As the name suggests, Seventh Day Baptists observe a Saturday Sabbath. The movement began in England in the mid-1600s, then spread to the British colonies in North America. Today, Seventh Day Baptists are strongest in India and the United States.
In the early 1600s, the Baptist movement was underway in England, and Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth of Nations allowed for a greater degree of religious freedom. By the time this ended, shortly after the death of Cromwell, those who were associated with the Seventh Day Baptist movement were willing to accept the punishment rather than renounce their convictions.
Seventh Day Baptism came to North America with Stephen and Ann Mumford in 1665, as he is named as an advocate for a seventh-day Sabbath in several records of the time. The first Seventh Day Baptist church on the continent was established. in Newport, Rhode Island in 1671, where they were originally known as Sabbatarian Baptists. Soon there were other churches in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, then Connecticut, New York, and Virginia.
In the 1730s, a group of German Baptists in Ephrata, Pennsylvania adopted Seventh-day Sabbatarianism and, in 1814, the German Religious Society of Seventh Day Baptists was formed. The Seventh Day Baptist General Conference was organized in 1802.
The Seventh-day Adventists, established in 1863, while not a splinter group of the Seventh Day Baptists, were influenced by them, and they maintained a relationship for a time.
Founded in 1864, the Seventh Day Baptist World Federation now includes more than fifty thousand members in more than twenty countries, including India, the United States, England, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Jamaica, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Poland. The Seventh Day Baptist General Conference has members in the above countries, as well as Germany, Guyana, Malawi, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, the Philippines, and South Africa.
Other than the day on which they meet for Sabbath, the beliefs of Seventh Day Baptists are very similar to those of other Baptists. Given their belief, which is shared with other Baptist organizations, in the autonomy of the local church, there are differences in doctrine within the Seventh Day Baptist churches. The basic beliefs of the Seventh Day Baptists included baptism of believerss through immersion, non-liturgical worship, separation of church and state, and religious freedom.
Active Seventh-day Baptist organizations today include the Seventh Day Baptist World Federation, the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference, the Association of Seventh Day Baptists, the Australasian Conference of Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh Day Baptists in the Netherlands, the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference of the United States and Canada, and the Brazilian Conference of Seventh Day Baptist Churches.
Recommended Resources
The Seventh Day Baptist Board of Christian Education is part of the ministry of the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference in the United States and Canada. Its mission and purpose are stated, along with an overview of its programs and publications, with links to where they can be purchased. Scripture memory verses, Bible study data, and other resources are presented in a blog. Contact information is included.
http://educatingchristians.org/
Jamaica Seventh Day Baptist Conference
The work of the Seventh Day Baptists began in Jamaica in 1923 when Mrs. Emily Smikle, then a Free Seventh Day Adventist, became the first Seventh Day Baptist in Jamaica after coming across a SDB publication. She and her husband founded the Post Road Seventh Day Baptist Church. By 1924, fourteen churches made up the General Conference in Jamaica. Church history, belief statements, a calendar of events, photos, and other resources are presented.
http://www.jsdbc.webs.com/
Founded in 1964 by Seventh Day Baptist conferences and groups throughout the world, its history, constitution, statement of beliefs, and member conferences are put forth, along with a calendar of events. Its executive committee and administrative staff are acknowledged. Its publications, Seventh Day Baptist World and Walking in the Light, are featured, including archives. News, announcements, and contacts are published to the site.
http://www.sdbwf.org/
Seventh Day Baptist Historical Library & Archives
The SDB Historical Library is a resource for Seventh Day Baptist life and thought, historical and contemporary, within the United States and Canada. Its purpose, and the scope of its collections are determined, along with a gallery of photographs, a library catalog, map of churches, and an online discussion forum. Its Centennial Fund is highlighted, and access to its online archives is included. A private login for members is included.
http://www.sdbhistory.org/
Seventh Day Baptist Missionary Society
As an arm of the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference, the Missionary Society partners with individuals, churches, and ministries in order to promote the gospel throughout the world. Its officers and executive committee are posted, along with its projects and news, mission locations and details, mission reports, and mission minutes. Its programs for children, youth, and adults are included, and contacts are posted to the site.
http://sdbmissions.org/
Seventh Day Baptist Women's Society
Organized in 1884, the organization supports the ministries of the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference by providing training and offering service opportunities to young adults within the denomination, as well as coordinating women's groups within the SDB churches. It tuition fund is put forward, and its Robe of Achievement program is outlined, and the current recipient and a list of alumni are presented. Application forms are included.
http://www.sdbwomen.org/
Representing the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference, the site offers links to affiliated sites and organizations, as well as historical resources, resolutions, and bylaws. Churches within the Conference may be located through the site, with an overview of its ministries, community programs, and missions. A calendar of events, a blog, and an online store offering books, publications, study guides, apparel, and promotional items.
http://seventhdaybaptist.org/
