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The Christian church has embraced the visual arts, communicating theology, devotion, and missiology. Pictorial representations of Christ’s return have changed during the church’s history. Broader eschatology, particularly the millennium presented in Revelation 20, has influenced second advent artwork since the turn of the ninth century. During the medieval period, the church used vivid and fearful images of the Last Judgment to build church authority and communicate the necessity of prescribed good works. Martin Luther and his artists altered Catholic pictures to express their differentiated eschatology. Seventh-day Adventist eschatological art differs from that before it and reflects Adventist beliefs.
The history and development of the Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries Department is a complex stream having multiple tributaries stemming back to the very beginning of the denomination. Adventist chaplains have served at schools, hospitals, prisons, through multiple wars, government, industry, and community agencies. Chaplains comprise the largest Adventist clergy community interface group of the church.
This article focuses on the early history of Adventist education, spanning a period of approximately 30 years, from 1844 to 1875.
The philosophy of Seventh-day Adventist education is distinctive. It is God-centered and Bible-based, service-oriented and Kingdom-directed.
The first immigrants reached by the young Advent movement in North America were French, German, and Norwegian-speaking persons in the mid-west and Canada in 1857. More recently, in June 2009 the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists created Adventist Refugee and Immigrant Ministries (ARIM) that specifically focuses on coordinating and directing the work of more than eighteen language-specific refugee and immigrant groups in North America. Beyond the organized institutions of the Seventh-day Adventist church, two independent ministries have taken active roles in refugee ministry: Adventist Frontier Missions and ASAP Ministries (Advocates for Southeast Asians and the Persecuted).
The Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research (ASTR) is an office of the General Conference (GC) of Seventh-day Adventists. While it was founded in 1975 as the Office of Archives and Statistics, ASTR is the successor to the Statistical Secretary’s Office (or department) which was established in 1904. This article covers the full history. ASTR’s current roles include managing the archives and records management program of the GC, collecting and publishing crucial organizational information and statistics, and supporting the research and analysis needs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s World Headquarters, particularly strategic planning and executive decision-making by the General Conference officers. ASTR is also responsible for the production of the Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. A secondary but important role is supporting scholarship and Church researchers throughout the world. Those who are interested in Adventist history and Adventist studies may make use of the General Conference Archives and the Rebok Memorial Library, both of which come under ASTR.
This article examines the history of the development of baptismal vows in concept, word, and usage throughout the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church—from early references in Adventist publications and letters to current, official baptismal vows found in church manuals.
This article presents the development of the understanding of the validity of the Pentateuchal laws regarding clean and unclean food among Seventh-day Adventists. An integral part of the Seventh-day Adventists’ 28 Fundamental Beliefs is making the distinction between clean and unclean food in order to avoid eating what is unclean, i.e., not fit for human consumption.
In a global church, the communication of the gospel requires meaningful adaptation to the different cultures where it is proclaimed.
This article covers the history of the gradual change from hostility towards creeds to appreciation for statements of belief as well as why this change occurred within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The development of statements of belief will also be chronicled and examined.
"Education" is Ellen G. White’s classic work on the principles of Christian education.
The Geoscience Research Institute (GRI) serves the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, by studying the relationship between current science and the biblical record of creation. First established at Andrews University during July 1958 as the “Committee on Teaching Paleontology and Geology,” it became known as the Geoscience Research Institute by 1962. In 1980 GRI moved to Loma Linda University (LLU), where it now occupies its own building.
The General Conference Youth Department has its offices at the General Conference building in Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A. It is assisted in its work by the Adventist Youth (AY) Council, which is a quinquennial advisory of all the Church division leaders.
The investigative judgment is a central doctrine in Seventh-day Adventism’s highly developed theology of judgment and eschatology. One of the church's most misunderstood doctrines, it has been the subject of much scrutiny, severe criticism, dynamic defense, and continued affirmation.
The importance and urgency of ministering to refugees are set before Seventh-day Adventists in the Bible and in the writings of EGW. No matter the country or place on the refugee highway, wherever a refugee or foreigner is located, there is a responsibility to minister to the needs of the individual and to share the gospel. Ministry to persons along the refugee highway is one place Seventh-day Adventists have in the past and today can continue to make a difference.
The Sabbath School and Personal Ministries Department serves as the primary religious educational resource for the Seventh-day Adventist world church and fosters discipleship among its members, reflecting the teaching of the Bible and the tenets of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
From the era of its pioneers to the present, the standard position of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has been that the annual ceremonial sabbaths of ancient Israel pointed to the Messiah and terminated when Jesus Christ was crucified, whereas the requirement to loyally observe the seventh-day Sabbath retains its validity as an integral part of the Ten Commandments.
Seventh-day Adventists accept the value of science and seek to understand science, and also accept and seek to understand Scripture. Since its beginning, the church has a history of searching for the appropriate interaction between these two sources.
The Church Manual describes the governance, operations, and functions of the local church. It covers organization, authority, the function of pastors and other church employees, how to organize or dissolve churches, how to become members, church discipline, the role of officers, church structure and departments, elections, services, and other meetings, including but not limited to the church board, finance, along with standards of Christian living, marriage, divorce, remarriage, and a list of fundamental beliefs. The current edition (voted in 2015 and published in 2016) presents all of this information in a 227 pages book.
Ellen White’s book Steps to Christ holds a special place in Adventist history and is one of the most translated books of all times by any author. The book was published in 1892 by Fleming H. Revell Publishing Company in Chicago, Illinois.