Seventh-day Adventism (SDA) is a relatively small and new denomination, only being founded within the last 150 years.  However, it’s presence around the world should not be under-estimated.  With nearly 1 million members in the United States , and 11 million spread elsewhere around the world, few of us have probably not come into contact with Adventist people, schools or hospitals.  Often Adventist’s can be found holding Stop Smoking seminars, vegetarian cooking classes, or possibly setting up a mobile blood pressure station. 

 Adventists run some of the largest education and health care systems around the world.  Their efforts to educate people about the importance of taking care of our bodies and minds are to be applauded.  In many communities, Adventist’s will hold “Revelation Seminars” promising to teach the attendee the tools needed to unlock the “secrets” of the prophecies in the books of Daniel and Revelation.  Interestingly, Adventist’s are notorious for not identifying themselves until several days into the seminars.  This is because for a long time Adventism was considered by most to be a non-Christian cult.  By not putting their name on flyers and materials, they found they could attract more people to hear their message, before they found out who they were. 

 Are Adventists Christian?  Yes, the beliefs taught by the General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventist’s are Christian in essence.  However, there are several notable differences between even Adventists and other Protestants.   The nature of Adventist beliefs, however, makes it easy for members to become cultish.  As we study many of their doctrines point by point, you will see how many who adopt a conservative approach to SDA theology cross the line from Christian to cult. 

 Seventh-day Adventism has its roots in the Millerite movement of the 1830’s and 1840’s.  William Miller was a Baptist preacher who began spreading the message that Christ was going to return in the early 1840’s.   Miller and his followers traveled throughout New England and other parts of the country holding “camp meetings” where they would use powerful preaching and charts and pictures to explain to their listeners how Christ was going to come on a certain date in 1843.  It is estimated that several hundred thousand heard this message and began believing that Christ would come in 1843.  Many of his followers were so convinced in this message that they left their crops in the field, sold their belongings in order to fund more meetings, and even made special clothes called “ascension robes” to wear on that night. 

 Well, as I am sure you have already figured, there were a lot of very disappointed “Adventist’s” (Adventist’s get their name from their looking forward to the coming of Christ, or His Second Advent.)  When faced with this failure Miller and his followers began to “re-study” their prophecies and determined they made an error of one year.  Based on this they set the coming for 1844, first in the spring, then later on October 22nd of that year. 

 The nucleus of what would become the Seventh-Day Adventist Church grew out of this group of people who were disappointed by the failure of the prophetic interpretation.  One of those followers was a girl by the name of Ellen Gould Harmon, who would later become Ellen G White, through marriage to James White.  Ellen and other early Adventist’s determined that their time calculation was correct, but their failure lay in the event that happened on October 22nd 1844 .  They now believed that instead of Christ coming to the Earth again, he instead moved in heaven, from the first apartment of the Heavenly Sanctuary, to the second Apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary.  There he would begin the final judgment of all mankind, the completion of which would culminate in Christ’s Second coming.  Adventist’s today still believe that Christ is completing this “investigative judgment” and that he is almost complete.

 It was not until 1863 that the Seventh-day Adventist Church was officially founded.  In the time between 1844 and 1863, Ellen G. White distinguished herself among the early leaders by her fantastic revelations, talks, and writings.  She claimed God had chosen to use her as a messenger to his last day church (The Seventh-Day Adventist Church), and she was extremely influential in the development of Adventist doctrine.  Today, Ellen G. White is still looked at by the SDA Church as one who had the gift of prophecy.  Her books have been sold by the millions around the world.  Those who follow her teachings most stringently, are often found in split off groups that are similar to cult followings.   Ellen G. White will be discussed in a later chapter in much more detail. 

 From 1863 to the present day, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church has continued to evolve in its teachings.  From a church that taught that there was no trinity, to a church that embraces the trinity doctrine.  From a small group of farmers, preachers, and students, to a 12 million member denomination with churches all over the world!  Adventism is growing by leaps and bounds, especially out side America .  While we celebrate the spread of Christianity, Adventism presents a unique challenge to Catholics because of their very forceful teachings that the Catholic Church is the first beast in Revelation. 

 Adventism teaches in the future that Catholicism will force the rest of the world to join her and require everyone to worship on Sunday or face the penalty of death.  For example, Ellen G. White said, “I saw the saints leaving the cities and villages, and associating together in companies, and living in the most solitary places. Angels provided them food and water, while the wicked were suffering from hunger and thirst. Then I saw the leading men of the earth consulting together, and Satan and his angels busy around them. I saw a writing, copies of which were scattered in different parts of the land, giving orders that unless the saints should yield their peculiar faith, give up the Sabbath, and observe the first day of the week; the people were at liberty after a certain time to put them to death. But in this hour of trial the saints were calm and composed, trusting in God and leaning upon His promise that a way of escape would be made for them. In some places, before the time for the decree to be executed, the wicked rushed upon the saints to slay them; but angels in the form of men of war fought for them.” [i]

Again, "Everything in God's world--men and doctrines, and nature itself--is fulfilling God's sure word of prophecy, and accomplishing his grand and closing work in this world's history. We are to be ready, and waiting for the orders of God. Nations will be stirred to their very center. Support will be withdrawn from those who proclaim God's law as the only standard of righteousness, the only sure test of character. And all who will not bow to the decree of the national councils, and obey the national laws to exalt the Sabbath instituted by the man of sin, to the disregard of God's holy day, will feel not only the oppressive power of the Papacy, but the oppression of the Protestant world, who will seek to enforce the worship of the image of the beast." [ii]

 It was from 1844-1890’s that most of the SDA Doctrines developed into what we see now in the denomination.  For example, belief in the Trinity, Saturday Observance, Salvation by faith (1888), end time scenarios, health and temperance doctrines, and church organization and structure.  Some of these areas were refined after 1900’s, however, the majority of the Church doctrines and structure remain relatively un-changed.   After the early 1900’s and the passing of Ellen G. White, the church became more democratic.  Having lost the major pioneers and Mrs. White’s “gift” of prophecy, the church began to resolve problems and doctrinal disputes by vote of the delegates to the General Conference.  This system led to the first inclusion of Trinitarian language in the statement of beliefs. 

In the 1970’s a theologian by the name of Desmond Ford caused quite a stir within the Seventh-day Adventist Church .  From his position on the theology department at Pacific Union College (An SDA owned and operated school.) he began openly teaching that the Adventist Church was teaching incorrectly regarding the prophecies of Daniel and revelation, but most specifically Daniel 8:14.  Many Adventist Pastors agreed with Dr. Ford, causing a rift that the church had to resolve.  Finally, the church called a meeting with several pastors, theologians, and administrators in Glacier View, Colorado .  Dr. Ford presented his teachings and promptly had his ministerial credentials and positions in the church revoked.  This caused several Adventist pastors to leave the church, realizing that the Church was not as interested in truth or pure doctrine, as it was in protecting its self. 

Lately the Adventist Church has become more liberal in its theology, even re-publishing one of its apologetics books with “updated” notes to reflect the changes in thinking and practice.  Several groups of Adventist’s are struggling with the changes in faith and practice and have resorted to breaking off from the church financially and in fellowship.  This has resulted in the Seventh-day Adventist Church prosecuting several groups for illegally using its name or representing themselves as a part of the General Conference.  In the 1990’s the Church published a book called “Issues” which was a study and reply to the problems raised by these “independent ministries”. 

One thing is clear; the Adventist Church was founded as a quick moving, group of people desiring to know the truth pertaining to God.  While the church, still changing, has significantly slowed down, it still contains many people, who like their predecessors, are searching for a truth that can only be found in the true Church that Christ established on the Rock of St. Peter

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Note: This is not an official history.