Seventh Day Baptist
Encyclopedia
Seventh Day Baptists are Christian
Baptists who observe Sabbath on the seventh-day of the week in accord with their understanding of the Biblical Sabbath
for the Judeo-Christian
tradition (Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 20:8). The Seventh Day Baptist World Federation today represents over 50,000 Baptists in 22 countries.
's commonwealth
. Once the factors had coalesced, individuals associated with the movement chose to accept punishment meted out by the State rather than renounce their Sabbath conviction.
The first recorded Seventh Day Baptist meeting was held at The Mill Yard Church in London
in 1651 under the leadership of Dr. Peter Chamberlen. However many Seventh Day Baptists believe that it had originated in 1617 with John Trask and his wife. They believe that the records for this were lost in a fire.
The first Seventh Day Baptist church in America was at Newport, Rhode Island
in December 1671. Samuel and Tacy Hubbard, two members of the First Baptist Church of Newport, pastored by John Clarke (1609-1676)
, withdrew from that church and joined with Stephen Mumford, a Seventh Day Baptist from England, and 4 others, covenanting to meet together for worship, calling themselves Sabbatarian Baptists. Mumford, for his part, arrived in Rhode Island
in 1665, and was mentioned as an advocate for seventh-day Sabbath in many records of that time. Other churches rose in Pennsylvania
and New Jersey
, and soon spread north into Connecticut
and New York
, and south into Virginia
and the Carolinas. Seventh-day Sabbatarianism also emerged among the Germans at Ephrata, Pennsylvania
, (founded in 1735). Ephrata was incorporated as the German Religious Society of Seventh Day Baptists in 1814, and the site where their community was founded came to be known at the Ephrata Cloister
. The Seventh Day Baptist General Conference was organized in 1801.
, 78 churches with 4885 members in the United States
, 2 churches with 55 members in England, and 1 church of 40 members in Canada
. Conferences and associations exist in many other countries including Australia, Brazil, India, Jamaica, the Netherlands, New Zealand and amongst the Seventh Day Christians of Poland. Some conferences have sent missionaries to other nations including Malawi, Fiji and Argentina. The Seventh Day Baptist World Federation was founded in 1964–1965, and it now represents over 50,000 Baptists in 17 member organizations in 22 countries.
is Saturday rather than Sunday, Seventh Day Baptists are very similar to other Baptists. However, due to the Baptist tradition of freedom of conscience, even within Baptists, there are a lot of variations in doctrines. The same principle applies to Seventh Day Baptists. The Seventh Day Baptists do not hold a binding creed, and the belief system is relatively more flexible than mainstream Christianity, and the teachings Seventh Day Baptists hold may also vary from member to member.
Some of the basic beliefs are baptism of believers by immersion;
the practice a non-liturgical form of worship, and the belief of religious freedom and the separation of church and state.
Introduction
I. God
II. The Bible
III. Mankind
IV. Sin and Salvation
V. Eternal Life
VI. The Church
VII. Baptism
VIII. The Lord's Supper
IX. Sabbath
X. Evangelism
. The Missionary Society offices are in Westerly, Rhode Island, and the Board of Christian Education has offices in Alfred Station, New York. The Seventh Day Baptist General Conference (USA and Canada) is a member of the Baptist World Alliance
. The current General Secretary of the Seventh Day Baptist World Federation (founded in 1965) is Pastor Jan Lek, of the SDB Church of Amsterdam (the Netherlands).
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
Baptists who observe Sabbath on the seventh-day of the week in accord with their understanding of the Biblical Sabbath
Biblical Sabbath
Sabbath in the Bible is usually a weekly day of rest and time of worship. The Sabbath is first mentioned in the Genesis creation narrative. The seventh day is there set aside as a day of rest—the Sabbath. It is observed differently in Judaism and Christianity and informs a similar occasion in...
for the Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian is a term used in the United States since the 1940s to refer to standards of ethics said to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, for example the Ten Commandments...
tradition (Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 20:8). The Seventh Day Baptist World Federation today represents over 50,000 Baptists in 22 countries.
History
Seventh Day Baptists trace the beginning of their movement to coalescing factors during the decade of the 1650s in England. These factors included the continuing Baptist movement in England, English language publications about the Sabbath in the early 1600s, and a relative freedom of religion from state interference in Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's commonwealth
Commonwealth of England
The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first England, and then Ireland and Scotland from 1649 to 1660. Between 1653–1659 it was known as the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland...
. Once the factors had coalesced, individuals associated with the movement chose to accept punishment meted out by the State rather than renounce their Sabbath conviction.
The first recorded Seventh Day Baptist meeting was held at The Mill Yard Church in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1651 under the leadership of Dr. Peter Chamberlen. However many Seventh Day Baptists believe that it had originated in 1617 with John Trask and his wife. They believe that the records for this were lost in a fire.
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
in December 1671. Samuel and Tacy Hubbard, two members of the First Baptist Church of Newport, pastored by John Clarke (1609-1676)
John Clarke (1609-1676)
John Clarke was a medical doctor, Baptist minister, co-founder of the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, author of its influential charter, and a leading advocate of religious freedom in the Americas....
, withdrew from that church and joined with Stephen Mumford, a Seventh Day Baptist from England, and 4 others, covenanting to meet together for worship, calling themselves Sabbatarian Baptists. Mumford, for his part, arrived in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
in 1665, and was mentioned as an advocate for seventh-day Sabbath in many records of that time. Other churches rose in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and soon spread north into Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and south into Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and the Carolinas. Seventh-day Sabbatarianism also emerged among the Germans at Ephrata, Pennsylvania
Ephrata, Pennsylvania
Ephrata is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, south east of Harrisburg and about west by north of Philadelphia. It is named after Ephrath, a biblical town in what is now Israel. Ephrata's sister city is Eberbach, Germany, the city where its founders originated. In its...
, (founded in 1735). Ephrata was incorporated as the German Religious Society of Seventh Day Baptists in 1814, and the site where their community was founded came to be known at the Ephrata Cloister
Ephrata Cloister
The Ephrata Cloister or Ephrata Community was a religious community, established in 1732 by Johann Conrad Beissel at Ephrata, in what is now Lancaster County, Pennsylvania...
. The Seventh Day Baptist General Conference was organized in 1801.
The World Field
In 1995, the Seventh Day Baptists had 253 churches and over 20,000 members in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, 78 churches with 4885 members in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 2 churches with 55 members in England, and 1 church of 40 members in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Conferences and associations exist in many other countries including Australia, Brazil, India, Jamaica, the Netherlands, New Zealand and amongst the Seventh Day Christians of Poland. Some conferences have sent missionaries to other nations including Malawi, Fiji and Argentina. The Seventh Day Baptist World Federation was founded in 1964–1965, and it now represents over 50,000 Baptists in 17 member organizations in 22 countries.
Baptist Beliefs
Other than the belief that Christian SabbathBiblical Sabbath
Sabbath in the Bible is usually a weekly day of rest and time of worship. The Sabbath is first mentioned in the Genesis creation narrative. The seventh day is there set aside as a day of rest—the Sabbath. It is observed differently in Judaism and Christianity and informs a similar occasion in...
is Saturday rather than Sunday, Seventh Day Baptists are very similar to other Baptists. However, due to the Baptist tradition of freedom of conscience, even within Baptists, there are a lot of variations in doctrines. The same principle applies to Seventh Day Baptists. The Seventh Day Baptists do not hold a binding creed, and the belief system is relatively more flexible than mainstream Christianity, and the teachings Seventh Day Baptists hold may also vary from member to member.
Some of the basic beliefs are baptism of believers by immersion;
the practice a non-liturgical form of worship, and the belief of religious freedom and the separation of church and state.
Statement of Belief
Each church and association of Seventh Day Baptist churches may have a statement of belief. A representative statement, from the conference of U.S.A. and Canada, is as follows:Introduction
- Seventh Day Baptists consider liberty of thought under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to be essential to Christian belief and practice. Therefore we encourage the unhindered study and open discussion of Scripture. We uphold the individual's freedom of conscience in seeking to determine and obey the will of God.
- The following statement is not intended to be exhaustive, but is an expression of our common belief, which is derived from our understanding of Scripture.
-
- 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; 2 Timothy 2:15; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:3-6, 15; Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
I. God
- We believe in one God, infinite and perfect, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe who exists eternally in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and desires to share His love in a personal relationship with everyone.
-
- 1 Timothy 1:17; Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Kings 8:27; 1 John 1:5; Genesis 1:1-2; Acts 17:24-25, 28; Psalm 90:1-2; Matthew 28:19; John 3:16; Isaiah 57:15; 2 Peter 3:9.
- —The Father
- We believe in God the Father, who is sovereign over all, and is loving and just as He forgives the repentant and condemns the unrepentant.
-
-
- 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6; Ezekiel 33:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8; John 5:24; John 3:16-18.
-
- —The Son
- We believe in God the Son, who became incarnate in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. He gave Himself on the cross as the complete and final sacrifice for sin. As our Risen Lord, He is the mediator between God the Father and mankind.
-
-
- John 1:34; Hebrews 1:3; John 1:14-18; Romans 1:3-4; 1 John 3:16; 1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 10:10-14; 1 Corinthians 15:20-21; 1 Timothy 2:5; John 14:6; 1 John 2:1-2.
-
- —The Holy Spirit
- We believe in God the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who gives spiritual birth to believers lives within them, and empowers them for witnessing and service. We believe the Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures, convicts of sin and instructs in righteousness.
-
-
- John 14:16; 3:5-8; 14:17; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 12:4-7; 2 Peter 1:20-21; John 16:7-11.
-
II. The Bible
- We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and is our final authority in matters of faith and practice. We believe that Jesus Christ, in His life and teachings as recorded in the Bible, is the supreme interpreter of God's will for mankind.
-
- 2 Peter 1:20-21; Romans 3:2; 2 Peter 3:1-2, 15-16; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Matthew 5:17-19; Psalm 119:105; John 20:30-31; Hebrews 1:1-2.
III. Mankind
- We believe that mankind was created in the image of God and is therefore the noblest work of creation. We believe that human beings have moral responsibility and are created to enjoy both divine and human fellowship as children of God.
-
- Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 8:3-9; Micah 6:8; Matthew 5:44-48; 1 John 1:3; John 1:12.
IV. Sin and Salvation
- We believe that sin is disobedience to God and failure to live according to His will. Because of sin all people have separated themselves from God. We believe that because we are sinners, we are in need of a Savior.
- We believe that salvation from sin and death is the gift of God by redeeming love accomplished by Christ's death and resurrection, and is received only by repentance and faith in Him. We believe that all who repent of their sin and receive Christ as Savior will not be punished at the final judgment but enjoy eternal life.
-
- 1 John 3:4-5; Romans 3:23-25; Isaiah 59:2; 1 John 1:8-10; Romans 5:6-8; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 10:10-14; 1 Peter 1:3; John 3:16-18, 36; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; Matthew 25:41-46; Romans 5:10.
V. Eternal Life
- We believe that Jesus rose from the dead and lives eternally with the Father, and that He will come again with power and great glory. We believe that eternal life begins in knowing God through a commitment to Jesus Christ. We believe that because He died and lives again, resurrection with spiritual and imperishable bodies is the gift of God to believers.
-
- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 20-23; John 14:1-3; Matthew 24:30; Titus 2:13; John 17:3; 1 John 5:11-13; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44; John 10:27-28; John 6:40
VI. The Church
- We believe that the church of God is all believers gathered by the Holy Spirit and joined into one body, of which Christ is the Head. We believe that the local church is a community of believers organized in covenant relationship for worship, fellowship and service, practicing and proclaiming common convictions, while growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
- We believe in the priesthood of all believers and practice the autonomy of the local congregation, as we seek to work in association with others for more effective witness.
-
- Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 12:13, 14, 27; Romans 12:4-5; Colossians 1:18; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 2:19-22; Romans 15:5-7; Ephesians 4:11-16; 2 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Matthew 18:20; Hebrews 10:24-25.
VII. Baptism
- We believe that baptism of believers in obedience to Christ's command is a witness to the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We believe in baptism by immersion as a symbol of death to sin, a pledge to a new life in Him.
-
- Romans 6:3-4; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:11; Galatians 3:26-27
VIII. The Lord's Supper
- We believe that the Lord's Supper commemorates the suffering and death of our Redeemer until He comes, and is a symbol of union in Christ and a pledge of renewed allegiance to our risen Lord.
-
- Mark 14:22-25; Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 11:23-30.
IX. Sabbath
- We believe that the Sabbath of the Bible, the seventh day of the week, is sacred time, a gift of God to all people, instituted at creation, affirmed in the Ten Commandments and reaffirmed in the teaching and example of Jesus and the apostles.
- We believe that the gift of Sabbath rest is an experience of God's eternal presence with His people.
- We believe that in obedience to God and in loving response to His grace in Christ, the Sabbath should be faithfully observed as a day of rest, worship, and celebration.
-
- Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 16:23-30; Exodus 20:8-11; Matthew 5:17-19; Mark 2:27-28; Luke 4:16; Acts 13:14, 42-44; 16:11-13; 17:2-3; 18:4-11; Ezekiel 20:19-20; Hebrews 4:9-10; John 14:15; Isaiah 58:13-14; Luke 23:56.
X. Evangelism
- We believe that Jesus Christ commissions us to proclaim the Gospel, to make disciples, to baptize and to teach observance of all that He has commanded. We are called to be witnesses for Christ throughout the world and in all human relationships.
-
- Matthew 24:14; Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, 5-6; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Ephesians 6:14-20.
Organizational Structure and Offices
Offices of the General Conference for the USA and Canada are maintained in Janesville, WisconsinJanesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Rock County and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 62,998.-History:...
. The Missionary Society offices are in Westerly, Rhode Island, and the Board of Christian Education has offices in Alfred Station, New York. The Seventh Day Baptist General Conference (USA and Canada) is a member of the Baptist World Alliance
Baptist World Alliance
The Baptist World Alliance is a worldwide alliance of Baptist churches and organizations, formed in 1905 at Exeter Hall in London during the first Baptist World Congress.-History:...
. The current General Secretary of the Seventh Day Baptist World Federation (founded in 1965) is Pastor Jan Lek, of the SDB Church of Amsterdam (the Netherlands).
Sources
- A Choosing People: The History of Seventh Day Baptists, by Don A. Sanford
- Baptists Around the World, by Albert W. Wardin, Jr.
- Conscience Taken Captive: A Short History of Seventh Baptists, by Don A. Sanford
- Rogers, Albert N. (1910) Seventh-Day Baptists in Europe and America. Vol. l. Plainfield, New Jersey. American Sabbath Tract Society for the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference.
- The Baptist Heritage: Four Centuries of Baptist Witness, by H. Leon McBeth
- The Development of the Seventh Day Baptist Denomination in Australia, by David Hill
- Baptists in North America: An Historical Perspective, by William H. BrackneyWilliam H. BrackneyWilliam H. Brackney is the Millard R. Cherry Distinguished Professor of Christian Theology and Ethics at Acadia Divinity College in Wolfville, Nova Scotia and an ordained Baptist minister, presently accredited by the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches and the American Baptist Churches, USA...
See also
- Biblical SabbathBiblical SabbathSabbath in the Bible is usually a weekly day of rest and time of worship. The Sabbath is first mentioned in the Genesis creation narrative. The seventh day is there set aside as a day of rest—the Sabbath. It is observed differently in Judaism and Christianity and informs a similar occasion in...
- Sabbath in seventh-day churches
- Sabbath in Christianity
- ShabbatShabbatShabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
External links
- Seventh Day Baptist Statement of Belief
- Seventh Day Baptist General Conference (USA and Canada)
- Profile of the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference on the Association of Religion Data Archives website
- Seventh Day Baptist Board of Christian Education (USA and Canada)
- Australasian Conference of Seventh Day Baptists (Australia and New Zealand)
- Association of Seventh Day Baptists (Australia)
- Heritage of SDBs in Australia (to 1999) (Australia)
- Conferência Batista do Sétimo Dia Brasileira (Brazilian Conference of Seventh Day Baptists Churches -in Portuguese)
- Zevendedags Baptisten Nederland (Seventh Day Baptists in the Netherlands -in Dutch)
- Baptistes du Septième Jour (Seventh Day Baptists in France -in French)
- Seventh Day Baptist Historical Society
- Seventh Day Baptists in Canada
- Mill Yard Seventh Day Baptist Church (London, England)