The SDA church has always taken a special interest
in health
concerns. They have played a major role
in health research into the dangers of smoking
and of diets rich in cholesterol and fats.
Dr. John Kellog, founder of "Kellogg's"
and a major supplier of breakfast cereals was
a well known member of the church. They promote
plans to help people quit smoking and consuming
alcohol. They sponsor cooking classes, heart
disease teams, narcotics education outreaches
and disaster teams. There are 155 SDA hospitals
and 276 clinics, dispensaries, etc. in the world.
Many congregations have a Dorcas Society (Community
Services Department) which provide food and
supplies to the needy. They currently operate
92 post-secondary institutions, almost 1000
secondary schools and over 4000 elementary schools
and kindergartens.
The SDA church is a strong supporter of the
principle of separation of church and state.
They also promote religious liberty, and publish
a periodical called Liberty.
As of mid-2000, the Church has about 11 million
baptized members, worldwide, who are "of
age" and on the "official" roles.
The total number of members and adherents is
perhaps double that. They have a growth rate
of about 11% per year. "Adventists can
now be found in 205 of the 229 countries and
areas of the world recognized by the United
Nations, with 91.6% of membership living outside
of North America."
By the middle of 2004, the total world church
membership reached 13,663,497. The Adventist
News Network reports that: "Six of the
church's 13 world regions...
- Inter-America (2.5 million)
- South America (2.3 million)
- East-Central Africa (2.1 million)
- Southern Africa-Indian Ocean
- Southern Asia Pacific
- and North America
...have memberships of more than 1 million each.
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INFORMATION SHEET
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