Why I Left the SDA Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church was a huge part of my life growing up, providing spiritual nourishment, loving community and a seemingly endless abundance of activities. So my decision to leave the church was, in a word, difficult. After much contemplation and careful consideration of the facts, here’s why I made the call:
1. Conflict with personal beliefs
As I began to think more deeply about religion and my spiritual opinions, I noticed that my beliefs and those of the SDA church were becoming increasingly incompatible. I no longer shared some of the church’s fundamental teachings, such as their interpretation of the Bible and their stance on certain issues. This discrepancy made the church less meaningful to me.
2. Questioning authority
I grew weary of the doctrine of unquestioning obedience to the church and its teachings. I felt this was an outdated way to think and began to question why people should be expected to accept doctrine without subjecting it to a critical assessment. I found myself wanting freedom to make my own spiritual decisions.
3. Lack of inclusiveness
The lack of acceptance and tolerance of different opinions or ideas in the SDA church was difficult for me to handle. I was not comfortable with the church’s stance on certain social and moral issues, which were exclusionary in nature. This left me feeling ostracized and disconnected from the church.
4. Preference for individual spiritual growth
The decision to leave the SDA church was also rooted in a desire to focus more on individual spiritual growth than on attending religious services. For me, spirituality is a very personal issue that cannot be fully explored and addressed within a structured religious setting. I prefer to draw my own path and forge my own spiritual journey.
Leaving the SDA church was a difficult, but ultimately liberating decision. I have embraced the freedom to explore other spiritual paths and explore my beliefs without consequences. I believe this choice has opened my eyes to the depth of true spiritual freedom.
What countries hold the largest population of Seventh-Day Adventists?
The largest population of Seventh-Day Adventists reside in the United States, Brazil, Nigeria, Philippines, India, and Kenya.
What percentage of the world’s population is Seventh-Day Adventist?
There is no exact number but estimates place the global membership of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church at approximately 18 million people, which is approximately 0.24% of the world’s population.
What religion is Seventh-Day Adventist?
Seventh-Day Adventist is a Christian denomination. It is traditionally Protestant, and it is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week, as the Sabbath, and its emphasis on the imminent Second Coming (advent) of Jesus Christ.
What is the history of the Seventh-Day Adventist religion?
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant faith group founded in 1860 by Ellen G. White in response to a “Great Disappointment” felt by former members of the Millerite movement among other things, this was the expectation that Jesus would return and the world would be ending on October 22, 1844. Since then, the church has grown to a worldwide denomination consisting of more than 15 million members in over 232 countries and territories.
The name ‘seventh-day’ refers to the observance of the biblical Sabbath, the day of rest in the Bible. This day is Saturday, the seventh day of the week, based on the biblical creation day of rest that God gave mankind in the seventh day of creation. The belief in the weekly observance of this seventh-day Sabbath as a sign of faith is a fundamental teaching of the church, and is stated across many different contexts from bible study to church worship.
The church doctrine is framed in terms of the teachings of Jesus and the scriptures of the Bible. The primary belief is that “God is the Creator of Humanity and the Source of Life”, which carries with it many educational, health and moral implications for how to conduct oneself to serve God and humanity.
Other important beliefs are that Satan is the originator of sin, and will one day be overthrown and destroyed; that there is a second coming of Christ which will bring judgement to the world; and that only those who have acknowledged and accepted the atonement of Jesus can receive eternal life.
The church is known for its strong emphasis on public health and education and its holistic approach to health. It is also a socially conscious church, which envisions a “world without poverty”, where “humanity is freed from sin and death, and living in harmony with God and neighbours”.