The Seventh-Day Adventist Church was formally established in 1863, which makes it one of the newer branches of Christianity. It’s based in the Protestant faith, but is considered part of the Radical Reformation congregations, alongside Baptists and Pentecostals. As of 2007, the church recognized more than 15 million members worldwide.
The Latin origin of the word “Adventist” literally means “coming,” as Adventists evolved from ardent believers in the Second Coming of Jesus, and the recognition of the proper Sabbath being Saturday.
The church is also known for its emphasis on diet and health as a way to approach a holistic understanding of the person, and its conservative principles and lifestyle.
The Adventist Church operates schools, colleges and universities totaling more than 7000 institutions, with a total enrollment of more than 1,400,000 students and approximately 75,000 teachers. The Adventist school system claims to be “one of the largest church-supported educational systems in the world”. In the United States, Adventist schools are only outnumbered by those operated by the Roman Catholic Church. The Adventist college system is comprehensive, encompassing “mental, physical, social and above all, spiritual health” with “intellectual growth and service to humanity” as its goal.
Among its most prominent figures were Joseph Bates, James White, and Ellen G. White. Ellen White came to occupy a particularly central role due to her claims of holy visions which convinced her fellow Adventists that she possessed the gift of prophecy.
Since the 1860s, the church put direct focus on wholeness and health through vegetarianism and expects adherence to the kosher laws described in the Old Testament. These laws direct members to avoid pork, shellfish, and other foods proscribed as “unclean”. Members are also discouraged from ingesting alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs, even so far as avoiding coffee and beverages containing caffeine.