Seventh-Day Adventism at Crossroads

Abstract

This chapter provides a basic introductory statement of what Seventh-day Adventism is and why it currently needs an ecclesiology. By offering a brief overview of Adventism’s origins and development, this chapter hopes to provide a general context for understanding the present problems and impasses that have necessitated a more robust and systematic articulation of the Adventist theology of church. According to the author, there are three primary reasons for the recent resurgence of Adventist interest in ecclesiology. Increasingly, the denomination is challenged (1) to retain its unity, which has been threatened from within by theological polarizations, (2) to maintain its relevance in a world that has changed significantly since the inception of the movement, and (3) to clarify its interaction with other Christian and non-Christian communities. These three tensions need to be addressed constructively if the church is to maintain its vitality and meet the challenges of the twenty-first century.