Understanding Seventh Day Adventists

It was just a usual day for the Seventh Day Adventists (SDAs) as other Christian denominations were up and about celebrating Jesus’ resurrection on Easter. Although Adventists believe in Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection, they do not observe celebrations such as Easter or Christmas.

Holy Communion though is one event that the Adventist Church may share with other Christian denominations in Uganda. According to Jeremiah Alisengawa, Kampala’s SDA district pastor, Holy Communion is an emblem partaken by a baptised member of the faith as one of the fulfillments of the requirements of being part of God’s family. The SDA Church is a Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday as the only and true day of worship. Saturday is the original seventh day of the Judea Christian week and is therefore regarded as the Sabbath.

To keep the weekly Sabbath holy, Adventists abstain from work on Saturday. They also usually refrain from purely secular forms of recreation, such as competitive sport and watching non-religious programmes on TV. Saturday afternoon activities vary widely depending on the cultural, ethnic and social background. In some churches, members and visitors will participate in a fellowship lunch.

The Adventist Church is the eighth largest international body of Christians and boasts a worldwide membership of over 16 million people. The faith also reports a countrywide membership of 187,000 members, with over 806 churches around the country. The church is led by pastors and elders who help in shaping the flock. The church is known for, among other things its emphasis on diet and health (does not allow eating of pork, wearing jewelry and taking alcohol). The church baptises by immersion. According to Pastor Alisengawa, the summary of the message of the SDA Church is “everlasting gospel”, with its roots in Rev 14:6-12.

The church operates numerous schools, hospitals and publishing houses worldwide, as well as a prominent humanitarian aid organisation known as the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)