Who We Are

Our name, which was officially adopted in 1863, reflects our central beliefs. "Seventh-day" means that we still believe the seventh-day of the week is the Sabbath of the Lord, and "Adventist" means we believe that Jesus is coming back soon. We are sometimes known as 'Adventists' (pronounced AD-ven-tist; emphasis on the first syllable).

We believe in one God, Father, Son; and Holy Spirit. He is all knowing, all powerful, immortal, above all and ever present. He is the Creator, Source, Sustainer, and Sovereign of all creation.

We believe that the Holy Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are the written Word of God, given by divine inspiration through holy men of God who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. They are the standard of character, the test of experience, the authoritative revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God's acts in history.

We believe that Scripture gives an accurate account of God's creative activity. That in six days He made "the heavens and the earth" and all living things upon the earth, and rested on the seventh day of the first week, thereby establishing the Sabbath as a perpetual memorial of His completed creation. The fourth commandment of God's unchangeable law requires the observance of this seventh-day Sabbath as the day of rest, worship, and ministry in harmony with the teaching and practice of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath.

We believe that man and woman were made in the image of God with individuality, power and the freedom to think and to do, yet dependant upon God for life and breath and all else. When Adam & Eve disobeyed God and sinned, the image of God in them was marred and they became subject to death. We as their descendants share this fallen nature and its consequences.

We believe that in Christ's life of perfect obedience to God's will, His suffering, death, and resurrection, God provided the only means of atonement for human sin, so that those who by faith accept this atonement may have eternal life, and the whole creation may better understand the infinite and holy love of the Creator. This faith which receives salvation comes through the divine power of the Word and is the gift of God's grace.

We believe that the church is the body of Christ, a community of faith of which Christ Himself is the Head; and that we join together for worship, for fellowship, for instruction in the Word, for the celebration of the Lord's Supper, for service to all mankind, and for the worldwide proclamation of the gospel.

We believe that Christians should willingly protect and develop their mental, physical and spiritual faculties in order that they may honor their Creator and Redeemer. Therefore, we abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, harmful drugs and narcotics and unclean foods identified in the Scriptures. We value personal study of the Scriptures, education and healthy lifestyles.

We believe that the second coming of Christ is the Blessed hope of the church. That the Savior's coming will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide. The time of that event has not been revealed, and we are therefore exhorted to be ready at all times.