Seventh-day Adventist Church

Seventh-day Adventist Church

12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600
United States

Attesting Officer
Kathleen Jones
Assistant for General Statistics


Media Contact
Dir., Communication, Williams S. Costa, Jr.

39.0610333, -76.9655662


The Seventh-day Adventist Church grew out of a worldwide religious revival in the mid-19th century. People of many religious persuasions believed Bible prophecies indicated that the second coming or advent of Christ was imminent.
When Christ did not come in the 1840s, a group of these disappointed Adventists in the United States continued their Bible studies and concluded they had misinterpreted prophetic events and that the second coming of Christ was still in the future. This same group of Adventists later accepted the teaching of the seventh-day Sabbath and became known as Seventh-day Adventists. The denomination organized formally in 1863.
The church was largely confined to North America until 1874, when its first missionary was sent to Europe. Today, over 154,000 congregations (churches and organized companies) meet in 216 countries and areas of the world. Membership exceeds 20 million.
In addition to a mission program, the church has the largest worldwide Protestant parochial school system with approximately 8,208 schools with more than 1,922,900 students on elementary through college and university levels.
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) helps victims of war and natural disasters, and many local congregations have community service facilities to help those in need close to home.
The church also has a worldwide publishing ministry with 61 publishing houses producing magazines and other publications in over 375 languages and dialects. In the United States and Canada, the church sponsors a variety of radio and television programs, including Christian Lifestyle Magazine, It Is Written, Breath of Life, Voice of Prophecy, and La Voz de la Esperanza.
The North American Division of Seventh-day Adventist includes 58 Conferences and one Mission (comprised of United States, Canada, Bermuda, and Guam and Micronesia) which are grouped together into nine organized Union Conferences; and the one Mission. The various Conferences work under the general direction of these Union Conferences; the Mission works directly under the Division.


Full Communicants Average Attendance Other Members Total Inclusive Members Total Churches Membership Calculation Method
2010
1,060,386
0
0
1,060,386
4,916
2009
1,043,606
0
0
1,043,606
4,892
2007
1,000,472
0
0
1,000,472
4,833
2006
980,551
0
0
980,551
4,820
2003
935,428
0
0
935,428
4,683
2001
900,985
0
0
900,985
4,594
1999
861,860
0
0
861,860
4,421
1998
839,915
0
0
839,915
4,405
1997
825,654
825,654
4,348
1996
809,159
809,159
4,363
1995
790,731
790,731
4,297
1994
775,349
775,349
4,303
1993
761,703
761,703
4,270
1992
748,687
748,687
4,261
1991
733,026
733,026
4,229
1990
717,446
717,446
4,217
1989
701,781
701,781
4,193
1988
687,200
687,200
4,145
1987
675,702
675,702
4,096
1986
666,199
666,199
4,055
1985
651,954
651,954
4,009
1984
638,929
638,929
3,949
1983
623,563
623,563
3,907
1982
606,310
606,310
3,826
1981
588,536
588,536
3,769
Serving Churches Retired Other Service to the Church Total Clergy
2010
2,542
1,668
874
5,084
2009
2,561
1,623
883
5,067
2007
2,713
1,601
891
5,205
2006
2,656
1,517
873
5,046
2003
2,544
1,578
938
5,060
2001
2,572
1,564
1,012
5,148
1999
2,501
1,656
959
5,116
1998
2,454
1,632
958
5,044
1997
2,401
4,912
1996
2,337
5,184
1995
2,307
5,075
1994
2,374
4,799
1993
2,341
4,684
1992
2,370
4,355
1991
2,312
4,485
1990
2,316
4,582
1989
2,305
4,493
1988
2,265
4,537
1987
2,241
4,512
1986
3,069
5,481
1985
2,127
4,308
1984
2,169
5,070
1983
2,076
4,434
1982
2,038
4,541
1981
2,006
4,480
Total Schools Staff Pupils Total Individuals
2009
4,008
0
241,936
241,936
2007
4,927
0
530,200
530,200
2006
4,927
0
530,200
530,200
2003
5,019
0
515,306
515,306
2001
4,877
0
419,893
419,893
1999
4,666
0
469,136
469,136
1998
4,712
0
467,099
467,099
1997
4,648
455,745
1996
4,600
444,469
1995
4,553
385,168
1994
4,463
402,402
1993
4,404
338,077
1992
4,444
377,150
1991
4,409
394,598
1990
4,295
440,733
1989
4,222
466,753
1988
4,193
480,457
1987
4,261
511,572
1986
4,180
464,307
1985
4,127
473,271
1984
4,070
474,924
1983
2,005
503,527
1982
3,935
448,681
1981
3,859
440,682
1980
3,820
441,116
Total Benevolences Total Financials Total Giving Local Expenses Method
2010
$868,000,000
$1,270,000,000
$401,000,000
2009
$862,000,000
$1,400,000,000
$536,000,000
2007
$891,000,000
$1,260,000,000
$368,000,000
2006
$864,000,000
$1,290,000,000
$427,000,000
2003
$740,000,000
$1,090,000,000
$348,000,000
2001
$708,000,000
$1,040,000,000
$329,000,000
1999
$630,000,000
$931,000,000
$301,000,000
1998
$588,000,000
$858,000,000
$270,000,000
1997
$552,633,569
$802,224,678
$249,591,109
1996
$524,977,061
$767,293,895
$242,316,834
1995
$503,334,129
$743,899,705
$240,565,576
1994
$503,347,816
$732,944,260
$229,596,444
1993
$473,769,831
$683,294,401
$209,524,570
1992
$476,902,779
$668,265,516
$191,362,737
1991
$456,242,995
$657,654,178
$201,411,183
1990
$433,035,080
$628,089,298
$195,054,218
1989
$415,752,350
$611,956,888
$196,204,538
1988
$395,849,223
$574,618,190
$178,768,967
1987
$374,830,065
$541,769,420
$166,939,355
1986
$361,316,753
$528,009,727
$166,692,974
1985
$346,251,406
$501,328,586
$155,077,180
1984
$319,664,449
$474,921,512
$155,257,063
1983
$323,461,439
$467,097,579
$143,636,140
1982
$299,437,917
$436,315,372
$136,877,455
1981
$297,838,046
$430,926,177
$133,088,131