Seventh-day Adventist Church

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The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Christian denomination with a worldwide membership of over 14 million and an active presence in most countries of the world.^[1] The title refers to belief in the imminent second coming (or "Advent") of Jesus, and the observance of the "seventh day" of the week (Saturday) as the Sabbath. The denomination grew out of the Millerite movement in the United States during the middle part of the 19th century, and was formally established in 1863.^[2] Among its founders was Ellen G. White, whose extensive writings are still held in high regard by the church today.

The Seventh-day Adventist church is closely aligned to Protestantism, although some critics regard it as a sectarian movement. Its theology corresponds to key evangelical teachings such as the Trinity and the infallibility of Scripture. Distinctive teachings include the unconscious state of the dead and the doctrine of an investigative judgment. The church is also known for its emphasis on diet and health, for its promotion of religious liberty, and for its culturally conservative principles.

The world church is governed by a General Conference, with smaller regions administered by divisions, union conferences and local conferences. The church operates numerous schools, hospitals and publishing houses worldwide, as well as a prominent humanitarian aid organization known as the Adventist Development and Relief Agency.

Part of a series on Adventism

William Miller

Background Christianity · Protestantism Baptist · Pietism Restorationism · Millerites Great Disappointment

People Ellen G. White Joseph Bates · Uriah Smith T. M. Preble · James White

Theology Sabbath · Conditional Immortality Historicism · Premillennialism Investigative judgment · Remnant

Criticism

Largest groups Seventh-day Adventist Church Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement Davidian SDA (Shepherd's Rod) Advent Christian Church Church of God General Conference view • talk • edit

Contents 1 Origins and early history 1.1 Development of Sabbatarianism 1.2 Organization and recognition 2 Theology 2.1 Theological subcultures 3 Practices and customs 3.1 Sabbath activities 3.2 Holy Communion 3.3 Health and diet 3.4 Ethics and sexuality 3.5 Dress and entertainment 4 Structure, polity and institutions 4.1 Structure and polity 4.2 Church officers and clergy 4.3 Relations with other denominations 4.4 Institutions 4.4.1 Educational institutions 4.4.2 Humanitarian 4.4.3 Pathfinders 4.4.4 Other institutions 4.5 Independent Organizations 5 Membership, outreach and publishing 5.1 Mission 5.2 Adventist media 5.3 Publishing 6 Offshoots and schisms 7 Criticisms 8 See also 9 References 10 External links

[edit] Origins and early history

Main article: History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is the largest of several Adventist groups which arose from the Millerite movement of the 1840s. The Millerite movement was part of the wave of revivalism in the United States known as the Second Great Awakening, and originated with William Miller, a Baptist preacher from Low Hampton, New York. Miller predicted on the basis of Daniel 8:14 and the "day-year principle" that Jesus Christ would return to earth on October 22, 1844. When this failed to occur, most his followers disbanded and returned to their original churches.

Following this "Great Disappointment" (as it came to be known) a small number of Millerites came to believe that Miller's calculations were correct, but that his interpretation of Daniel 8:14 was flawed. Beginning with a vision experienced by Hiram Edson on October 23, these Adventists arrived at the conviction that Daniel 8:14 foretold Christ's entrance into the "Most Holy Place" of the heavenly sanctuary rather than his second coming. Over the next decade this understanding developed into the doctrine of the investigative judgment: an eschatological process commencing in 1844 in which Christians will be judged to verify their eligibility for salvation. The Adventists continued to believe that Christ's second coming would be imminent, although they refrained from setting further dates for the event.

[edit] Development of Sabbatarianism

As the early Adventist movement consolidated, the question of the 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 Rachel Oakes Preston, a young Seventh Day Baptist.

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 appeared in July 1849.

[edit] Organization and recognition

For about 20 years, the Adventist movement consisted of a loosely knit group of people who adhered to the Sabbath, the "heavenly sanctuary" interpretation of Daniel 8:14, conditional immortality and the expectation of Christ's premillennial return. Among its most prominent figures were James White, Ellen G. White and Joseph Bates. Ellen White came to occupy a particularly central role; her many visions and strong leadership convinced her fellow Adventists that she possessed the gift of prophecy.

After intense discussions a formally organized church called the Seventh-day Adventist Church was established in Battle Creek, Michigan, in May 23, 1863, with a membership of 3,500.^[2] 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.)

For much of the 1800s the Adventist church was dominated by Arianism.^[3] This, along with the movement's other unique theological views, led most Christian denominations to regard it as a cult. However, the Adventist church adopted Trinitarianism early in the 20th century and began to dialogue with other Protestant groups towards the middle of the century, eventually gaining recognition as an "orthodox" Christian church.

[edit] Theology

Main article: Seventh-day Adventist theology

The official teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination are expressed in the 28 Fundamental Beliefs. This statement of beliefs was originally adopted by the General Conference in 1980, with an additional belief (number 11) being added in 2005. Acceptance of either of the church's two baptismal vows is a prerequisite for membership. The church also has a number of "Official Statements"^[4] voted at General Conference Sessions.

Adventist doctrine resembles trinitarian Protestant theology, with premillennial and Arminian emphases. Seventh-day Adventists uphold evangelical teachings such as the infallibility of Scripture, the substitutionary atonement, the resurrection of the dead and justification by faith alone.

In addition there are other distinctive teachings which are less common in the Christian world, some of them unique to Seventh-day Adventism:

• Law (fundamental belief 19) - Seventh-day Adventists believe that the Law of God is "embodied in the Ten Commandments", which continue to be binding upon Christians.
• Sabbath (fundamental belief 20) - Adventists believe that the Sabbath should be observed on the seventh day of the week, i.e. from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. They further believe that Sunday observance lacks biblical authorization.
• Second Coming and End times (fundamental beliefs 25-28) - 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." The second coming will be followed by a millennial reign of the saints in heaven. See eschatology (Adventist).
• State of the dead (fundamental belief 26) - Adventists believe that death is an unconscious sleep, commonly known as "soul sleep", and reject the idea of an immortal soul.
• Conditional immortality (fundamental belief 27) - Adventists teach that the wicked will not suffer eternal torment in hell, but instead will be permanently destroyed. See Conditional immortality, Annihilationism.
• Great Controversy (fundamental belief 8) - Adventists believe that humanity is involved in a "great controversy" between Jesus Christ and Satan. This is an elaboration on the common Christian theory that evil began in heaven when an angelic being (Lucifer) rebelled against the Law of God.
• Heavenly sanctuary (fundamental belief 24) - 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 (fundamental belief 24) - 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 mankind.
• Remnant (fundamental belief 13) - Adventists teach that there will be an end-time remnant who keep the commandments of God and have "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 (fundamental belief 18) - Ellen G. White is sometimes referred to as the "Spirit of Prophecy", a term also applied to the Holy Spirit, and her writings are considered "a continuing and authoritative source of truth",^[5] though ultimately subject to the Bible. (See prophetic gift of Ellen White.)

[edit] Theological subcultures

As with any religious movement, a theological spectrum exists within Adventism comparable to the fundamentalist-moderate-liberal spectrum in the wider Christian church and in other religions. A variety of groups, movements or subcultures within the church present differing views on beliefs and lifestyle. From most conservative to most liberal, these include historic Adventists who exist somewhat on the fringe; Adventists Affirm, the Biblical Research Institute and the Adventist Theological Society on the conservative end of mainstream scholarship; the Adventist Society for Religious Studies representing the more progressive mainstream; and progressive Adventists who lie outside of the mainstream in the world church theologically, yet are mainstream in that many are lecturers at Adventist universities and colleges.

Historic Adventists, also known as "traditional Adventists", are characterized by their opposition to theological trends since the 1950s, and in particular the 1957 book Questions on Doctrine.^[6] They tend to view modern Adventist theology as a compromise with evangelicalism, and a departure from "traditional" Adventist teachings such as character perfection, the fallen nature of Jesus Christ, and an incomplete atonement. The Biblical Research Institute is the official theological research center of the church. The church has two professional organizations for Adventist theologians that are affiliated with the denomination. The Adventist Society for Religious Studies (ASRS) was formed to foster community among Adventist theologians who attend the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) and the American Academy of Religion. In 2006 ASRS voted to continue their meetings in the future in conjunction with SBL. During the 1980s the Adventist Theological Society (ATS) was formed by Jack Blanco to provide a forum for more conservative theologians to meet and is held in conjunction with the Evangelical Theological Society. Progressive Adventists tend to hold a "modernized" perspective on such issues as eschatology, the inspiration of Ellen White, the doctrine of the "remnant" and the investigative judgment.^[7][8] The progressive movement is strongest amongst the scholarship of the denomination,^[9] where it finds expression in bodies such as the Association of Adventist Forums and in journals such as Spectrum and Adventist Today.

[edit] Practices and customs

[edit] Sabbath activities

In order to keep the Sabbath holy, Adventists abstain from secular work and other non-essential business on Saturday. Much of Friday might be spent in preparation for the Sabbath—for example, preparing meals and tidying homes. Some Adventists gather for Friday evening worship to welcome in the Sabbath, a practice known as Vespers.

Saturday worship typically commences with Sabbath School, a structured time of small-group study at church. Most Adventists make use of an officially produced "Sabbath School Lesson"[1], which deals with a particular Biblical text or doctrine every quarter. Special meetings are provided for children and youth in different age groups during this time (analogous to Sunday school in other churches). After a brief break, the community joins together again for a church service that follows a typical evangelical format, with a sermon as a central feature. Corporate singing, Scripture readings, prayers and a money collection (or offering) are other standard features.

Saturday afternoon activities vary widely depending on the cultural, ethnic and social background. In some churches, members and visitors will participate in a fellowship (or "potluck") lunch. Youth activities may be held, such as the scout-like Pathfinders programme.

[edit] Holy Communion

Seventh-day Adventists usually practice communion four times a year. The communion is an open service that is available to members and Christian non-members. It commences with a feet washing ceremony, known as the "Ordinance of Humility", based on the Gospel account of John 13. The Ordinance of Humility is meant to symbolize Christ's washing of his disciples' feet at the Last Supper. Participants segregate by gender to separate rooms to conduct this ritual, although some congregations allow married couples to perform the ordinance on each other. After its completion, participants return to the main sanctuary for consumption of the Lord's Supper, which consists of unleavened bread[2] and unfermented grape juice.

[edit] Health and diet

Since the 1860s when the church began, wholeness and health have been an emphasis of the Seventh-day Adventist church.^[10] 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. The church discourages its members from the use of alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs (compare Christianity and alcohol). In addition, a number of Adventists avoid coffee and other beverages containing caffeine.

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.

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. Throughout the world, the church runs a wide network of hospitals, clinics, and sanitariums. These play a role in the church's health message and worldwide missions outreach.^[11]

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 not smoking or drinking, and their healthy, low-fat vegetarian diet rich in nuts and beans.^[12][13][14] The cohesiveness of Seventh-day Adventists' social networks has also been put forward as an explanation of their extended lifespan.^[15]

[edit] Ethics and sexuality

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 to make their own decisions.^[16]

According to official statements from the General Conference, heterosexual marriages are the only biblically ordained grounds for sexual intimacy.^[17][18] Seventh-day Adventists do not perform same-sex marriages and gay men cannot be ordained. An extramarital affair is one of the sanctioned grounds for a divorce.

The Adventist church has released official statements in relation to other ethical issues such as euthanasia,^[19] birth control^[20] and human cloning.^[21]

[edit] Dress and entertainment

In Western countries, Seventh-day Adventists have traditionally held socially conservative attitudes regarding dress and entertainment. These attitudes are reflected in one of the church's fundamental beliefs:

"For the Spirit to recreate in us the character of our Lord we involve ourselves only in those things which will produce Christlike purity, health, and joy in our lives. This means that our amusement and entertainment should meet the highest standards of Christian taste and beauty. While recognizing cultural differences, our dress is to be simple, modest, and neat, befitting those whose true beauty does not consist of outward adornment but in the imperishable ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit."^[5]

Accordingly, many Western Adventists are opposed to practices such as body piercing and tattoos. More conservative Adventists refrain from the wearing of jewelry altogether, including such items as earrings and wedding bands^[22]. During the Sabbath hours (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) it is usual for Adventists to dress formally when attending church.

Conservative Adventists also avoid certain recreational activities which are considered to be a negative spiritual influence, including dancing, rock music and secular theatre.^[23][24] However, these sentiments are far less common among the younger generation of Adventists. The Adventist church officially opposes the practice of gambling.^[25]

Though it seems unbelievable to some, I’m thankful that when I grew up in the church I was taught not to go to the movie theater, dance, listen to popular music, read novels, wear jewelry, play cards, bowl, play pool, or even be fascinated by professional sports.

– James R. Nix, Growing Up Adventist: No apologies needed^[26]

[edit] Structure, polity and institutions

[edit] Structure and polity

Main article: Government of the Seventh-day Adventist Church

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is governed by a form of democratic representation which resembles the presbyterian system of church organization. Four levels of organization exist within the world church.^[27]

1. The local church is the foundation level of organisational structure and is the public face of the denomination. Every baptised Adventist is a member of a local church and has voting powers within that church.
2. Directly above the local church is the "local conference". The local conference is an organization of churches within a state, province or territory (or part thereof) which appoints ministers, owns church land and organises the distribution of tithes and payments to ministers.
3. Above the local conference is the "union conference" which embodies a number of local conferences within a larger territory.
4. 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 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 in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.

Each organization is governed by a general "session" which occurs at certain intervals. This is usually when general decisions 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.

Tithes collected from church members are not used directly by the local churches, but are passed upwards to the local conferences which then distribute the finances towards various ministry needs.

The church manual^[27] 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.

[edit] Church officers and clergy

A number of lay offices exist within the local church, including the ordained positions of elder and deacon.^[27] Elders and deacons are appointed by the vote of a local church business meeting or elected committees. Elders serve a mainly administrative and pastoral role, but must also be capable of providing religious leadership (particularly in the absence of an ordained minister). The role of deacons is to assist in the smooth functioning of a local church and to maintain church property.

The ordained clergy of the Seventh-day Adventist church are known as ministers or pastors. Ministers are neither elected nor employed by the local churches, but instead are appointed by the local conferences, which assign them responsibility over a single church or group of churches.

[edit] Relations with other denominations

The Seventh-day Adventist church generally opposes the ecumenical movement, although it supports some of the goals of ecumenism. The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists has released an official statement concerning the Adventist position with respect to the ecumenical movement, which contains the following paragraph:

"Should Adventists cooperate ecumenically? Adventists should cooperate insofar as the authentic gospel is proclaimed and crying human needs are being met. The Seventh-day Adventist Church wants no entangling memberships and refuses any compromising relationships that might tend to water down her distinct witness. However, Adventists wish to be "conscientious cooperators." The ecumenical movement as an agency of cooperation has acceptable aspects; as an agency for organic unity of churches, it is much more suspect."^[28]

While not being a member church of the World Council of Churches, the Seventh-day Adventist church has participated in WCC assemblies in an observer capacity.^[29]

[edit] Institutions

[edit] Educational institutions

See also: List of Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities

The Adventist church runs one of the largest Protestant education systems in the world. It operates 7,000 schools, colleges and universities, with a total enrolment of more than 1,300,000 students and approximately 69,000 teachers.^[30] The Adventist educational program is comprehensive, encompassing "mental, physical, social, and spiritual health" with "intellectual growth and service to humanity" its goal.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Humanitarian

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.^{[citation needed]} ADRA has been granted General Consultative Status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Worldwide ADRA employs over 4,000 people to help both provide relief in crises and development in situations of poverty.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Pathfinders

Main article: Pathfinders (Seventh-day Adventist)

The Youth Department of the Seventh-day Adventist church runs an organization 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 genders. Pathfinders exposes young people to such activities as camping, community service, personal mentorship, skills-based education, and trains them for leadership. Yearly "Camporees" are held in individual Conferences, where Pathfinders from the region gather and participate in events similar to Boy Scouts' Jamborees.

For younger children, "Adventurer", "Eager Beaver", and "Little Lambs" clubs are programs that feed into the Pathfinder program.

[edit] Other institutions

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has been active for over 100 years advocating 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.

The Ellen G. White Estate was established in 1915 at the death of Ellen White, as specified in her legal will. Its purpose is to act as custodian of her writings, and as of 2006 has 15 board members. The Ellen G. White Estate also hosts the official Ellen White website.^[31]

The Geoscience Research Institute, based at Loma Linda University, was founded in 1958 to investigate the scientific evidence concerning origins.

[edit] Independent Organizations

See also: Independent ministries of the Seventh-day Adventist Church

In addition to the institutions which are formally administered by the denomination, numerous para-church organisations and independent ministries exist. These include various health centers and hospitals, publishing and media ministries, and aid organisations.

A number of independent ministries have been established by groups within the Seventh-day Adventist church who hold a theologically distinct position or wish to promote a specific message. These include such organisations as Hope International[3] and Good News Unlimited. Certain of these ministries solicit funding from members and have a strained relationship with the official church, which has expressed concerns that such ministries may threaten Adventist unity.^[32] Some groups such as Pilgrim’s Rest have been criticized for disseminating anti-Catholic material. In response, the church has acknowledged that some Adventists "have manifested prejudice and even bigotry" against Catholics, while insisting that such behavior is not condoned.^[33]

[edit] Membership, outreach and publishing

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 instruction on what the church believes.^[27]

As of June, 2006, the church has 14,754,022 baptized members.^[34] Just over one million 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 the developing nations. Depending on how the data was measured, it is reported that church membership reached 1 million between 1955 and 1961, and grew to 5 million in 1986. At the turn of the 21st century the church over 10 million members which grew to over 14 million in 2005.^[1] It is believed that over 25 million worship weekly in churches.^[35] The church operates in 202 out of 230 countries and areas recognised by the United Nations.^[1]

[edit] Mission

Started in the late 1800s, Adventist mission work today reaches people in over 200 countries.^[1] Adventist mission workers preach the gospel, promote health through hospitals and clinics, run development projects to improve living standards, and provide relief in times of calamity.^[36]

Missionary outreach of the Seventh-day Adventist church is aimed at both non-Christians and Christians from other denominations. Adventists believe that Christ has called His followers in the Great Commission to reach the whole world. Adventists are cautious, however, to ensure that evangelism does not impede on the basic rights of the individual. Religious liberty is a stance that the Seventh-day Adventist church supports and promotes.^[37]

[edit] Adventist media

Adventists have for a long time been proponents of media-based ministries. Traditional Adventist evangelistic efforts consisted of street missions and the distribution of tracts such as The Present Truth, which was published by James White as early as 1849. 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.

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.^[38]

Recently, a number of satellite broadcasted live evangelistic events have been undertaken by evangelists such as Doug Batchelor, Mark Finley and Dwight Nelson, addressing audiences in up to 40 languages simultaneously.^[39]

Additionally, there exists a range of privately owned media entities representing Adventist beliefs. These include the 3ABN and SafeTV stations. Amazing Facts and The Quiet Hour are two other radio and television programs.

[edit] Publishing

The Seventh-day Adventist Church owns and operates many publishing companies around the world. Two of the largest are located in the United States - the Pacific Press Publishing Association and the Review and Herald Publishing Association.^[40]

The official church magazine is the Adventist Review, published by the Review and Herald Publishing Association. It has a sister magazine Adventist World which has an international perspective. Another major magazine published by the church is the bimonthly Liberty magazine, which addresses issues of religious freedom.

[edit] 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. These 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.

A well known but distant offshoot is the Branch Davidians, themselves a schism within the larger Davidian movement.^[41] The Davidians formed in 1929, after Victor Houteff's book "The Shepherd's Rod" was rejected as being heretical. 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 died 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 from July 14-20, 1925. The movement officially incorporated in 1949.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[42] In the 25 years since, Ford has worked through the independent ministry Good News Unlimited.

Since the 1980s, debate concerning the prophetic gift of Ellen White has been particularly heated. A number of Adventists such as Walter Rea and Dale Ratzlaff left the church and have become prominent critics of the church's teachings and particularly of Ellen White. In parallel with these events, many Adventist scholars have adopted more moderate views of her inspiration.

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 with the church called SDA Kinship International[4], formed in 1976.

[edit] Criticisms

Main article: Criticism of the Seventh-day Adventist Church

The Seventh-day Adventist church has been criticised along three main lines: firstly, in relation to its doctrines; secondly, in relation to Ellen G. White and her status within the church; and thirdly, in relation to alleged exclusivist attitudes and behaviour.^[43]

A common discussion in evangelical circles is whether or not Seventh-day Adventist doctrines are far enough from "orthodox" or mainstream Christian teaching to qualify as heresy.^[44] Teachings which have come under repeated scrutiny are the annihilationist view of hell, the heavenly sanctuary doctrine and investigative judgment (and related concepts such as an ongoing atonement), and certain eschatological views. Adventists have frequently been accused of legalism, because of their emphasis on law-keeping and Sabbath-observance.^[45][46]

While some Christians are inclined to classify Adventism as a sectarian group on the basis of its aberrant doctrines, others (such as Walter Martin and Donald Barnhouse) have considered it a truly Christian church. Martin’s The Truth about Seventh-day Adventists (1960) marked a turning point in the way Adventism was viewed.^[47]

"...it is perfectly possible to be a Seventh-day Adventist and be a true follower of Jesus Christ despite heterodox concepts..."

– Walter Martin, Kingdom of the Cults^[48]

Of particular note, Billy Graham invited Adventists to be part of his crusades after Eternity, a conservative Christian magazine edited by Barnhouse, asserted that Adventists are Christians in September 1956.^[49]

Ellen G. White’s status as a modern day prophet has often been criticised. It is argued that the authority attached to her writings by the church contradicts the Protestant sola scriptura principle. In response, Adventists have asserted that the concept of a contemporary prophet is not prohibited by Scripture, and that Scripture remains the ultimate authority to which even White’s writings are subject. Walter Rea and other critics have accused White of plagiarism;^[50] Adventist scholars such as Fred Veltman have contested this.^[51]

Finally, it is alleged that certain Adventist beliefs and practices are exclusivist in nature. Specifically, concern has been raised about the Adventist claim to be the “remnant church”, and the traditional characterization of other Christian churches (Roman Catholicism in particular^[33]) as "Antichrist" and "Babylon".^[52][53][54] These apparently sectarian attitudes are said to legitimize the proselytising of Christians from other denominations.^[55] In response to such criticisms, Adventist theologians have stated that the doctrine of the remnant does not preclude the existence of genuine Christians in other denominations.^[56]

"We fully recognize the heartening fact that a host of true followers of Christ are scattered all through the various churches of Christendom, including the Roman Catholic communion. These God clearly recognizes as His own. Such do not form a part of the "Babylon" portrayed in the Apocalypse."

– Questions on Doctrine, p. 197.

[edit] 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
• Criticism of the Seventh-day Adventist Church

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official website

• Seventh-day Adventist Church: Fundamental beliefs
• Biblical Research Institute[5] The official Theological Research Center
• Ellen G. White Estate The official Ellen White website
• Adventist Review The official Seventh-day Adventist Church periodical
• Global Mission The official project giving website of the Adventist Church
• Seventh-day Adventist Church State Council Dedicated to Adventist principles of religious liberty
• Adventist Archives Search Historical Documents
• The Hope Channel The Official Television Network of the Church
• Liberty Magazine a bi-monthly magazine published by the church that addresses issues of religious freedom
• Geoscience Research Institute, set up to investigate origins
• ReligiousTolerance.org profile
• Religions in Canada, Department of National Defence, Government of Canada