Joseph Bates was a sailor and ship captain for
many years. Having earned a small fortune, he
returned to civilian life in 1828. As the Advent
movement began, the retired sea captain became
a respected evangelist and spiritual leader.
In early 1845, Bates, through the power of the
Holy Spirit, understood the Biblical truth of
the seventh-day Sabbath, and in 1846 he published
a 48-page tract on the subject. Bates was the
oldest of our church pioneers, and he became
the first regional president of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church (Michigan, 1861).
He lived to the age of 80 because he had a simple
diet and lived a life of temperance. He organized
one of the first temperance societies in the
United States.
Bates was a spiritual and courageous man.
RELEVANT
LINKS
The Bates
Home
Adventist Heritage Ministry (AHM) has
recently acquired the boyhood home of
Joseph Bates. The home was built in 1742
and is the oldest home in Fairhaven, MA.
Look for more stories to be added about
Bro. Bates and his work in the early days
of the Adventist Church.
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RELEVANT
LINKS
The Bates
Home
Joseph
Bates 
MILESTONES