Seventh-day Adventist Church

Description

The name Seventh-day Adventist, first used in the 1860s, refers to Saturday, the seventh day of the week and Sabbath for this Church, and to the second advent (second coming) of Jesus Christ. The Church made its first appearance in Canada in 1901. The movement follows the Millerite movement of the 1840s.

In 1931, William Miller began the Great Second Advent Awakening, which attracted a large number of followers. An American Baptist minister, he predicted that Jesus would return on 22 October 1844. After the date passed and Jesus did not return, many left the Church. However, some returned to Bible study to determine why Miller had been incorrect. They concluded that the date was correct but that the event that was to have occurred had been incorrectly identified. Instead, it was decided that 22 October 1844 was a date intended by Jesus for the creation of a new ministry in heaven for his followers. With this new consensus, the movement spread again, only to be redefined as the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Certain individuals played key roles in the Awakening movement in Canada’s west. James and Ellen G. White, as well as Joseph Bates, a sea captain, played integral parts in the teaching of Seventh-day Adventism. Ellen White was a prolific writer, who wrote more than 5000 periodical articles and 49 books. She is considered by Seventh-day Adventists a prophet, and her writing on religion, education, health, social relationships, evangelism, prophecy, publishing, nutrition and management is considered authoritative in the area of Christian living. Her landmark publication, Steps to Christ, is published in more than 150 languages.

Adventists believe that there is one God, who is represented by three eternal Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The powers demonstrated by the Son and the Holy Spirit are revelations of the Father. Adventists believe that humans were made in God’s image and were given the freedom to think and act on their own. However, since Adam and Eve sinned, they fell away from God and became subject to mortality. As a result, descendants of Adam and Eve share in this sin and its consequences. Adventists believe that by having faith in Christ, who died on the cross and rose again to forgive human sins, they will have eternal life. Adventists also believe in Satan, who led a rebellion of angels and was cast out of heaven. Since the world is filled with conflict as a result, God provides angels to protect humans.

Religious Elements

Scriptural and Doctrinal Sources

Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Sacraments
Baptism is a sacrament and is completed by immersion in water.
The Lord’s Supper is an expression of faith in Jesus and occurs four times annually. Foot washing is an ordinance of this sacrament, meant to convey hospitality and the washing away of sins by Jesus Christ.

Moral Code

The moral code is based in the Ten Commandments.
Adventists believe in stewardship — that we are the caretakers of God’s possessions and creations and must protect them.
Seventh-day Adventists must act with the principles of heaven and endeavour to live their lives with as much purity, health and joy as possible.

Houses of Worship

Houses of worship are permanent structures ranging in style from early 20th-century wood structures typical of rural areas and small villages to larger buildings of brick or stone construction. The interior is essentially a meeting hall with a raised platform for the Communion table and pulpit. A structure’s size reflects the size of the congregation. Multipurpose buildings housing chapel, school, social area and administration are common; sometimes these are rented, to save construction costs.

Devotional Practices and Services

The fourth commandment requires that worship take place on the seventh day of the week, known as the Sabbath (Saturday for Adventists).
The Seventh-day Adventists provide community service in situations where it is needed, both locally and internationally. An example is relief work, which is done through the Adventist Development and Relief Agency.
The Church in Canada operates schools and a college.
Services include prayers, songs and a sermon.
Hospitality is required of a church and its members, to ensure that the community of worshippers feels welcome.
Sermons may be delivered only by those who have been given authority by the Church, although in some circumstances, government officials or others may be given permission to address the congregation.

Clergy, Organization and Government

The supreme authority of the Church lies with its congregations.
The Church is organized in the following manner:

A group of churches in a local area is called a Conference.
The Union Conference or Mission is a united body of Conferences within a larger territory.
The General Conference is the largest unit of organization, and unions around the world are included in its jurisdiction. The General Conference is divided into Divisions (such as North America), each having administrative responsibility in a region.
Religious elders are called or elected by the congregation.
Ordained ministers have a higher rank than elders and are called to service by the congregation.
The deacon is elected to office and may serve for up to two years. Following election, deacons must be ordained. Where a church has several deacons, a Board of Deacons may be formed. The duties of the deacon include assisting at sermons, visiting members of the church at home, preparing for baptismal services, assisting at Communion, caring for the sick, and managing church property.
The deaconess prepares baptismal services, visits the sick, and assists at Communion.

Propagation of the Faith

The Church Board is responsible for evangelism, related activities and planning. Evangelism is the primary work of the Church, and the Church Board determines the most appropriate way to conduct its work.

Major Celebrations and Observances

Dates on which events are celebrated may vary from year to year according to variations in the liturgical calendar.

Days of Observance

The Sabbath, from sunset on Friday to sunset Saturday, is a day of rest and worship, free of secular concerns and activities.

Special Observances

Communion (observance of the Lord’s Supper) is to be celebrated, generally, four times a year.
Foot washing is observed as an ordinance of the Lord’s Supper but is not a sacrament. This activity is inspired by Christ’s washing of the feet of His disciples as an act of humility.

Dress Requirements

Dress should be simple, modest and neat.

Dietary Requirements

Adventists must adopt a healthy diet.
Unclean foods identified in the Scriptures are to be avoided.
Adventists must avoid what is harmful to the body and thus abstain from alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

Medical and Health Requirements

Adventists must ensure they get enough exercise and rest.
Abortion should only be performed for the most serious reasons.

Death and Burial

No policies or procedures for funerals and burials are specified by the Church.

Other

Divorce is not supported, except in cases of adultery.
Seventh-day Adventists are encouraged to shun commercialized social activities, such as dancing, because the amusement of dancing is a curse to society, and movie theatres, because the influences on screen are immoral.
Music that is considered to have immoral or foolish messages should also be shunned.
Recreation that is church centred is considered acceptable, provided the form of recreation is compatible with Church lifestyle.

Sources of Additional Information

http://www.adventist.org — official website of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church.
http://www.naadventist.org — official website of the Seventh-day Adventist North American Division.
http://www.ont-sda.org/index.html — website of the Ontario Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
http://www.sdacc.org/ — official website of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada.

Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada
National Headquarters
1148 King Street East
Oshawa, ON L1H 1H8
Phone: (905) 433-0011

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