subscribe to differing views on core beliefs and/or lifestyle. Several of these groups have chosen to stay within the church, whereas others have formed offshoots or schisms.

Theological subcultures

A theological spectrum exists within Adventism, comparable to the fundamentalist-moderate-liberal spectrum in the broader Christian tradition and in other religions. Seventh-day Adventists vehemently resisted changes in the broader American culture. Many "progressive" elements in the church were impacted by Fundamentalist undercurrent in the movement. Denominational leaders including progressives such as A. G. Daniells and W. W. Prescott as well as other traditionalists discussed these issues at the 1919 Bible Conference. This conference would contribute to the polarization of Seventh-day Adventist theology. Some of the issues such as the atonement would become significant issues during the 1950s during a series of conferences between Adventist and evangelical leaders that led up to the publication of Questions on Doctrine in 1957.

On two opposite ends of a continuum are historic Adventists and progressive Adventists, with many variations inbetween. Progressive Adventists tend to hold a different perspective on such areas as the investigative judgment, the prominence given to Ellen White's writings, creationism, and certain prophetic interpretations such as the remnant and Mark of the Beast. A significant number of Adventist scholars could be considered "progressive". Many progressive Adventists regard the 1980 Glacier View crisis as something of a rallying point.

In contrast, Historic Adventists, also known as "traditional Adventists", are often characterized by their rejection of the formative 1957 book Questions on Doctrine, prepared as a result of dialogue between church representatives designated by the General Conference and the late evangelical Walter Martin. While this officially sanctioned book has been generally well received within Adventism, and has established the framework for mainstream Adventist theology in modern times, historic Adventists tend to view it as a compromise with evangelicalism and a departure from "traditional" Adventist teachings. The leading objector M. L. Andreasen eventually lost church employment as a result of his protests. In the recently published annotated edition of the book, editor George R. Knight writes: "The publication of Questions on Doctrine did more than any other single event in Adventist history to create what appear to be permanently warring factions within the denomination" (v). Historic Adventists place a great deal of emphasis on character perfection, and teach that Jesus Christ was born with a fallen nature.

Offshoots and schisms

Throughout the history of the denomination, there have been a number of groups who have left the church and formed their own movements. The most notorious of these off-shoots is the Branch Davidians, themselves a schism within the larger Davidian movement. The Davidians formed in 1929, after Victor Houteff's message to the church outlined his book "The Shepherd's Rod" was rejected as being heretical. Few of Houteff's teachings were consistent with the mainstream views of the church. A succession dispute after Houteff's death in 1955 led to the formation of the Branches. Later, another ex-Adventist David Koresh (formerly Vernon Howell) led the Branch Davidians until he was killed along with his followers in the conflagration in 1993 at the group's headquarters near Waco, Texas.

Following World War I, a group known as the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement was formed as a result of the actions of certain European church leaders during the war, who decided that it was acceptable for Adventists to take part in war. When attempts at reconciliation failed after the war, the group became organised as a separate church at a conference in July of 1925. The movement officially incorporated in 1949.

The most recent large-scale schism within Adventism was the Glacier View doctrinal crisis of 1980. This crisis centred around the 900-page research paper by Dr. Desmond Ford entitled "Daniel 8:14, the Investigative Judgment, and the Kingdom of God". The paper questioned the church's position on the investigative judgment. The meetings at Glacier View rejected Ford's proposals. The schism caused by this rejection resulted in Ford being removed from teaching and having his ministerial credentials revoked. Many Adventists also left the church as a result. In the 26 years since, Ford has worked through the ministry of Good News Unlimited and has appeared on radio, television and in many print publications.

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered individuals who are, or had been, practicing Seventh-day Adventists have formed a social network that is not officially associated to the church called SDA Kinship International [1]. All in all, these offshoot and schism groups are not affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church in any way. They operate under their own system of beliefs and are considered to be entirely separate from the church.

Criticisms

A common discussion in evangelical circles is whether or not Seventh-day Adventist doctrines are far enough from orthodox or mainstream Christian teaching to be qualified as cultic. Much of that criticism originated with the defection of Dudley Marvin Canright, an Adventist minister, in 1887. Canright published the book Seventh-day Adventism Renounced in 1889. Today many evangelical Christians follow the advice of Walter Martin from the Christian Research Institute. In the September 1956 issue of Eternity magazine, he and Donald Barnhouse declared that Seventh-day Adventists are a truly Christian group. In 1960 Martin published The Truth about Seventh-day Adventists. These publications marked a turning point in the way Adventism was viewed. In another book, Kingdom of Cults, Martin wrote that "...it is perfectly possible to be a Seventh-day Adventist and be a true follower of Jesus Christ despite heterodox concepts..."<ref>Walter Martin, Kingdom of the Cults. Some of the doctrines formerly considered "heterodox" by other Christian observers, such as conditional immortality (annihilationism) have become relatively mainstream in evangelicalism today.

However, there are still those, such as John C. Whitcomb, who assert that Adventism is cultic based on their insularism from non-Christians and non-Adventists. Whitcomb cites the Adventist emphasis on an Adventist education as evidence of this, although many Christian denominations also have their own school system.

Another criticism against Seventh-day Adventists is related to the level of authority that Ellen G. White is given and some of her teachings. It is believed that the authority White is given is contrary to the traditional Protestant sola scriptura view of the Bible, where the scripture is considered the sole inspired source of authority. In response, Adventists argue that the Bible does not completely prohibit the belief in "new" prophets; rather, it allows for the belief in contemporary prophets as long as their credentials as such can be verified by simple tests found in John 3:20-21. The church has traditionally defended her writings as a manifestation of the spiritual gift of prophecy mentioned in the Bible itself (1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4), and subject to it. Ellen White never considered her writings as above or equal to the Scriptures. In her own words, they were a "lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light [the Bible]".

See also

  • History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
  • Seventh-day Adventist theology
  • Ellen G. White
  • Sabbath
  • 28 Fundamentals
  • List of Seventh-day Adventists
  • Christian vegetarianism

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  1. 1.0 1.1 Office of Archives and Statistics. "Statistical Report". Annual Council of the General Conference Committee; Silver Spring, Maryland, October 6-11, 2006. URL accessed 2006-10-23.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Seventh-day Adventist World Church Statistics. Seventh-day Adventist Church (2006-05-10). Retrieved 2006-10-18.
  3. Seventh-day Adventist Church (2006-10-10). World Church: San Antonio, Texas Selected As 2015 GC Session Site. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-10-18.

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