The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is a Christian group that is known for observing Saturday, the seventh day of the week, as the Sabbath. It also focuses on the belief that Jesus Christ will return soon and teaches that people who do not accept Jesus will not go to heaven. The church began in the United States during the mid-1800s as part of the Millerite movement and was officially formed in 1863. One of its co-founders was Ellen G. White, whose writings are still highly valued by the church. Seventh-day Adventists have compared Ellen G. White to biblical prophets.

Some beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church match those of other evangelical Christian groups, such as the belief in the Trinity and the idea that the Bible is without error. Unique beliefs include the idea that the soul sleeps after death, the belief in an investigative judgment, and the teaching that people who do not accept Jesus will not go to heaven. The church encourages following Jewish dietary laws, supports vegetarianism, and teaches that the body, soul, and spirit are all connected and cannot be separated. The church believes that "God created the universe, and in a recent six-day creation made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day." Marriage is defined as a lifelong union between a man and a woman. The return of Christ and the resurrection of the dead are official beliefs of the church.

The church is led by a group called the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, with smaller regions managed by divisions, unions, local conferences, and local missions. As of 2016, the church was described as "one of the fastest-growing and most widespread churches worldwide," with over 24 million baptized members. In 2007, it was the twelfth-largest Protestant religious group and the sixth-largest religious group with a global presence. The church is ethnically and culturally diverse and has missionaries in more than 215 countries and territories. It operates over 7,500 schools, including more than 100 post-secondary institutions, many hospitals, and publishing houses worldwide. It also runs a humanitarian aid organization called the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and operates tax-exempt businesses like Sanitarium, the profits from which support the church's charitable and religious activities.

History

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is the largest group among several Adventist communities that formed from the Millerite movement in the 1840s in upstate New York, which was part of the Second Great Awakening. William Miller used the Bible passage Daniel 8:14–16 and the "day-year principle" to predict that Jesus Christ would return to Earth between the spring of 1843 and the spring of 1844. In the summer of 1844, Millerites believed Jesus would return on October 22, 1844, which they thought was the biblical Day of Atonement for that year. This prediction did not come true, and the event became known as the "Great Disappointment."

Hiram Edson and other Millerites believed Miller’s calculations were correct but thought his understanding of Daniel 8:14 was wrong. They concluded that the passage referred to Jesus entering the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, not his Second Coming. Over time, this idea developed into the doctrine of the investigative judgment, a process that began in 1844. This process involves judging every person to determine their eligibility for salvation and confirming God’s justice before the universe. These Adventists continued to believe that Jesus’ return was near but avoided setting specific dates, citing the Bible verse Revelation 10:6, which says, "that there should be time no longer."

As the Adventist movement grew, questions about the biblical day of rest and worship arose. Joseph Bates became a strong supporter of Sabbath-keeping among early Adventists. He learned about the Sabbath from a tract written by Millerite preacher Thomas M. Preble, who was influenced by Rachel Oakes Preston, a young Seventh-day Baptist. This message was later included in the first edition of the church publication The Present Truth, which was published in July 1849.

For about 20 years, the Adventist movement was a small, loosely connected group of people from many churches. They mainly communicated through James White’s newspaper, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald. They believed in the Sabbath, the heavenly sanctuary interpretation of Daniel 8:14, conditional immortality, and the expectation of Christ’s return before the Millennium. Key figures included Joseph Bates, James White, and Ellen G. White. Ellen White played a central role because her visions and spiritual leadership led others to believe she had the gift of prophecy.

On May 21, 1863, the Seventh-day Adventist Church was officially founded in Battle Creek, Michigan. The church’s headquarters later moved to Takoma Park, Maryland, where it remained until 1989. In 1989, the headquarters was relocated to Silver Spring, Maryland, where it is now located.

In the 1870s, the church focused on evangelism through missionary work and revivals. By 1880, membership had grown to 16,000, and the church had expanded beyond North America by the late 19th century. Membership continued to increase, reaching 75,000 by 1901. At that time, the church operated two colleges, a medical school, 12 academies, 27 hospitals, and 13 publishing houses. By 1945, the church estimated it had 210,000 members in the United States and Canada, and 360,000 members worldwide. The church’s budget was $29 million, and 140,000 students were enrolled in its schools.

Beliefs

The church first shared its beliefs and teachings in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1872. This early statement was called "A Synopsis of Our Faith." As the church developed its core beliefs, it faced challenges. Many early Adventist leaders came from churches that believed in a version of Arianism, though Ellen G. White, a key figure, did not support this view. These beliefs, along with others, caused some conservative evangelical Protestants to view the church as a cult. Adventist scholars say White’s teachings helped shift the church’s views from semi-Arian ideas toward Trinitarianism, which is the belief in one God who exists as three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. By the 1890s, Adventists credited White with helping the church better understand the nature of God. In the early 20th century, the Adventist Church officially adopted Trinitarian theology and began working with other Protestant groups. In 2015, Christianity Today named the Seventh-day Adventist Church as the fifth-largest Christian group worldwide.

Ellen G. White’s husband claimed her visions did not support Trinitarian beliefs. However, her writings show she became more aware of the "mystery of the Godhead" through continued Bible study. After years of debate, the church concluded that the Bible clearly teaches the existence of a triune God. This belief is included in the church’s 28 Fundamental Beliefs, a non-credal statement of faith adopted in 1980 and updated in 2005. Most of these beliefs align with those of other evangelical Protestant denominations. However, some beliefs, such as worshiping on Saturday, the gift of prophecy through Ellen G. White, and the sanctuary doctrine, are considered different by some evangelicals.

The church teaches that God created Earth in six days and rested on the seventh day, which is Saturday. It practices baptism by immersion and believes the Bible is the most important book. Adventists believe that when people die, they remain asleep until the day of resurrection. Eternal life is given to those who accept Jesus as their Savior. Salvation is only possible through Jesus. The church also believes in the investigative judgment, a heavenly event that happens before Jesus returns. It accepts the Book of Revelation, which describes the Second Coming of Jesus.

On Friday, some Adventists prepare for the Sabbath by cooking meals or cleaning. Some gather for evening worship, a practice called vespers. The main weekly service is held on Saturday, starting with Sabbath School, a time for small-group Bible study. The church uses an official "Sabbath School Lesson" that focuses on a specific Bible topic each quarter. After a short break, the congregation attends a church service with a sermon, singing, Scripture readings, prayers, and an offering, including tithing. Worship styles vary globally.

Adventists practice open communion four times a year, beginning with a foot-washing ceremony called the "Ordinance of Humility," based on Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. Participants separate by gender during this ritual, though some groups allow married couples or families to participate together. Afterward, they take part in the Lord’s Supper, which includes unleavened bread and unfermented grape juice.

Since the church began in the 1860s, it has encouraged a vegetarian diet, avoiding foods like pork, shellfish, and other animals listed as "unclean" in Leviticus 11. It also discourages alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs. Some Adventists avoid processed foods and caffeine.

The Adventist Church played a key role in popularizing breakfast cereals and meat alternatives. John Harvey Kellogg created Protose, a wheat gluten and peanut patty, at Battle Creek Sanitarium. He and his brother, Will Keith Kellogg, invented corn flakes at the same sanitarium. The Kellogg brothers also developed bran flakes and Rice Krispies. In 1906, Will Keith Kellogg founded the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company. Later, Special Foods (now Worthington Foods) produced meatless products like Soyloin Steaks and Meatless Wieners. In Australia and New Zealand, the church-owned Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company makes brands such as So Good and Weet-Bix.

Studies on Adventist health show that Adventists in California live four to ten years longer than average Californians. Researchers believe this is due to their habits: not smoking, avoiding alcohol, resting on the Sabbath, and eating a healthy, low-fat vegetarian diet rich in nuts and beans. Strong social networks among Adventists may also contribute to longer lifespans. Loma Linda, California, is known as a "Blue Zone" of longevity, partly because of the large Adventist population. A study of 96,000 Adventists aged 30 to 112, living in Canada and the U.S., found that 8% were vegan, 28% were ovo/lacto-vegetarian, 10% were pesco-vegetarian, 6% were semi-vegetarian, and 48% were non-vegetarian. Most participants did not smoke or drink alcohol. Vegetarian Adventists had lower risks of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain cancers compared to non-vegetarians.

Organization

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is organized using a system similar to the Presbyterian church. There are four levels of organization within the church.

• The local church is the smallest and most basic level. It is where members meet and worship. Every baptized Adventist belongs to a local church and can vote on church matters.
• Above the local church is the "local conference." This group includes churches in a state, province, or territory. It appoints ministers, manages church land, and distributes tithes and payments to ministers.
• Above the local conference is the "union conference." This group includes several local conferences in a larger area.
• The highest level is the General Conference. It includes 13 "Divisions" that cover different parts of the world. The General Conference makes final decisions on important church matters and is led by a president. Its main office is in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States.

The church is organized so that local churches have the most authority. Each level of the church has a "session," which is a meeting where decisions are made. Churches send representatives to vote on local and larger church matters. These representatives choose leaders for bigger areas, and the General Conference selects its leaders every five years.

Tithes collected from members are sent to local conferences, which use the money to support church work. Employees are paid according to local church rules.

The Church Manual allows each level of the church to create schools, hospitals, and other groups to help spread its message.

Ministers, also called pastors, are not chosen by local churches. They are appointed by local conferences to lead one or more churches. Ordination is a formal recognition given to pastors and elders after years of service. In many places, women cannot be called "ordained," but some may be "commissioned" or "ordained-commissioned." Starting in 2012, some groups allowed member conferences to ordain women, regardless of gender.

Local churches have lay leaders, such as elders and deacons. Elders help with church management and provide spiritual guidance, especially when no pastor is present. Deacons help keep church activities running smoothly and care for church property.

In 1990, church leaders voted against ordaining women. Most people who supported this decision were from Africa, Asia, and South America, while those from Europe and North America were more likely to support ordination. In 2005, church leaders again refused to allow local conferences in North America to ordain women.

In 2012, the Columbia Union Conference in Maryland and the Pacific Union Conference in California voted to ordain women. Church leaders were unhappy with these decisions, calling them not in line with the church’s global rules. At that time, there were 320 women pastors worldwide, with 120 in North America and 4,100 men. In 2013, a woman was elected president of the Southeastern California Conference for the first time.

In 2015, church leaders again voted against ordaining women as pastors. They voted 1,381 against and 977 in favor. Some Adventists in North America, Europe, and other areas have continued to ordain women. Women cannot lead local conferences or start or close churches. Ted N. C. Wilson, the church president, voted against ordination, while former president Jan Paulsen supported it.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is one of the fastest-growing churches worldwide, with most new members coming from developing countries. Today, many members live outside the United States, especially in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. A new member is baptized every 30.33 seconds.

In 2006, over 25 million people attended Adventist churches weekly. In 2011, the church was the fastest-growing in the United States, with a 2.5% membership increase in North America. By 2013, the church had over 17 million members. However, the church lost one-third of its members over 50 years, with 43 members leaving for every 100 added. Reasons for leaving included marriage problems and job loss. In 2015, the church was the most racially diverse in the United States, with 37% white, 32% Black, 15% Hispanic, 8% Asian, and 8% other or mixed. In 2017, the church had members in nearly every country except Brunei, Comoros, Djibouti, Falkland Islands, Iran, Jersey, Maldives, Monaco, Somalia, and Tokelau. In 2019, the church had 21 million baptized members worldwide.

In 2020, the church reported the lowest membership growth in 16 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding only 803,000 members. In 2021, 1.2 million members worshiped in Canada and the United States. In 2025, the church had 23 million members when Erton Köhler was elected president of the General Conference.

Adventist mission

The Seventh-day Adventist Church began its mission work in the late 1800s. Today, its efforts reach people in over 200 countries and territories. Mission workers share the gospel, operate hospitals and clinics to improve health, run projects to help communities, and provide aid during emergencies.

The church’s mission includes helping both non-Christians and Christians from other groups. Adventists believe that Jesus told his followers to spread the message worldwide. They are careful to respect people’s rights and support religious freedom.

Globally, the Adventist Church runs 7,598 schools, colleges, and universities. These institutions have more than 1.5 million students and about 80,000 teachers. This is the second-largest school system in the world, after the Roman Catholic Church’s system.

In North America, the church operates major medical institutions, including Loma Linda University, Loma Linda University Medical Center, and AdventHealth Orlando. Worldwide, the church runs hospitals, clinics, health centers, and sanitariums. These support the church’s health message and mission work.

AdventHealth is the largest not-for-profit Protestant healthcare provider in the United States. It operates 56 hospitals in nine states.

For more than 50 years, the church has helped people through the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). ADRA works in 125 countries and areas. It has official status with the United Nations and employs over 4,000 people to help during crises and in poor communities.

The church supports protecting the environment and reducing the risks of climate change. It encourages a lifestyle that avoids overconsumption and waste. This includes respecting nature, using resources wisely, and valuing all life.

Adventists have used media for evangelism for many years. Early efforts included street missions and distributing tracts like The Present Truth, published in 1849. In 1874, J. N. Andrews went to Switzerland, and Adventist efforts expanded globally.

In the 20th century, the church used radio and television. The first radio program was Voice of Prophecy, started in 1929. Later, It Is Written became the first religious program on color TV in 1965 and used satellite technology. Amazing Facts, started in 1965, answers Bible questions live on radio. The church’s official TV network, Hope Channel, began in 2003 and broadcasts internationally.

In 1971, Adventist World Radio was founded. It now broadcasts in over 100 languages through shortwave radio, podcasts, and 1,700+ AM/FM stations.

Adventist evangelists like Doug Batchelor, Mark Finley, and Dwight Nelson have held live satellite events in up to 40 languages.

In 2016, the church released a film called Tell the World.

The church owns 58 publishing companies worldwide, producing materials in about 136 languages. Many are in the Trans-European Division and Inter-European Division. In 2014, Review and Herald Publishing Association merged with Pacific Press Publishing Association. The merger was approved by both organizations’ boards. Review and Herald had been based in Maryland since 1983 but faced financial losses, dropping from $45.8 million in revenue in 1985 to $21.8 million in 2013. Pacific Press moved to Idaho in 1983 to reduce costs.

The Adventist Church generally does not join the ecumenical movement but supports some of its goals. The church has participated in meetings of the World Council of Churches as an observer, even though it is not a member.

Criticism

The Adventist Church has faced criticism over several issues, including some teachings that differ from traditional beliefs, the role of Ellen G. White within the church, and claims that Adventism holds exclusivist views. Specific teachings under scrutiny include the belief that hell means destruction, the investigative judgment (and a related idea about how Jesus’ sacrifice works), the belief that souls do not exist between death and resurrection (called soul sleep), and the observance of the Sabbath. Critics, such as evangelical scholar Anthony Hoekema, argued that some Adventist teachings were unusual and that the church sometimes emphasized strict rules.

Although some critics, like Hoekema, once considered Adventism a group with very different beliefs, Adventism was later seen as more mainstream by Protestant evangelicals after discussions in the 1950s. Billy Graham, a well-known evangelist, invited Adventists to join his crusades after a Christian magazine, Eternity, stated in 1956 that Adventists are Christians. Graham later said, "They are sound on the great New Testament doctrines, including grace and redemption through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice once for all." Walter Martin, a leader in the movement to defend Christian beliefs, wrote The Truth About Seventh-day Adventists (1960), which helped shift how Adventism was viewed. He stated, "It is possible to be a Seventh-day Adventist and a true follower of Jesus Christ despite some unusual ideas."

Later, Martin planned to write a new book on Seventh-day Adventism with help from Kenneth R. Samples. Samples wrote From Controversy to Crisis: An Updated Assessment of Seventh-day Adventism, which supported Martin’s view that Adventists who follow the teachings in Questions on Doctrine and the Evangelical Adventist movement are acceptable. However, Samples also noted that "Traditional Adventism" seemed to be moving away from some positions in Questions on Doctrine and had gained support among leaders.

Ellen G. White’s role as a modern prophet has also been questioned. During the Questions on Doctrine era, some evangelicals worried about how Adventists viewed White’s writings compared to the Bible. Adventist beliefs state that the Bible is the standard for all teachings and experiences.

A common criticism of Ellen White, promoted by figures like Walter T. Rea and Ronald Numbers, was that she copied ideas from other writers. In the 1980s, a lawyer named Vincent L. Ramik studied her writings and concluded they were not plagiarized. During a debate in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Adventist General Conference commissioned Fred Veltman to examine Ellen White’s book The Desire of Ages. Veltman found that about 31.4% of the text had some influence from other sources. These findings are stored in the General Conference Archives. Other scholars, including Roger W. Coon and Denis Fortin, worked to prove that the plagiarism claims were false. Ramik concluded that the accusations were not valid.

Critics also argue that Adventist beliefs, such as the idea of being the "remnant church" and the traditional view of Roman Catholicism as "Babylon," support efforts to convert Christians from other groups. Adventist theologians responded by explaining that the "remnant church" concept does not deny the existence of true Christians in other denominations but focuses on the institutions involved.

Offshoots and schisms

Throughout the church's history, many groups have separated from the church and created their own religious movements.

After World War I, a group called the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement was formed. This happened because some leaders, including L. R. Conradi and European church leaders, believed it was acceptable for Adventists to take part in the war. People who disagreed with this decision and refused to join the war were removed from the church by local leaders. After the war, leaders from the General Conference tried to fix the situation and bring members back together. However, those who had been harmed by the leaders resisted these efforts. Reconciliation failed, and the group officially became a separate church during a meeting held from July 14 to 20, 1925. The movement was officially registered in 1949.

In 2005, the main church acknowledged mistakes made by its German leaders during World War II. It stated that it "deeply regrets" any support given to Nazi activities by church leaders in Germany and Austria during the war.

In the Soviet Union, similar disagreements led to the formation of the True and Free Seventh-day Adventists. This group split from the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Europe during World War I over whether members should join the military or keep the Sabbath. The group continues to exist today in the former republics of the Soviet Union.

Well-known but distant groups include the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists and the Branch Davidians. These groups split from the larger Davidian movement. The Davidians formed in 1929 after Victor Houteff wrote a book called The Shepherd's Rod, which was considered incorrect by the church. After Houteff died in 1955, a disagreement over leadership led to the creation of two groups: the original Davidians and the Branch Davidians. Later, David Koresh led the Branch Davidians until he died during a 1993 event at the group's headquarters near Waco, Texas.

Cultural influence

The movie Hacksaw Ridge tells the story of Desmond Doss, a Seventh-day Adventist who refused to fight in wars and was awarded the Medal of Honor. The film The Road to Wellville is based on a book about John Harvey Kellogg, a Seventh-day Adventist doctor who led the Battle Creek Sanitarium. The documentary A Cry in the Dark describes the death of Azaria Chamberlain and shows how her parents were treated unfairly because of misunderstandings about their faith. Many other books, movies, and other media also mention Seventh-day Adventism.

Many countries have created stamps to honor the Seventh-day Adventist Church or its members. In 2020, Iraqi Post released eight special stamps to celebrate the Christian churches in Iraq. One of the stamps showed a picture of the Baghdad Seventh-day Adventist Church.