The Seventh Day Baptist Church is a Christian denomination that observes Saturday, rather than Sunday, as the Sabbath. Here is an overview of their history, beliefs, and practices:
History
The Seventh Day Baptist Church has its origins in mid-17th century England. Small groups of Baptists began to form who held the view that the Sabbath should be observed on the seventh day of the week – Saturday – based on the Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11). One of the key early Seventh Day Baptist leaders was Peter Chamberlen the Third, who wrote extensively in defense of seventh day Sabbath observance.
In the 1650s, Seventh Day Baptists immigrated to Rhode Island, which was known for its religious freedom. The first Seventh Day Baptist church in America was established in Newport, Rhode Island in 1671. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Seventh Day Baptist churches spread to other parts of New England and the Midwest. Missionary work in the 19th century led to churches being planted in China, Burma, and Nigeria.
There are about 50,000 Seventh Day Baptists worldwide today, with the largest concentrations in the United States, India, Nigeria, Nepal, Burma, and Kenya. The denomination’s headquarters, school, and a seminary are located in Janesville, Wisconsin.
Beliefs
Seventh Day Baptists share common doctrinal views with other conservative Baptist groups, including:
- The Bible alone as the sole authority for faith and practice
- Salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ
- The priesthood of all believers and liberty of conscience
- Believer’s baptism by immersion
- A congregational form of church governance
Their main distinctive belief is that the Sabbath should be observed on the seventh day of the week, Saturday. This is based on passages like Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 20:8-11, Isaiah 66:22-23, and others that indicate that the seventh day of the week is the Sabbath ordained at creation. Seventh Day Baptists argue that although the day was set aside at creation, observing the Sabbath did not become a requirement until it was made part of the Ten Commandments given to Moses. They also point to Jesus’ practice of observing the Sabbath (Mark 1:21, 6:2; Luke 4:16) as indication that the day was not changed after Christ’s resurrection.
Worship and Practices
Worship services at Seventh Day Baptist churches are held on Saturday mornings. The order of service is similar to other Baptist churches, typically including music (both traditional hymns and contemporary worship songs), prayer, preaching, and scripture reading. Communion is typically observed once per quarter.
Since the Sabbath is observed on Saturday, Seventh Day Baptists do not engage in secular work or commerce from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. They refrain from activities like shopping, sports, eating out in restaurants, and attending events with an admission cost during these hours. However, works of charity and mercy are permitted on the Sabbath, as well as family activities and gatherings that do not require paid staff.
Seventh Day Baptists put a strong emphasis on education. From their beginnings, Seventh Day Baptists have founded academies and colleges to train up students from a Biblical worldview. These have included Salem College, Pea Ridge Normal Academy, Plainfield Academy, and more. The main Seventh Day Baptist school today is the Seventh Day Baptist Institute in Janesville, Wisconsin.
Like other Baptist groups, Seventh Day Baptists practice two ordinances – believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They hold a congregational form of church governance where each local church is self-governing. Women can serve in ministry roles including pastoring churches.
Seventh Day Baptists actively train leaders and plant churches, with efforts focused in Asia, Africa, and South America. They cooperate in ministry efforts through an association of churches, but each local church remains independent and self-supporting.
Notable Seventh Day Baptists
Some notable Seventh Day Baptists throughout history include:
- Peter Chamberlen III – Early proponent of seventh day Sabbath in England in 1650s
- Stephen Mumford – Helped establish first Seventh Day Baptist church in America in Newport, Rhode Island in 1671
- Joseph Bates – Converted from anti-Sabbatarianism to become a Seventh Day Baptist in 1846; instrumental in founding the Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Rachel Oakes Preston – Seventh Day Baptist who convinced Adventist pioneers in Washington, NH of the Sabbath in 1844
- Gary Land – Prominent scholar and historian of Adventism and Ellen White
Relation to Seventh-day Adventists
Seventh Day Baptists had significant influence on the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the 1840s, particularly Joseph Bates. The two groups have similar beliefs about the Sabbath day, but differ on doctrines like the Investigative Judgment and annihilationism (conditional immortality). Seventh Day Baptists have closer doctrinal alignment with mainstream Baptists.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church grew much larger than Seventh Day Baptists. As of 2020, there were 1.2 million baptized Seventh Day Baptist members worldwide compared to 21 million baptized Seventh-day Adventists. But both groups continue to have cordial relations while differing on some theological views.
Significant Challenges
One of the biggest challenges for the Seventh Day Baptist Church has been maintaining a traditional view of the Saturday Sabbath as society and work schedules have secularized. Holding jobs that require Saturday hours has made Sabbath keeping difficult for many. Some Seventh Day Baptist pastors have even needed to find additional income sources since Sunday-worshipping churches can offer full-time pay.
Young adult retention has also been an issue as some leave to attend churches that meet on Sundays and have more vibrant youth programs. There have been discussions within the denomination about whether some flexibility could be allowed for meeting times or non-commercial activities on Saturdays to attract more young families.
In summary, the Seventh Day Baptist Church offers a Biblical perspective on keeping the seventh day Sabbath holy. This small but devout group of believers seeks to obey God’s commandments while sharing the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.