looking for info

[Lvanett]

Does anyone here have info on "Advent Christian" churches? There is a church that meets on Saturday and rent their space from another church. The pastor seems to be quite knowledgeable but the fact that they state they are an "offshoot of Adventism" doesn't sit well with me. Still, I keep feeling like God wants me to visit just once and see what they're like. I already know SDAs are to be avoided but I'm wondering what Advent Christian churches believe.

thanx all :)

[InTheory]

...same church, different pew...:)

[Lvanett]

Really? :confused:

Because this church does not state they are Adventist or Christian - they claim to be non denominational - but I have found statements from the Pastor that "By His grace I have led more people to the Lord and even to the Sabbath and to accept conditional immortality over the past ten years than the 30 years I was an SDA minister, missionary, and Theology Lecturer in Adventist Institutions." I also am unsure if he no longer teaches SDA doctrines or not, because he has a web page stating that he understands the bible and "the rest of you do not", along with links from SDA outreach sites speaking against the very things he claims to have led people to. The info I can find against this pastor is coming from SDAs, so I expect them to condemn and find fault with him.

I don't know why, but I keep getting the impression that the Lord is telling me to "just try going once"....maybe because this is one of the only churches left where I have a chance to actually use my gifts (music/worship ministry), and a place where my former Pastor hasn't badmouthed me to them.

[dougjb]

Hi Lvanett,
You could make it very simple by going to the pastor and asking for a doctrinal statement and directly asking him about their history. Is there an affiliation with SDA or other group? Unless they are some real odd balls, they will more than likely be glad to talk you anything you want to know.

Dougjb

[Carmen]

From Handbook of Denominations in the US by Mead and Hill 10th ed. 1995.

Advent Christian Church

Founded in 1860, the Advent Christian Church is one of several denominations that grew out of the Millerite movement of the 1830's and 1840's. While William Miller was not directly involved in the founding of this church, his preaching and teachings concerning the second coming of Christ formed the theological basis for much of Advent Christian theological, biblical, and organizational thinking.
In addition, the doctrine of life only in Jesus Christ, or conditional immortality, as preached by George Storrs and Charles F. Hudson, became a major teaching of the denomination. Dissatisfied with the widespread teaching of a purely Platonic doctrine of the immortality of the human soul, Advent Christians declared valid the unconscious state of all the dead until the resurrection at Christ's return., the extinction (as opposed to eternal torment) of the wicked after their resurrection to final judgment at Christ's return, and the imminent return of Christ.
The first Advent Christian Association was followed closely by the founding of publications and missions societies and of Aurora University. The denomination also maintains missions in Japan, Mexico, India, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Malaysia.
Congregational in polity, the church is composed of approximately 28,000 members in 325 local churches, grouped in five regional districts in the U.S. and Canada, associated under the Advent Christian General Conference of America. The General Conference meets every three years and maintains denominational offices in Charlotte, North Carolina, which house work in missions, urban ministries, church growth, Christian education, publications, administration, women's ministries, and public relations.
The denomination maintains no formal creedal statement, but does have a declaration of principles, adopted by the General Conference in 1900 and revised in 1934, 1964, and 1972. Two sacraments are observed: baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper. Worship is held on the first day of the week.
In 1964, Advent Christian Church merged with Life and Advent Union, an Adventist group with three churches and 300 members, organized by John T. Walsh in 1848. The Advent Christian Church became a member of the National Association of Evangelicals in 1986. (pp. 35,36)

End of quote.

Ted Haggard was president of the NAE until the recent scandal.

From p. 34 about Millerites, concerning Adventists in general.

"The movement under Miller was at first an... intrachurch development, with many Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists and others...a movement within existing churches...
Miller thought that the "sanctuary" ...the earth (or the church) , ...would be cleansed by fire at the Second Advent, and that this cleansing would occur sometime between March 21, 1843, and March 21, 1844. When this expectation failed to materialize by the spring of 1844, many left the movement...second date, October 22, 1844,...passed with no second coming, vast numbers lost all interest in Adventism and went back to their former churches or abandoned the Christian faith altogether.
...several smaller bodies...Albany, New York...held generally to Miller's positions and theology...(another group) Advent Christian Church.
Nearly all Adventists at first agreed...premillenial...Today, however, many, including the Advent Christian group, hold the amillenial position...."

Hope this helps, there are a lot of names and beliefs you can look up or ask that pastor about.