Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement

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The Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement is a Protestant Christian denomination, part of the Sabbatarian adventist movement, and the result of a split from the Seventh-day Adventist Church created by disagreement over proper Sabbath observance and military service during World War I.

History

When the German army mobilized in 1914, Seventh-day Adventists in that country had to decide whether they would serve in the military. The president of the East German Union Conference and others in council decided that conscripted Adventists would bear arms and could render service on the Sabbath in defense of their country. Though most followed their leadership in this policy, a minority felt they must uphold the church's original position in regard to keeping the Law of God and also serve in the military. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Europe disfellowshipped those who refused to serve in the military. It is interesting to note that one of the methods to circumvent the problems with compulsory military service and their doctrines, such as in the former Yugoslavia, was not to baptise young men who had not yet done military service. This 'legal loophole' allowed the SDARM to claim that none of its members ever left the church to do military service. About 4,000 Adventists in Germany and other parts of Europe were disfellowshipped. Attempts at reconciliation were made at the conclusion of the war, and again in 1920 and 1922, but failed. However, this breakaway group had already registered themselves as a church in 1919, which militated against them truly seeking any reconciliation. Rather, the attempts to reconcile where cosmetic, and aimed more at highlighting their grievances, and attracting others to their group. Then they registered once again, this time as the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement, which was organized into a separate church from the main body of Seventh-day Adventists at Gotha, Germany, July 14–20, 1925. The Reform Movement was first headquartered in Isernhagen, Germany, then later in Basel, Switzerland. After World War II, the headquarters were moved to Sacramento, California. The Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement has members in nearly 150 countries. The General Conference coordinates the work of the denomination around the world, including the various Union Conferences, Field Conferences and Missions. Seventh-day Adventist church leaders in Germany and Austria released a declaration in 2005 deeply regretting its failures during World War II in a declaration first published in 2005, but made no mention of what they had done during World War I. This ongoing battle between these two rival groups focuses on accusations of adultery and fraud. The leader of one group, Nicolici, was accused of obtaining donations from elderly people, whilst a minister of one of the other factions was accused of living in adultery. Nicolici, a Romanian, was looked after by members at a property known as Moriah Heights, where in his old age suffered from senile dementia, and was known to run around naked and engage in other unusual behavior. There are numerous eccentricities and inconsistencies in this movement. For example, at one of their General Conference sessions, it was debated whether to make it 'unlawful' to eat beans and rice at the same meal, and to make this a point of faith. This was strongly supported by the South American delegations, but was finally rejected. Also, women are required to grow their hair as a point of faith, but this is difficult for African women. To avoid the inconvenience of an 'Afro' hairstyle, African women are permitted to cut their hair. This leads to two different religious requirements. Other requirements are that members are not permitted to eat chocolate or cheese, may not go to the cinema, dance or watch television. Also, they do not accept vaccinations for their children, and tend to keep away from orthodox medicine.

Officers

Part of a series on Seventh-day Adventism

Background and history Christianity · Protestantism Anabaptists · Restorationism Pietism · Millerites Great Disappointment Fundamentalism · Evangelicalism

People Ellen G. White James White · Joseph Bates J. N. Andrews · Uriah Smith J. H. Kellogg · M. L. Andreasen H. M. S. Richards · George Vandeman F. D. Nichol · Le Roy Froom Edward Heppenstall · Samuele Bacchiocchi Desmond Ford · Richard Rice

Distinctive teachings Sabbath · Conditional Immortality Historicism · Premillennialism Investigative judgment · Remnant Three Angels' Messages End times

Criticism Criticism of Ellen White

Other Adventists Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement Davidian SDA (Shepherd's Rod) Advent Christian Church Church of God General Conference Branch Davidian This box: view • talk • edit

President

Vice-President

Secretary

General Conference Sessions

ans

See also

• SDARM General Conference
• SDARM Units

External links

SDARM Sites:

• SDARM General Conference
  • [GC Medical Department]
  • White Creek Wellness Center (Tennessee, USA)
  • Mission Projects International - USA
  • SDA Reform Movement in Japan - JAPAN

Other:

• "Church Leaders Say 'We're Sorry': German and Austrian churches apologize for Holocaust actions" by Mark A. Kellner (Seventh-day Adventist)

References

• The Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, Review & Herald Publishing Association
• History of the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement, Alfons Balbach, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 1999.
• Tarling, Lowell R. (1981). "The Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement". The Edges of Seventh-day Adventism: A Study of Separatist Groups Emerging from the Seventh-day Adventist Church (1844–1980). Barragga Bay, Bermagui South, NSW: Galilee Publications. pp. 100–12. ISBN 0 9593457 0 1.