A society formed for the encouragement of Seventh-day Adventists who hold to the divine inspiration of Scripture as the infallible revelation of propositional truth, who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour, who endorse the use of historical-grammatical biblical interpretation, who believe in a literal Creation week of seven 24-hour days and a worldwide flood, who affirm a real sanctuary in heaven and the pre-Advent judgment of believers, who subscribe to the rest of the 27 fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and who are committed to upholding and supporting the church.
Largely the brainchild of Jack Blanko, the society was organized at Southern College in October 1988. Four of those present for this meeting were from Andrews University, and eight were from Southern College. They adopted a tentative constitution that was finalized at the first annual session at Wheaton College in November 1988. At the time of the formulation of the society at Southern College, Jack Blanco was elected president. At the annual meeting in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the spring of 1989, the society voted to publish a scholarly journal known as the Journal of the Adventist Theological Society . Leo Van Dolson was elected editor. C. Mervyn Maxwell was asked to desktop-publish the Journal , and Gerhard Hasel did much to oversee production. Sometime after the first 1988 meeting, then General Conference president Neal Wilson stated that he did not object to the use of the name “Adventist Theological Society.”
The society holds two annual meetings: a general session in the spring or early summer, which includes the annual business meeting; and a “research” or scholarly session at the same time as the Evangelical Theological Society meetings in the fall. The president serves a two-year term. After Jack Blanco’s term, Gerhard Hasel, C. Raymond Holmes, and E. Edward Zinke were elected to that office. In 1994 Richard M. Davidson agreed to serve as vice president and president-elect.
Besides the Journal, the society has published a newsletter, ATS Occasional Papers , ATS Monographs , and the ATS Dissertation Series . In 1991 the society donated $38,000 toward the development of a seminary in Czechoslovakia. Since then $10,000 was donated to Griggs University, and a computer and CD-ROM of Ellen White writings were presented to the seminary at Zaokski in Russia. After the death of Enoch Oliveira, who had been a staunch supporter of ATS , a ministerial scholarship fund was started in his name.
As of 1994, six chapters had been organized: four in North America, one in Europe, and one in Africa. As of 1994, membership was 1,400. Home office: P.O. Box 551, Collegedale, Tennessee 37315.