The Adventist family of churches is regarded today as conservative Protestants. [ 1 ] Although these churches [clarification needed] hold much in common, their theology differs on whether the intermediate state is unconscious sleep or consciousness, whether the ultimate punishment of the wicked is annihilation or eternal torment, the nature of immortality, whether or not the wicked are resurrected after the millennium, and whether the sanctuary of Daniel 8 refers to the one in heaven or one on earth. [ 1 ] The movement has encouraged the examination of the whole Bible, leading Seventh-day Adventists and some smaller Adventist groups to observe the Sabbath.
Denominations
The Handbook of Denominations in the United States, 12th edn., describes the following churches as "Adventist and Sabbatarian (Hebraic) Churches":
[edit] Christadelphians
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Christadelphians The Christadelphians, were founded in 1844 and had an estimated 25,000 members in 170 ecclesias, or churches in 2000 in America.
[edit] Advent Christian Church
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Advent Christian Church The Advent Christian Church was founded in 1860 and had 25,277 members in 302 churches in 2002 in America. It is a "first-day" body of Adventist Christians founded on the teachings of William Miller. It adopted the "conditional immortality" views of Charles F. Hudson and George Storrs formed the "Advent Christian Association" in Salem, Massachusetts in 1860.
[edit] Primitive Advent Christian Church
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Primitive Advent Christian Church The Primitive Advent Christian Church is a small group which separated from the Advent Christian Church. It differs from the parent body mainly on two points. Its members observe foot washing as a rite of the church, and they teach that reclaimed backsliders should be baptized (even though they had formerly been baptized). This is sometimes referred to as rebaptism.
[edit] Seventh-day Adventist
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Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church, founded in 1863, had 16,600,000 baptized members (not counting children of members) worldwide as of 2010 [ 4 ] is best known for its teaching that Saturday, the seventh day of the week, is the Sabbath and is the appropriate day for worship. However, it is the secong coming of Jesus Christ along with the Judgement day; based on the three angels message in Revelation 14: 6-13, the main doctrine of SDA.
[edit] Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement
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Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement The Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement is a small offshoot with an unknown number of members from the Seventh-day Adventist Church caused by disagreement over military service on the Sabbath day during World War I.
[edit] Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Association
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Shepherd's Rod The Davidians (originally named Shepherd's Rod) is a small offshoot with an unknown number of members made up primarily of voluntarily disfellowshipped members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They were originally known as the Shepherd's Rod and are still referred to as such. The group derives its name from two books on Bible doctrine written by its founder, Victor Houteff, in 1929.
[edit] Branch Davidians
The Branch Davidians were a split ("branch") from the Davidians. Many of them perished in the infamous Waco Siege of 1993.
[edit] Church of God (Seventh Day)
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General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh-Day) The Church of God (Seventh-Day) was founded in 1863 and it had an estimated 11,000 members in 185 churches in 1999 in America. Its founding members separated in 1858 from those Adventists associated with Ellen G. White who later organized themselves as Seventh-day Adventists in 1863. The Church of God (Seventh Day) split in 1933, creating two bodies: one headquartered in Salem, West Virginia, and known as the Church of God (7th day) - Salem Conference and the other one headquartered in Denver, Colorado and known as the General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh-Day). The Worldwide Church of God splintered from this. [ 5 ]
[edit] Church of God and Saints of Christ
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Church of God and Saints of Christ The Church of God and Saints of Christ was founded in 1896 and had an estimated 40,000 members in approximately 200 congregations in 1999 in America.
[edit] Church of God General Conference
Many denominations known as "Church of God" have Adventist origins.
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Church of God General Conference The Church of God General Conference was founded in 1921 and had 7,634 members in 162 churches in 2004 in America. It is an Adventist Christian body which is also known as the Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith and the Church of God General Conference (Morrow, GA).
[edit] United Seventh-Day Brethren
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United Seventh-Day Brethren The United Seventh-Day Brethren is a small Sabbatarian Adventist body. In 1947, several individuals and two independent congregations within the Church of God Adventist movement formed the United Seventh-Day Brethren, seeking to increase fellowship and to combine their efforts in evangelism, publications, and other ministries.
[edit] Worldwide Church of God
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Worldwide Church of God The Worldwide Church of God was founded in 1933 and had an estimated 63,000 members worldwide in 2004.
[edit] United Church of God
Following massive doctrinal changes in the Worldwide Church of God, numerous groups split off to retain a more traditional system. TheUnited Church of God founded in 1995 is the largest such offshoot.
[edit] Other minor Adventist groups
[edit] Other relationships
The Bible Students movement founded by Charles Taze Russell had in its early development close connections with the Millerite movement and stalwarts of the Adventist faith, including George Storrs and Joseph Seiss. The various groupings of Bible Students currently have a cumulative membership of less than 20,000 worldwide. Although the Jehovah's Witnesses (who emerged in 1931 following a schism in the Bible Students movement that began in 1917) and remaining Bible Students are not generally regarded as part of the Millerite Adventist movement, Russell attended and eventually led an Adventist oriented Bible study church from 1870–74. Avowing his indebtedness to Adventism, he "was deeply influenced by Adventist thoughts." [ 7 ] As of December 2008 there were approximately 7 million Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide.
