RELIGIOUS LIBERTY RECLAIMED

           Thousands have read the famous, full-page advertisement sponsored by the Eternal Gospel Church of Seventh-day Adventists, entitled "Earth's Final Warning," in USA Today, August 10, 1999. The subject matter was of a prophetic theme based primarily on the Bible, including sections from the highly acclaimed, The Great Controversy [c.1884] by Ellen G. White, the most published female author in American history.
            Roman Catholic Church officials had previously (erroneously) implicated the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists as the responsible party for prior occurrences of the ad in various national newspapers. In response, the General Conference Corporation filed suit against the Eternal Gospel Church of Seventh-day Adventists for trademark infringement regarding use of the term SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST in their church name. Resulting questions erupted: "Who are Seventh-day Adventists?" "Who has a legal right to bear the name Seventh-day Adventist in a religious identity context?"
            The purpose of this ad is to educate the public, hoping that future conflicts of this nature may be averted. The Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church, organized in 1991 as a protest against the union of church and state undertaken by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, takes full responsibility for the contents of this advertisement.  We hold no formal connection with other “SDA” organizations, but share a common Christian faith with many individuals worldwide who claim to be SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST.
            Seventh-day Adventist is a generic term describing a Christian faith and practice. The major tenets designated by the name are (1) the observance of the Biblical "creation seventh day" (the seventh day of the Gregorian calendar week: Saturday), and (2) belief in a literal, imminent second coming of Jesus Christ.  Historically, SDAs have been known for pioneering health reform, championing religious liberty, promoting community service, upholding the principles of Protestantism, serving as non-combatants in the military, and exemplifying the noblest of Christian graces. The origin of the Seventh-day Adventist faith can be traced back to the creation story in Genesis, but the name was not formally adopted until the mid-1800's, following the “Great Awakening.” We note the first organization to officially bear the mark to be the Seventh-day Adventist Church, now legally headed by the General Conference Corporation of SDAs, Silver Spring, MD.   In the early 1900's a dissatisfied group of SDA believers became known as the SDA Reform Movement. Others followed suit, for example, Davidian Seventh Day Adventists (the Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists of Waco, Texas being the most notoriously covered by the media in recent times).
            By 1980 several other Seventh-day Adventist groups began to sprout and, as a perceived threat was posed to the General Conference Corporation's financial empire, the Corporation trademarked the term SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST to control the use of its trade name.  Pioneers of early SDA faith would have loathed such an “unholy union” of church with state, but "times have changed" is the common excuse offered for this antithetical departure from Adventist roots. The authentic Seventh-day Adventist faith claims only one "creed" which is "the Bible and the Bible alone." In 1980, however, the General Conference organization adopted a creed of "27 fundamental beliefs" by which they could eventually define a Seventh-day Adventist adherent. This narrow creed would disqualify the very pioneers of the SDA faith from membership.  Thus arose the Historic Seventh-day Adventist Churches, the Pioneer SDAs, the Ancient SDAs, the Free Seventh-day Adventists, the Fundamental SDAs, etc.  By the year 2000 there were no fewer than 30 separate versions of "Seventh-day Adventism," worldwide. This scattering process is nothing new to church history, occurring whenever confusion and apostasy set in; the Baptists and Methodists serve as two outstanding examples of this denominational fragmentation.
            We are pleased to invite you to learn of the Seventh-day Adventist faith as handed down to us by our fathers. We encourage you to study Holy Scripture and discover that Seventh-day Adventism in its purest form is the religion of the Bible, declaring “the power of God unto salvation.” If you are "hungering and thirsting after righteousness," you shall be blessed to know that our Heavenly Father has a family on earth that "keeps the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." (Rev. 14:12) Would you care to join us in our commitment to truth, and preparation for the soon second coming of Christ?

Creation Seventh Day - Adventist Church
1162 Old Highway 45 South
Guys, Tennessee 38339
1-800-754-8021
csdachurch@hotmail.com
http://www.csda-adventistchurch.to