The Seventh-day Adventist church is a worldwide group of people who come from all
walks of life. With more than 15 million people around the world, Seventh-day Adventists
or “SDA’s” as they are affectionately known among themselves are an enthusiastic
group of protestant Christians eagerly promoting the gospel of Jesus Christ and His
soon coming.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church was officially established in 1863, although it
traces its date of birth to 1844 when it affirmed the beliefs that came to form it’s
name. These beliefs include:
- The Bible as the infallible Word of God
- The creation of the world in six days
- The seventh day (Saturday) set aside aside as the Sabbath
- The imminent return (Advent) of Christ
- The indivisibility of the human body, mind, and spirit.
- Death as an unconscious sleep where the body returns to dust
- Humanity is embroiled in a struggle between God and Satan
- The ten commandments are still binding upon Christians
- A final judgement of both living and dead culminating when Christ returns to earth
Because Seventh-day Adventists believe that body, mind, and soul are inseparable,
spiritual importance is given to physical health. This emphasis began in 1866 with
the Western Health Reform Institute, later to become the Battle Creek Sanitarium
which inspired Adventists to establish schools, clinics and hospitals throughout
the world.
Wholeness and health have been an emphasis of the Seventh-day Adventist church since
the 1860s when the church began. Seventh-day Adventists advocate a simple, wholesome
lifestyle in which they avoid tobacco, alcohol and irresponsible drug use. Members
are encouraged to practice a vegetarian or total plant based diet although it is
not a tenet of the faith. Today, an estimated 40% of Adventists follow a vegetarian
diet.
The Knoxville area Seventh-day Adventist churches provide a number of programs from
plant based vegetarian cooking classes to smoking cessation programs.
