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 |  About Us
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God Adventists base their faith in God as revealed through Jesus Christ and as shown through the Bible, inspired by the Holy Spirit. |
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Faith Faith means placing complete trust in God, and accepting his offer of salvation. Such trusting faith is fundamental to Adventist beliefs. A living relationship with God is essential to faith. |
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The Bible Written down over many years, the Bible presents the essential truth about God. The Holy Spirit inspired human writers to reveal the character of God and how he wishes to save all those who come to him. The Bible explains the nature of God and the way God’s followers will behave as a result of their relationship with him. |
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The Gospel The heart of the Adventist message is the gospel, God’s good news of salvation. Through Jesus’ death on the cross human beings may be won back to love and trust God, and accept God’s free gift of eternal life for all those who follow him. |
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Creation Creator of the Universe, Christ formed our world in seven days, and created the first man and woman. At the close of his creative work, God gave the Sabbath as a day of celebration and worship. |
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The Sabbath The seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday) is given as a reminder of the God who both creates and saves, and is the day God invites all to come and worship him. Jesus observed the seventh-day Sabbath while on earth, and Adventists follow his example in keeping the fourth of the Ten Commandments. |
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The Second Advent Adventists look forward to the soon return of Jesus Christ as prophesied and as he himself promised, but do not set any date for this glorious event when he comes to take home all who accept him as their Lord. |
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Life After Death and the Future Adventists follow Jesus in identifying those who die as sleeping. Those who have trusted God are raised to life when Jesus returns, and look forward to a wonderful future--eternal life in God’s presence. |
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Baptism and Commitment Those who choose to accept God’s way for their lives and his offer of eternal life demonstrate their belief through baptism (being immersed in water), following the example of Jesus. Adventists follow lives of commitment to God and his plan for us, which include following his commands as being for our best good. |
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Education The Adventist Church operates one of the largest educational systems in the world, and features Universities such as Loma Linda whose Medical Center is at the forefront of treatments such as the innovative Proton Accelerator for cancer treatment. Through a world-wide network of schools, Adventists seek to better humanity through providing education and vocational training. |
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Community Aid Through the Adventist Development and Relief Agency and other programs, the Adventist Church provides practical assistance to those less fortunate, caring for the poor and disadvantaged in many countries of the world, without regard for race, religion or nationality. The Church also operates youth camps, community service projects, family life counseling and other programs to assist those wishing to overcome drug addiction and alcohol or tobacco dependence. |
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The Communication of Hope Seventh-day Adventists communicate hope by focusing on the quality of life that is complete in Jesus. Communication is a vital aspect of faith, sharing the good news of God and keeping the family of believers in touch through a global system that includes satellite broadcasting, TV, radio, print and electronic media such as the Internet and the Adventist On-line Forum on CompuServe. |
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About the Seventh-day Adventist Church |
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Our Mission The mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is to proclaim to all peoples the everlasting gospel in the context of the three angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-12, leading them to accept Jesus as personal Savior and to unite with His church, and nurturing them in preparation for His soon return. |
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Our Method We pursue this mission under the guidance of the Holy Spirit through: |
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PREACHING Accepting Christ's commission (Matt 28:18-20), we proclaim to all the world the message of a loving God, most fully revealed in His Son's reconciling ministry and atoning death. Recognizing the Bible to be God's infallible revelation of His will, we present its full message, including the second advent of Christ and the continuing authority of His Ten Commandment law with its reminder of the seventh-day Sabbath. |
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TEACHING Acknowledging that development of mind and character is essential to God's redemptive plan, we promote the growth of a mature understanding of and relationship to God, His Word, and the created universe. |
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HEALING Affirming the biblical emphasis on the well-being of the whole person, we make the preservation of health and the healing of the sick a priority and through our ministry to the poor and oppressed, cooperate with the Creator in His compassionate work of restoration. |
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Our Vision In harmony with the great prophecies of the Scriptures, we see as the climax of God's plan the restoration of all His creation to full harmony with His perfect will and righteousness. |
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Denominational History Denominational History Seventh-day Adventists are, doctrinally, heirs of the Millerite Movement of the 1840's. Although the name "Seventh-day Adventist" was chosen in 1860, the denomination was not officially organized until May 21, 1863, when the movement included some 125 churches and 3,500 members. Work was largely confined to North America until 1874 when the Church's first missionary, J. N. Andrews, was sent to Switzerland. Africa was penetrated briefly in 1879 when Dr. H. P. Ribton, an early convert in Italy, moved to Egypt and opened a school, but the project ended when riots broke out in the vicinity. The first non-Protestant Christian country entered was Russia, where an Adventist minister went in 1886. On October 20, 1890, the schooner Pitcairn was launched at San Francisco, California, and was soon engaged in carrying missionaries to the Pacific islands. Seventh-day Adventist workers first entered non-Christian countries in 1894-Gold Coast (Ghana), West Africa, and Matabeleland, South-Africa. The same year saw missionaries entering South-America, and in 1896 there were representatives in Japan. The Church now has established work in 204 countries. The publication and distribution of literature were major factors in the growth of the Advent Movement. The Adventist Review and Sabbath Herald (now the Adventist Review), general church paper, was launched in Paris, Maine, in 1850; the Youth's Instructor in Rochester, New York, in 1852; and the Signs of the Times in Oakland, California, in 1874. The first denominational publishing house at Battle Creek, Michigan, began operating in 1855 and was duly incorporated in 1861 under the name of Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association. The Health Reform Institute, later known as the Battle Creek Sanitarium, opened its doors in 1866, and missionary society work was organized on a state-wide basis in 1870. The first of the Church's worldwide network of schools was established in 1872, and 1877 saw the formation of state-wide Sabbath school associations. In 1903, the denominational headquarters was moved from Battle Creek, Michigan, to Washington, D.C., and in 1989 to Silver Spring Maryland, where it continues to form the nerve center of an ever-expanding work. The distinctive Seventh-day Adventist message may be summarized as "the everlasting gospel," the basic Christian message of salvation through faith in Christ, in the special setting of the threefold message of Revelation 14:6-12, the call to worship the Creator, "for the hour of his judgment is come." This message is epitomized in the phrase, "the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." |
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Global Mission |
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What is Global Mission? Global Mission is a special initiative, voted at the 1990 General Conference Session of the World Church, to reach unentered areas of the world with the Gospel-to reach the unreached with hope. God's love compels Global Mission's holistic, compassion-driven outreach to people who haven't heard the gospel story. Although it's important to maintain and support existing missions and institutions, this isn't Global Mission's role. Global Mission supports local initiatives for frontline ministry in unentered areas-and helps involve all church departments in this task. |
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A Holistic Ministry Global Mission cares for the whole person. Like Jesus sent out the first disciples to preach, tcach, and heal the sick, Global Mission's frontline workers reach out to the needs of people. Global Mission pioneers share the good news through a holistic ministry including: caring for the sick, teaching agricultural skills, running literacy programs, holding evangelistic meetings, and giving Bible studies. |
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What are "Unentered Areas"? Unentered areas are those parts of the world where there are no Adventists. This can range from an unentered suburb in a North American city through to a country in the Middle East. According to the United Nations, there are 236 countries in the world. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has established work in all but 21 of these countries. |
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What are Global Mission Pioneers? Pioneers are laypcople who volunteer at least a year to establish a congregation in an unentered area within their own culture. They have the advantage of knowing the culture, speaking the language, blending with the local people-and being far less expensive than overseas missionaries. More than 20,000 Global Mission pioneers are now working around the world. Since 1990 pioneers have established more than 14,000 new Seventh-day Adventist congregations. |
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More Facts * Nearly 90 percent of Seventh-day Adventists live in countries that contain only 23 percent of the world's population. * The number of unreached people groups of 1 million or more has declined from 2,300 in 1990 to less than 900 today. (It's important to note that since 1990 about 1,000 new people groups have been added. Global Mission is gaining ground.) * An average of 4.5 churches have been established every day since Global Mission began * Global Mission is audited annually, and the reports are available for anyone to see. The operations of Global Mission are funded by an endowment from the sale of Loma linda foods, so 100 percent of donations go to the project designated. * Global Mission is rigorous in demanding accountability for money given to support projects throughout the world. |
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A Brief History of The Seventh-day Adventist Church Organized in 1863, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has its doctrinal roots in the ' Advent Awakening" movement of the 1840s. Hundreds of thousands of Christians became convinced from their study of Bible prophecy that Christ would soon return. This re-awakening of a neglected Biblical belief occurred in many countries, with a major focus in North America. After the "great disappointment" of their hopes in 1844, these "advent believers" broke up into a number of different groups. One group, studying their Bibles for increased understanding, recognized the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday) as the day of worship. This group, which included Ellen and James White and Joseph Bates, became the nucleus of the church congregations that chose the name "Seventh-day Adventist Church" and organized in Battle Creek, Michigan, with 125 churches and 3,500 members. Ellen Whites ministry under God's special guidance greatly influenced the development of the Adventist Church. Her counsels and messages to believers and church leaders shaped the form and progress of the church, while its beliefs have remained totally Bible-based. Other early Adventists of note include John Harvey Kellogg, inventor of the "cornflake' developed by his brother Will and pioneer of the Battle Creek Sanitarium; Joseph Bates, retired sea captain and first leader of an Adventist administration; Uriah Smith, prolific author and inventor, and editor of the church's paper for almost 50 years. Adventist missionaries began work outside of North America in 1874, when J.N. Andrews was sent to Switzerland. In 1890, an Adventist minister began working in Russia, while in 1894 church operations commenced in Africa (Ghana and South Africa). Missionaries also arrived in South America in 1894, and in Japan in 1896. The church now operates in 205 countries worldwide. Growth from the early days has been dramatic. From the small group meeting in 1846 and the organization of the church with 3,500 believers, Seventh-day Adventists now number 11 million worldwide. For more information about the Seventh-day Adventist Church, visit its official Web site: www.adventist.org |
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A Quick Look at the Sevenyh Day Adventist Church |
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Name Seventh-day Adventists: the name highlights two beliefs that reflect two core Christian values important to the Adventist Church. The second coming (or "advent") of Jesus expresses the vital hope of the church; the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday) emphasizes the Biblical day of worship of the Creator and Savior of the world. |
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Belief in Action The most important truth Adventists want to share is belief in the trustworthy and gracious God of the Bible. Adventists believe in God as Creator, as Savior, but most of all as both friend and Lord; the God who values most highly the freedom of his created beings, to whom he offers salvation in the present and eternal life in the soon-coming future. As a result, Adventists place great emphasis on different aspects of human freedom and responsibility, including: * religious liberty and human rights * humanitarian aid and development * better lifestyles * health and wholeness * education and personal growth * social issues and community involvement Adventists see their adherence to these values as a way of illustrating both faith in the God who cares intimately about every one of Earth's inhabitants and the church's commitment to the betterment of all human beings. |
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