Seventh-Day Adventists / SDA

The descriptive name adopted as a denominational title in 1860 by one branch of Adventists—those, specifically, who keep the seventh day as the Sabbath. (For the circumstances of the adoption of the denominational name, see Organization .) The people who first took the name in 1860 were already Adventists, not only in the broad sense of believing in the nearness of the Second Advent—for many in various parts of the world in the 1840s and earlier had believed that—but also in the restricted sense of having developed from the Millerite movement, which had called itself Adventist. By adopting the name, the Sabbathkeeping Adventists distinguished themselves from the other descendants of the Millerite movement. Thus the popular explanation that the name was selected as denoting one who believes in the Second Advent and observes the seventh day is an oversimplification. First, there are non-Adventists who observe the seventh day—the Seventh Day Baptists. Second, the term Adventist does not include all who believe in the Second Advent (for example, the Apostles’ Creed professes belief in the Second Advent) any more than the term Presbyterian belongs to all whose churches are governed by elders (presbyters) or the term Baptist to all who limit baptism to the immersion of believers (both of which would apply to Seventh-day Adventists). The full title “Seventh-day Adventist” (or the equivalent title in various languages) is the official name of a specific Christian denomination with a specific body of doctrines, of which the Sabbath and the Second Advent form only a part. It does not apply to those (mostly in small groups) who observe the seventh day and hold to the nearness of the Advent but who differ on other doctrines and hence are not part of the denomination. On the other hand, it is not denied to those of like faith who are separated by circumstances from organizational connection with the whole body of Seventh-day Adventists. (This encyclopedia uses Adventist and, on occasion, Seventh-day Adventist for individuals and groups who before 1860 were developing and holding in common the doctrines that were to characterize the body now called by that name.) HISTORICAL SUMMARY OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST WORLD STATISTICS, 1863–1992 Year Union Conferences and Missions Local Conferences and Missions Ordained Ministers Credentialed Commissioned Ministers Licensed Ministers Licensed Commissioned Ministers Credentialed Missionaries Licensed Missionaries Bible Instructors Literature Evangelists Total Evangelistic Workers Churches Membership 1863 — 6 22 — 8 — — — — — 30 125 3,500 1864–70 — 11 37 — 35 — — — — — 72 179 5,440 1871–80 — 32 144 — 116 — — — — — 260 640 15,570 1881–90 — 42 227 — 184 — — — — — 411 1,016 29,711 1891–1900 2 87 510 — 337 — — — — — 1,500 1,892 75,767 1901 9 98 553 — 340 — — 611 — — 1,591 2,011 78,188 1902 13 114 553 — 323 — — 528 — 826 2,278 2,077 73,522 1903 13 126 616 — 324 — — 662 — 1,032 2,704 2,120 77,554 1904 13 130 625 — 335 — — 713 — 1,053 2,750 2,243 81,721 1905 13 136 647 — 339 — — 719 — 1,068 2,797 2,340 87,311 1906 16 152 698 — 408 — — 948 — 1,218 3,502 2,416 91,531 1907 21 161 712 — 394 — — 1,013 — 1,382 3,587 2,504 94,048 1908 21 167 779 — 427 — — 1,017 — 1,681 4,007 2,537 97,579 1909 21 176 787 — 425 — — 1,107 — 1,660 4,104 2,691 100,931 1910 23 193 828 — 458 — — 1,234 — 1,697 4,346 2,769 104,526 1911 23 209 852 — 475 — — 1,358 — 2,096 4,877 2,799 108,975 1912 23 226 861 — 792 — — 1,336 — 2,194 5,101 2,874 114,206 1913 25 227 958 — 572 — — 1,508 — 2,060 5,248 3,589 122,386 1914 26 234 926 — 565 — — 1,454 — 2,076 5,313 3,702 125,844 1915 26 239 940 — 581 — — 1,519 — 1,986 5,226 3,876 136,879 1916 31 243 991 — 687 — — 1,460 — 1,993 5,531 3,987 141,488 1917 31 254 1,044 — 701 — — 1,441 — 1,862 5,453 4,075 153,857 1918 35 258 1,102 — 856 — — 1,526 — 1,876 5,864 4,181 162,667 1919 44 274 1,181 — 943 — — 1,778 — 2,182 6,594 4,256 178,239 1920 46 301 1,287 — 1,068 — — 1,898 — 2,332 6,955 4,541 185,450 1921 51 299 1,329 — 938 — — 1,836 — 2,201 7,421 4,730 198,088 1922 55 296 1,384 — 904 — — 1,640 — 2,411 7,600 4,927 208,771 1923 54 296 1,455 — 912 — — 1,863 — 2,371 7,795 5,096 221,874 1924 52 302 1,590 — 978 — — 1,982 — 2,849 8,679 5,393 238,657 1925 60 319 1,673 — 1,046 — — 2,080 — 2,887 9,290 5,629 250,988 1926 65 340 1,717 — 1,071 — — 2,245 — 2,790 9,516 5,862 261,834 1927 64 357 1,774 — 1,140 — — 2,492 — 2,712 9,873 5,987 274,064 1928 65 375 1,881 — 1,119 — — 2,545 — 2,621 9,765 6,227 285,293 1929 67 400 1,987 — 1,170 — — 2,666 — 2,679 10,051 6,557 299,555 1930 71 430 2,062 — 1,204 — — 2,664 — 2,936 10,988 6,741 314,253 1931 71 433 2,082 — 1,170 — — 2,542 — 3,093 10,850 7,021 336,046 1932 70 433 2,175 — 1,127 — — 2,875 — 3,001 10,749 7,322 362,101 1933 70 455 2,247 — 1,145 — — 3,053 — 3,107 10,946 7,640 384,151 1934 70 462 2,298 — 1,174 — — 3,235 — 3,264 11,642 7,818 404,509 1935 69 466 2,356 — 1,213 — — 3,428 — 3,378 12,185 8,046 422,968 1936 70 471 2,420 — 1,264 — — 3,810 — 3,383 12,589 8,243 438,139 1937 69 478 2,485 — 1,362 — — 4,001 — 3,409 13,008 8,388 452,758 1938 69 451 2,567 — 1,379 — — 3,965 — 3,352 13,105 8,570 469,951 1939 69 439 2,66 — 1,426 — — 3,607 — 3,405 13,257 8,761 486,670 1940 69 330 2,691 — 1,553 — — 4,130 — 3,062 13,579 8,924 504,752 1941 69 330 2,875 — 1,662 — — 4,406 — 3,106 13,899 9,105 520,644 1942 68 330 2,949 — 1,919 — — 5,430 — 3,240 16,074 9,212 535,134 1943 67 321 3,013 — 2,143 — 331 5,048 237 3,480 15,982 9,282 544,710 1944 69 327 3,083 — 2,124 — 313 4,839 322 3,440 16,215 9,351 557,768 1945 69 334 3,196 — 2,201 — 523 5,307 361 3,218 16,538 9,496 576,378 1946 70 341 3,140 — 2,180 — 689 5,398 642 2,666 16,580 9,321 598,683 1947 71 341 3,527 — 2,131 — 822 6,070 719 3,129 16,551 9,554 628,594 1948 74 352 3,738 — 2,228 — 874 6,688 499 3,461 17,313 9,749 672,658 1949 78 361 3,841 — 2,303 — 1,049 7,176 566 3,517 17,523 9,991 716,538 1950 80 370 4,056 — 2,410 — 1,256 7,100 589 3,793 17,959 10,237 756,712 1951 81 374 4,351 — 2,500 — 1,287 5,126 588 3,621 16,980 10,585 803,720 1952 80 364 4,613 — 2,574 — 1,332 5,441 643 3,557 17,774 10,830 856,463 1953 68 364 4,867 — 2,662 — 1,430 5,726 625 3,355 17,840 11,158 924,822 1954 69 348 5,039 — 2,693 — 1,617 5,997 620 3,353 18,330 11,447 972,071 1955 70 330 5,363 — 2,786 — 1,688 6,395 536 3,441 16,299 11,745 1,006,218 1956 75 340 5,572 — 2,687 — 1,926 6,617 621 3,491 16,319 12,018 1,051,452 1957 71 343 5,853 — 2,889 — 2,203 7,079 599 3,607 17,413 12,291 1,102,910 1958 72 343 6,092 — 3,211 — 2,300 7,684 591 3,545 18,732 12,421 1,149,256 1959 72 343 6,305 — 3,192 — 2,769 8,138 567 3,485 17,699 12,707 1,194,070 1960 74 356 6,515 — 3,204 — 3,001 8,781 591 3,320 18,362 12,975 1,245,125 1961 74 368 6,639 — 2,931 — 3,007 8,967 652 3,670 18,607 13,369 1,307,892 1962 72 375 6,972 — 3,122 — 3,434 9,957 719 3,840 19,270 13,588 1,362,775 1963 71 359 7,229 — 3,261 — 3,598 10,079 688 3,879 21,562 13,856 1,428,356 1964 76 368 7,350 — 3,219 — 3,876 10,579 727 3,908 19,432 14,316 1,508,056 1965 75 375 6,876 — 3,028 — 4,041 11,932 698 3,958 21,660 14,651 1,578,504 1966 76 376 6,557 — 3,397 — 4,733 12,158 771 4,316 21,088 14,980 1,661,657 1967 76 378 7,000 — 3,649 — 5,752 14,560 777 3,955 21,299 15,303 1,747,614 1968 76 374 6,992 — 3,568 — 5,934 14,960 597 4,041 21,568 15,744 1,845,183 1969 76 374 7,262 — 3,857 — 5,647 15,451 754 4,132 22,833 16,257 1,953,078 1970 76 378 7,381 — 3,646 — 6,292 15,845 764 3,973 21,702 16,505 2,051,864 1971 76 371 7,527 — 3,708 — 6,904 14,896 804 4,102 22,249 16,726 2,145,061 1972 76 361 7,669 — 3,799 — 7,055 15,068 889 4,586 23,550 17,093 2,261,403 1973 79 367 7,923 — 3,977 — 7,682 15,334 998 5,074 24,740 17,448 2,390,124 1974 78 368 8,133 — 4,139 — 8,501 15,998 946 5,823 26,801 17,841 2,521,429 1975 79 366 8,299 — 4,294 — 6,348 16,632 848 6,046 27,976 18,437 2,666,484 1976 78 372 8,471 — 4,406 — 10,060 16,921 778 5,943 31,101* 19,225 2,810,606 1977 78 376 8,751 — 4,487 — 10,661 17,773 571 6,151 28,992 19,761 2,949,758 1978 83 378 8,976 — 4,545 — 10,620 18,726 681 6,459 29,668 20,446 3,117,535 1979 83 378 9,144 — 4,914 — 11,417 18,986 558 6,976 30,640 21,061 3,308,191 1980 81 376 9,423 — 4,643 — 12,195 18,955 565 7,598 31276 21,555 3,480,518 1981 83 383 9,698 144 4,677 58 13,051 19,306 592 7,224 31,585 22,094 3,668,087 1982 83 387 9,848 157 4,510 83 13,931 18,785 675 7,251 31,555 23,302 3,897,814 1983 83 387 10,137 189 4,736 73 14,582 19,285 541 6,678 34,934 23,722 4,140,206 1984 84 385 10,139 223 4,888 84 15,063 18,754 540 7,108 33,763 24,663 4,424,612 1985 86 390 10,490 254 4,842 99 15,829 18,859 581 6,829 33,343 25,547 4,716,859 1986 86 395 10,812 296 4,804 104 16,359 18,626 527 7,402 34,957 26,684 5,092,503 1987 87 401 11,036 375 4,877 112 16,890 18,212 578 7,726 34,786 27,791 5,445,249 1988 87 430 11,203 383 5,081 189 17,460 18,576 460 7,632 34,887 29,039 5,816,767 1989 92 438 11,497 485 5,040 127 16,317 17,118 470 7,880 36,402 30,711 6,260,617 1990 93 445 11,626 612 4,949 122 16,280 17,446 555 8,531 35,717 31,654 6,694,880 1991 92 442 11,590 583 5,228 161 16,140 15,488 420 8,111 37,233 33,399 7,102,976 1992 92 441 11,915 827 5,042 159 15,822 15,408 346 7,610 36,609 35,268 7,498,653 ————– *Using 1975 figures for the Soputhern Asia Division