The origins of 7th Day Adventists can be traced to 1831, during which William Miller, a war veteran that had become a priest, began deeper research into Biblical scripture. Miller’s movement was joined by Joseph Bates and the group grew to focus on the return of Jesus Christ, also dubbed the Second Advent, which was believed to be approaching. However, on the 22nd of October of 1844, Miller would find that he had misinterpreted Biblical texts and as such had chosen the wrong date for his assumption of the Second Advent (Ask an Adventist Friend, n.d.). Following this, Joseph Bates would publish an article on the Biblical seventh day, or the Sabbath, which would go on to convince many to join their movement. This included James and Ellen White, both of whom would contribute to the research and content of the movement by publishing in periodicals and other written and distributed texts. The movement would receive its official title in 1860 when the delegates would be referred to as the Seventh Day Adventists.
With its initial beginnings over 150 years ago, the Adventists had a modest following and a less structured leadership and governing system. However, as the belief has expanded substantially, the model for representation and governing of the movement has also shifted. Currently, Adventists support an elected representative government that hosts four levels that ascend in authority (Zavada, 2019). The lowest level begins with the local churches and related leadership representatives. Following this, local conferences or missions have authority over a number of local churches within a state, territory, or province. The third level includes unions of conferences or missions which reflects a collective of several territories, states, or even entire countries. The final level can be referred to as the General Conference, which is a governing body that expands globally. The Adventist church has currently divided the globe and its followers into thirteen distinct regions. The General Conference is represented by a president and Ted N. C. Wilson is currently the holder of the position as of November 2018.
The central focus of the Seventh Day Adventist belief is the observance of the Saturday Sabbath and the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ. Adventists believe that the Bible is the only source of their Protestant Christian beliefs and as such uphold it as the standard for both faith and practice for Christians. In a more technical sense, Adventists believe that Sabbath must be observed on Saturday due to the fact that it was the seventh day of the week after creation that God had chosen to rest. Similarly, they believe that Jesus Christ had begun ‘Investigative Judgment’ in 1844, after which the fates of all individuals had been decided. Similarly, Adventists find that after death all people enter a phase of sleep after which they will be awakened and judged during the Second Coming. In more modern society, Adventist social standards focus on health and education and have provided for the creation and upkeep of hospitals and schools. Vegetarianism also frequently appears among followers and the church prohibits alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs.
While Seventh Day Adventism cannot be labeled a highly popular religion, the number of followers, as well as the growth rate of the faith, is substantial. As of 2019, the church has approximately nineteen million members throughout two-hundred countries. Fewer than ten percent of the population resides in the U.S., with many believers being spread globally. Adventism has observed a steady growth since 2005, with 2020 citing that the church had grown approximately by 2.5% in North America (Seventh Day Adventist Church, 2022). This is a stark contrast to other denominations of Christianity in the same region such as Southern Baptists or even main denominations, which have noticed steady declines in population. Overall, it can be observed that while Seventh Day Adventism is not enjoying rapid increases in followers, there is a steady growth of joining members throughout the world. As such, the faith can be described as growing rather than dying, though its upwards trajectory is not rapid.
The video provided in the video lecture page explores both a personal and overarching experience of the Seventh Day Adventism faith. The fact that both individuals have personal and ingrained interactions with the faith allows for an observation of Adventism that is thorough, especially as a lifestyle. The importance of the Second Coming is recited due to its significance in the faith and the ways in which judgment will be passed in the Second Coming. Similarly, the health system that is supported by Adventism is also explored. Dieting and the avoidance of certain substances are also deeply respected and observed, largely as a factor of following the Biblical scripture literally. The guest cites that even activities such as movies or dancing were also forbidden. Currently, the Seventh Day Adventists do not support women as ministers or pastors, though there is slight division as many believe that women have the right to be ordained according to the Bible. Leadership is selected through a level of authority, with regional presidents selecting pastors and leaders for local churches or other positions.
Works Cited
Ask an Adventist Friend. Early history of the Adventist Movement. Ask an Adventist Friend, n.d.
Seventh Day Adventist Church. Seventh-day Adventist World Church Statistics 2021. Seventh Day Adventist Church, 2022.
Zavada, Jack. Seventh-day Adventist Church Overview. Learn Religions, 2019.