Advent Christian History
| History of the Advent Christian Denomination The beginnings of the Advent Christian Church started with William Miller; soldier, farmer, justice of the peace, skeptic turned believer and preacher. Mr. Miller became a Christian in 1818 and intensely studied the Bible for the next several years. These studies led him to believe that Jesus would return to earth around the year 1843. Previously, Christ’s return was not a common topic in the pulpit. During the 1830s, Miller preached his message in small-town congregations throughout New York, New England, and eastern Canada. When he went to Boston in 1840, Miller met Joshua Himes, a pastor whose public relations skills helped spread Miller’s message nationally. When Miller’s prediction of the Second Coming did not materialize, his followers eventually organized into six distinct groups, each with a different understanding of the Adventist message. The Advent Christian General Conference was the second of the six groups to organize, being formally established in 1860. |
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