The Adventist Church is Formed

by Anna Galeniece

A long time ago the Adventist Church started as a small group of people but grew into a big worldwide family. God had promised in the Bible that there would be people who would follow His commandments and trust in Jesus. 

One of those people was Joseph Bates, a retired sea captain. He found out in the Bible that we should keep the Sabbath day holy, and he joyfully shared this message with others. This important truth reached James and Ellen White, a newly married young couple, in 1846. They also studied the Bible and started to observe the Sabbath day. The three of them became the main leaders of a small group of believers who were scattered in different states.

Many others joined them for Bible study and prayer. They were excited about the Bible’s teachings about Jesus coming back soon, His work in the heavenly sanctuary, the state of the dead, and other important truths. It was very good, but the believers had a challenge! The Adventists didn’t have churches to worship in, and they didn’t have an official name. They didn’t even have money to pay ministers to spread the message further.

Joseph Bates was worried about the future of these early Adventists. He encouraged them to keep trusting God. “We must keep searching the Bible, praying, and sharing God’s truths with others, especially about the Sabbath,” he said.

James White was a visionary leader. He thought it was important for the believers to organize into a church. Therefore, he encouraged them, saying, “Without being organized, we can’t keep sharing our message.”

Ellen White supported James and agreed that God wanted them to be an official church. Guess what she shared with the believers? “God showed me in a vision that He had provided a way to support the ministry through tithing.” 

While it took a few more years, the Adventists finally opened their first official church building in Parkville, Michigan, in 1860. In that same year they started to call themselves Seventh-day Adventists. The next year, in 1861, they organized their local churches in Michigan into a conference. Other states followed the Michigan Conference’s example.

In May 1863, leaders from local conferences gathered for a special meeting in Battle Creek, Michigan. This was the official beginning of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Since then, the Adventist Church has grown tremendously. Its leaders from all over the world come together for General Conference Sessions to worship, pray, and make important decisions on how to spread God’s love even more. This year, the 62nd General Conference Session was held in St. Louis, Missouri, from July 3 to 12! And each time there is a General Conference Session all the participants hope it is the last because Jesus will have come to take us home with Him!