The Seventh-day Adventist Movement

A World-Wide Family

Your Adventist neighbours are members of the over eight million strong worldwide Seventh-day Adventist family, an evangelistically orientated church committed to the Christian way of life.

Beginnings

The Seventh-day Adventist Church grew out of the early nineteenth century "Advent Awakening". At that time, thousands of people in all the major churches on both sides of the Atlantic became deeply involved in the Bible prophecies dealing with the second coming of Jesus Christ. Adventists as a distinct body date from 1844, although they were not organised until 1863. One of the founders of the Adventist church was Ellen White, who, during an extended visit to Australia at the turn of the century, supervised the establishment of Avondale College, now a recognised College of Advanced Education. Some of the buildings are classified by the National Trust.

Beliefs

Seventh-day Adventists share the historic doctrines of the major Protestant churches, such as the eternal Fatherhood of God our creator, the divine Sonship of Jesus Christ and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. They affirm Christ's atoning death and resurrection and believe salvation is obtained solely through the grace of God by the exercise of faith in Christ. For them the Bible contains all that men need to know about God, salvation and practical godliness. As their name implies, they look forward to Christ's return when an eternity of peace and happiness will begin and there will be no more death. Unlike most other Christians, they observe the seventh day (Saturday) as the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Admission into church membership is by adult baptism.

Worship

Adventist worship services consist of congregational singing, Scripture reading, preaching and prayer interspersed with sacred choral and instrumental music when appropriate. The style of service is non-liturgical but marked by simplicity, dignity, reverence and order. Divine worship is usually preceded by a period of systematic Bible study called Sabbath School. A recognition of Jesus Christ as the Central theme in all aspects of church and personal life is paramount in the thinking of Adventists.

A Global Program

At present Adventists are actively working in 207 of the 233 countries of the world. Their educational system includes over 5,500 schools, a figure which embraces 5 universities and 81 colleges. A total of over 913,000 students attend these institutions, 3,675 physicians are employed in the 157 Adventist hospitals and healthcare centres, 354 clinics and dispensaries. Nearly 9 million patients are treated each year. The Church's Development and Relief Agency distributes an annual average of 25 million articles of clothing and A$120 million of overseas aid to the underprivileged and disaster-ravaged people of the world. This welfare component is given without regard to nationality or creed.

Organisation

The close-knit Seventh-day Adventist Church has a representative-type government, in which ministers and laymen participate. Ordained ministers (pastors) and licensed ministers serve over 40,194 churches throughout the world. Local churches elect their own officers. Geographical regions and the World Headquarters are administered by officers and committees elected by the vote of delegates attending special meetings of the church held every three or five years. The headquarters for the South Pacific is at Wahroonga, NSW, Australia, while world headquarters is at Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.

Inter-Church Relationships

Adventists accept other churches with cordiality and friendship. They practise open communion and welcome Christians of every persuasion to fellowship with them. They do not consider themselves to be the only true followers of Christ and cooperate with other churches in a spirit of love. The Adventist-sponsored Religious Liberty Association promotes freedom of religious belief and practice for all people of every religion or none. In order to preserve their distinctive witness, however, Adventists have never joined the World Council of Churches.

A Beneficial Lifestyle

As non-smoking, non-drinking, lacto-ovo-vegitarians, Adventists have a fine health record. According to a survey published in the Medical Journal of Australia in May 1979, Adventists live longer, have fewer heart attacks and lower-than-average incidence of many diseases including cancer. They are also less prone to many psychological disorders. Their optimistic faith in God, sense of community, abstinence from alcohol, tobacco and harmful drugs, emphasis on the need to maintain a balance in rest, work, exercise and diet, and their concern for moral values undoubtedly contributes to their good health.

A Caring Church

In a world membership that exceeds 9 million there are almost 300,000 Seventh-day Adventists in the Pacific. Over 1600 churches and 5,745 full-time employees serve this vast region. Some 29,000 students attend either one of the 230 primary schools, 25 secondary schools or the 4 tertiary-level colleges. Over $A130 million has been invested in medical facilities, which include 5 major hospitals and 38 dispensary/clinics. There are also 3 schools of nursing. In addition, 108 medical and paramedical personnel are employed by the church. Australia's Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) contributed nearly $A7.6 million in overseas aid last year and distributed some 41/2 million articles of clothing as well as giving over half a million man-hours of voluntary welfare assistance. 17 Nursing Homes and Retirement Centres are owned and operated by the Adventists in Australasia. In the Pacific basin, Adventists are found in 16 countries which encompass 171 language groups. The church operates a Publishing House in Victoria, Australia, and a Media Centre in Sydney, involved in production and distribution of radio and television programs seen and heard regularly on 49 stations in Australasia.

The Sanitarium Health Food Company, an Adventist owned and operated breakfast cereal and vegetarian food manufacturer, is part of the lifestyle improvement program of the Adventist Church.

Financial Operation

Adventists are consistently among the most generous givers of any religious organisation. Convinced the gospel is worth sharing, they return voluntary tithes (one tenth of their earnings) and give liberally in offerings and donations for the world missions and other purposes. The church's program is supported from this same financial base.

[Figures are from Dec. '96 or more recent.]