Historical Record

The 1860 Name Selection of Seventh-day Adventist

This page documents the movement from post-1844 Sabbath-keeping Advent believers into a named body in 1860, followed by formal denominational organization in 1863.

Core Timeline

1844-1860: Pre-denominational period Sabbath-keeping Advent believers organized publishing, conferences, and doctrinal work before adopting a formal denominational name.

1860: Name adopted The movement settled on the name Seventh-day Adventist, a title reflecting both Sabbath observance and Advent hope.

May 21, 1863: General Conference formed Three years after adopting the name, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists was formed and the movement entered formal organization.

1872: A Declaration of the Fundamental Principles The movement published its first written summary of doctrinal positions — not a creed, but a voluntary declaration of “the principal features of our faith.” This 16-page booklet addresses the Sabbath, the Second Advent, the State of the Dead, the Law of God, and more. It predates and stands independent of the 1904 corporate reorganization.

Why This Matters

The 1860 name decision is a key historical pivot. It identifies how the early believers publicly defined themselves while preserving continuity with the 1840s Advent awakening and Sabbath message.

The sequence is straightforward in historical summaries: identity language in 1860, then denominational legal organization in 1863.

1872 — Primary Source Document

A Declaration of the Fundamental Principles

Taught and Practiced by the Seventh-day Adventists. Published 1872. This voluntary declaration — not a binding creed — sets forth the doctrinal pillars of the original Seventh-day Adventist platform: the Sabbath, the Advent, conditional immortality (State of the Dead), the non-immortality of the soul, the Law of God, baptism by immersion, and more.

This document reflects the beliefs of the pre-1904 movement. It was published before the General Conference Corporate reorganization and before the 1904 Articles of Incorporation. It is the living platform Joseph Bates, James White, and their fellow pioneers built — in their own words.

Read the 1872 Declaration

The Full Organizational History

From William Miller’s first public proclamation in 1831 to the five men who signed the 1904 Articles of Incorporation — the complete record of who named the church, who organized it, who incorporated it, and what happened next.

Apostasy Record

The Men Who Drove the Corporate Turn

Who led the 1897–1904 reorganization? What happened to the pioneer faith after the corporation was formed? The apostate shepherds — their own records speak.

Apostate Shepherds — Resume of Apostasy Babylon & Antichrist Library Religious Liberty