Adventist Pioneers Honor

Missionary & Community Activities

Requirements

1. Find out what the Millerite Movement was and what its fundamental role was for the beginning of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

   Answer: The Millerite Movement was a great religious awakening led by William Miller in the United States, between 1831 and 1844. Studying the prophecies of the Bible, especially Daniel 8:14 ('unto two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed'), Miller concluded that the 2,300 prophetic days (years) would end in 1844 and that this would mark the return of Jesus to Earth. His preaching attracted thousands of people from various denominations, who began to eagerly await the advent of Christ. Its fundamental role for the beginning of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is that, after the Great Disappointment of October 22, 1844 (when Jesus did not return), a group of Millerites continued studying the Bible and understood that the prophecy had been fulfilled in heaven (the beginning of the investigative judgment in the heavenly sanctuary), not on Earth. From this group, a few years later, the Seventh-day Adventist Church was born.

2. Explain the Great Disappointment based on the prophecy of Daniel 8.

   Answer: The Great Disappointment occurred on October 22, 1844. Based on Daniel 8:14 ('unto two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed'), the Millerites calculated that the 2,300 prophetic days (years) would end in 1844 and interpreted the 'cleansing of the sanctuary' as the return of Jesus to Earth. When Jesus did not return on the date, they suffered great disappointment. Afterward they understood, through the Bible, that in 1844 there began not the return of Christ, but the investigative judgment in the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 8 and 9) — the basis of one of the Adventist doctrines. — The Great Disappointment, in the light of Daniel 8, led to the study of the heavenly sanctuary and to the emergence of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

3. Study about Ellen White and what the role of her teachings is within our Church.

   Answer: Ellen Gould White (1827-1915) was one of the co-founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. While still young she took part in the Millerite movement and, after the Great Disappointment of 1844, received the gift of prophecy, having numerous visions throughout her life. Together with her husband James White and Joseph Bates, she helped organize and consolidate the church. She wrote more than 40 books and thousands of articles on faith, salvation in Christ, health, education, family and mission (works such as 'The Desire of Ages', 'The Great Controversy' and 'Steps to Christ'). The role of her teachings within the church is that of a 'messenger of the Lord': her writings are considered a spiritual gift that guides, instructs and comforts the church, always SUBORDINATE to the Bible, which remains the supreme rule of faith and practice. That is, the writings of Ellen White neither replace nor stand above the Scriptures, but always point back to them.

4. Know the organizational structure of the Adventist Church. Prepare an ecclesiastical organizational chart.

   Answer: The Seventh-day Adventist Church is organized into four levels: (1) the local church (the members); (2) the Conference/Mission (a group of churches of a region); (3) the Union (a group of Conferences/Missions of a country or area); (4) the Division (large world regions, branches of the headquarters); and, at the top, the General Conference (world headquarters). The organizational chart goes from the local church, through Conference → Union → Division, up to the General Conference. — The representative structure in levels keeps the church united worldwide, with decisions shared in assemblies.

5. Present a biographical summary of the following leaders:
   • William Miller
   • James White
   • Ellen White
   • Joseph Bates
   • J. N. Andrews
   • Harry Fenner
   • Luther Warren
   • Another SDA pioneer of your choice

   Answer: 1) William Miller: a Baptist preacher who studied the biblical prophecies, especially Daniel 8:14, and announced the return of Jesus for 1844, giving rise to the Millerite movement that preceded Adventism. 2) James White: a pioneer and the husband of Ellen White; he was a great organizer of the church and editor of the first Adventist publications. 3) Ellen G. White: co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church; she received the gift of prophecy and wrote many books and counsels that guide the church to this day. 4) Joseph Bates: a former ship captain who became a pioneer and emphasized the importance of observing the Sabbath among the first Adventists. 5) J. N. Andrews: a scholar and student of the Bible, he was the first official Adventist missionary sent abroad (to Switzerland, in 1874). 6) Harry Fenner: a young man who, together with Luther Warren, in 1879, in Hazelton (Michigan), started the first youth society, the origin of organized work with youth. 7) Luther Warren: a young man who, with Harry Fenner, founded in 1879 that first youth society, a milestone of the beginning of Adventist youth ministry. 8) Another pioneer of your choice: for example, Hiram Edson (who received the understanding of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844), Uriah Smith (writer and editor) or John Byington (first president of the General Conference, in 1863). — Knowing the pioneers helps to value the history and mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

6. Which leaders can be considered the pioneers of the Pathfinders in the world, in your Division and in your country? Prepare an audiovisual presentation about them and present it to your Club or on some opportune occasion, decided between you and your instructor.

   Answer: Researching the pioneers of the Pathfinders connects today's Pathfinder to the roots of the movement.

7. Choose another department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and find out information about its founding. Pay special attention to the work of the pioneers of this department. Present a report.

   Answer: Knowing the origin of each department shows how the church's mission organized itself over time.

8. Find out how the Adventist movement began in your country. Pay special attention to the work of the pioneers in the process.

   Answer: The Adventist movement reached Brazil at the end of the 19th century, around 1879-1884, through publications. Adventist leaflets and magazines in German reached the hands of European immigrants, especially Germans, in the South and Southeast of the country. A milestone was the arrival of literature to the Borchard family, in Santa Catarina, and the work of the colporteur (literature seller) who distributed this material. The first Adventist missionary officially sent to Brazil was Albert Bachmeier, and soon afterward colporteurs arrived such as the American Elwin W. Snyder and his companions (in 1893), in addition to the pioneer Frank Westphal, the first ordained pastor to come to the country (1894), who performed the first baptisms. The work of the pioneers was decisive: through colportage (the sale of books and magazines), preaching and the organization of the first churches, Adventism spread from the immigrant communities until it reached the entire national territory.

9. Get to know the 28 Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and present a report on their importance. Point out 2 biblical texts for each of the fundamental beliefs.

   Answer: The 28 beliefs are not human traditions: each one is founded on the Bible, which gives unity and identity to the church.