July 1997 marks the 110th anniversary of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church's existence in South Africa. During this time the denomination has augmented both organizationally and numerically. Notwithstanding the expansion in these dimensions though, a thorough perusal of the denomination's history and present modus-operandi makes it clear that all is not as it should be within the denomination. In an attempt to discover the fundamental causes for the malaise that exists within the denomination, chapter one begins by succinctly tracing the growth of apocalyptic and millennial thinking. Beginning from the Maccabean era it reveals not only the numerous transformations that took place in millennial discernment throughout the subsequent centuries, but also demonstrates how these oscillations prepared the "soil" which allowed the emergence of the Millerite Movement - the immediate forerunners of the SDA church. Chapter two unveils the emergent movement in America initially opposed to to the formation of any formal organizations and hesitant to commission any missionaries to foreign lands. This period was destined however to also be an era of maturation. In the wake of the doctrinal consolidation that eventually took place, came not only an evolvement of missionary consciousness but also the successful development of a unique tri-lateral missiological approach that the denomination would employ' with great success on the world's mission fields.In July 1887 the first SDA missionaries stepped onto South African shores. Chapter three reveals this emergent church greatly stirred by the organizational, institutional and missiological developments experienced by the church in America, looking set to rapidly emulate both the missionary paradigm and numerous accomplishments of its mother church. Chapter four discloses however, how this once dynamic, intrepid, missionary-minded church very quickly became bogged down in a quagmire of difficulties. Many of these occurrences and other serious issues that followed in the ensuing years of the twentieth century were indisputably detrimental to the church, seriously affecting both its missionary expansion and its development in this country. As the denomination in South Africa stands on the brink of the twenty first century there is no question, that unless some drastic measures are taken, that it could very soon find itself under the sword of Damocles. This impending crisis is augmented not only by its almost total lack of involvement in crucial social issues, conspicuous inconsistencies present in its organizational structure, and its manoeuvre from a once dynamic evangelistically orientated movement to an institutionalized organization, but also by the fact that indispensable facets of its missionary strategy are at the present moment no longer in evidence in its continued operations. There is no question that the denomination is faced not only with a missiological identity crisis but also with the very sobering question whether it is indeed fulfilling the missionary mandate it ironically still preaches and still so strongly believes in. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1996.

Thesis (MSc. Soc. Ecol. (Honours)--University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, 1997. / Thesis submitted for Masters of Science (Hon) Social Ecology. Thesis is an inquiry into how a consulting approach can be used by a church helping organisation in the Seventh-day Adventist Church to assist congregations.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Andrews University, School of Education, 2008. / Vita. Bibliography: leaves 327-370.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2001. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 260-265).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, Ill., 1999. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-98).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, Ill., 1999. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-128).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2001. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 260-265).

The diploma thesis "The Fundamental Beliefsof the Seventh-day Adventist Church: Theological Debate about their Nature, Role, and Arrangement in the Last 25 Years" has two main aims. First of all the paper tries to examine the debate of Seventh-day Adventist theologians about the church's doctrine since 1995 up to the present day. The paper's other effort is to place the examined debate into a historical and hermenutical context of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The introduction presents the aims of the paper, their justification, methodology, main research issues and content structure of the thesis. In the first part of the paper are shown the main landmarks of the Seventh-day Adventist doctrinal statements since 1848 up to the present day. Then the first part focuses on the elementary hermeneutical principles of Seventh-day Adventist in relation to the Scripture and the writings of Ellen G. White which is considered as a non-canonical prophet. The second part of the thesis deals in detail with question, how theologians from the Seventh-day Adventist Church understand the nature, role and arrangement of the Fundamental beliefs of their church. Namely - what the fundamental beliefs are, why should church hold them and how to arrange them. In connection with the first part of the paper a debate...

Pastors whose congregations are inadequate sources of meaningful fellowship and social support often experience the negative impact of one-way relationships, role overload, pedestal positioning, ministry stress, adrenaline exhaustion, isolation, burnout, and loneliness in their context. Grounded in Gary Kinnaman and Alfred Ell’s model of Pastors in Covenant Friendship, this thesis articulates the potential for free, online clergy peer groups to serve as hospitable spaces for African American, Seventh-day Adventist pastors to experience positive emotions, positive affirmation, safe places for vulnerability, peer support, friendship, and flourishing in mutually-supportive, positive relationships beyond their congregations.

Accounting and accountability researchers have shown new interest in the study of religious organizations by exploring how secular practices associated with accounting and accountability mesh with religious goals and activities. Despite burgeoning research into accountability relatively little is known about the nature of accountability in religious organizations. The present study seeks to address this need by exploring the accountability practices of a business entity owned and operated by an Australian religious minority. This study focuses on the accountability practices of the Sanitarium Health Food Company (SHF), a food manufacturing business owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. SHF is a non-profit organization whose annual gross revenue is estimated at between A$300m to A$400m, making it one of Australia’s top earning charities. SHF provides no formal financial reporting to church members and only a handful of church elites know the financial details of this organization. As a charity SHF is not required to pay income tax; as a department of the Adventist Church it is subjected to minimal regulatory requirements and therefore justifies not disclosing its financial details to church members or the public. However, as a charity there is an expectation that the organization would detail how profits are used, the causes it supports and the extent of that support. This information has not been readily forthcoming from the organization. Church members view SHF as being an Adventist organization upholding and promoting denominational teachings, values and practices; to the public the organization presents itself as a charity promoting disinterested humanitarianism. This case study combines historical and field research methodology. It draws on archival and published material relating to the SHF and Adventist community and data from interviews with a range of stakeholders. The primary focus of the study is the period between 1970 and 2005, during which time SHF grew significantly and underwent major restructuring of its operations, management and orientation. The study reveals that while SHF presents minimal formal reporting, the organization has evolved a sophisticated socialising accountability, aimed at promoting the operation to church members as an Adventist institution and to the wider public as a mainstream charity. The study highlights that a feature of Adventist accountability relates to a unique interpretation of the notion of being accountable to God. Adventists believe in a literal investigative audit in heaven commencing in 1844. This teaching differentiates Adventists from other religious groups. The teaching provides the primary focus of Adventist accountability, motivates social action and regulates Adventist organizational behaviour. The study of SHF provides a vantage point from which to examine the role that religious beliefs play in promoting commercial activities. In the study of SHF, religious beliefs and secular business practices overlap, each reinforcing the other. The evidence presented in relation to SHF highlights a meshing of religious values and secular operations in ways that make it impossible to compartmentalise sacred and secular activities within the Adventist organization. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1369252 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Business School, 2008