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Anabaptist / Mennonite vs. Seventh-day Adventist

A side-by-side comparison of Anabaptist / Mennonite and Seventh-day Adventist teaching on 16 questions, from Scripture and salvation to baptism, communion and church government.

Anabaptist / Mennonite

The Anabaptists began in Zurich in 1525 and spread to Germany and the Netherlands as the “radical” wing of the Reformation. Mennonites, the Amish and the Hutterites descend from them. They stress adult baptism, following the Sermon on the Mount, and separation of church and state.

Seventh-day Adventist

The Seventh-day Adventist Church grew out of the Millerite expectation of Christ’s return in the 1840s and was formally organized in 1863. It worships on the seventh day, Saturday, and holds distinctive teaching on the state of the dead and the end times.

At a glance

Where they differ: Church government; Death, purgatory and hell; Day of worship.

Varies within one or both: Clergy and women in ministry.

Where they agree: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Books of the Bible; The Trinity; How a person is saved; Can a saved person fall away?; Predestination and free will; Baptism; Communion (the Lord’s Supper); Sacraments or ordinances; Mary and the saints; Style of worship; The Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.

Side by side

Question	Anabaptist / Mennonite	Seventh-day Adventist
Authority: Scripture and traditionAgree	Scripture is the authority, read together by the congregation with special weight on the teaching of Jesus in the Gospels, especially the Sermon on the Mount.	The Bible alone is the standard for doctrine. Adventists also honor the writings of Ellen G. White as a prophetic gift, but hold them to be subject to Scripture.
Books of the BibleAgree	66 books.	66 books.
The TrinityAgree	One God in three persons. Early Anabaptists were not uniform, but the Mennonite confessions are Trinitarian.	One God in three co-eternal persons. Some early Adventists were not Trinitarian, but the church has affirmed the doctrine since the 20th century.
How a person is savedAgree	Saved by grace through faith. Faith is expected to show itself in obedience and discipleship, and baptism marks a conscious commitment to follow Christ.	Saved by grace through faith in Christ. Adventists teach that obedience, including keeping the Ten Commandments, is the fruit of salvation and not its cause.
Can a saved person fall away?Agree	Generally yes. Mennonite teaching holds that faith must be lived out and that a person can turn away, though God is patient with those who return.	Yes. Salvation can be lost by rejecting God, but no one is lost who continues to trust in Christ.
Predestination and free willAgree	Emphasizes free will and a personal decision to follow Christ. Anabaptists rejected Calvinist predestination from the start.	Arminian in outlook. God desires all to be saved, and each person chooses whether to respond.
BaptismAgree	Baptism is given only to those who make a mature confession of faith. The mode varies (pouring or immersion), and infant baptism is rejected. The name “Anabaptist” means “rebaptizer.”	Baptism by immersion, given after instruction and a public profession of faith. It marks membership in the church.
Communion (the Lord’s Supper)Agree	A memorial meal and a sign of the unity of the congregation. Some groups pair it with foot washing.	Observed quarterly, in a service that includes foot washing as an act of humility. The bread and grape juice are symbols.
Sacraments or ordinancesAgree	Two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Many groups also practice foot washing.	Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The church’s own statement treats foot washing as part of the Lord’s Supper service, and some Adventists describe it as a third ordinance.
Church governmentDiffer	Local congregations decide matters together and select their own ministers. Some groups have regional conferences and bishops with a limited role.	A representative system of local churches, regional conferences and a General Conference. Delegates make decisions for the world church.
Clergy and women in ministryVaries	Varies. Conservative groups reserve ministry for men, and more progressive Mennonite conferences ordain women.	Women serve as pastors and elders in many regions, but ordaining women as pastors has been disputed at the level of the world church.
Mary and the saintsAgree	Mary is respected as Jesus’ mother, and the church emphasizes following Christ. There is no prayer to saints.	Mary is honored as Jesus’ mother. Adventists do not pray to saints and teach that the dead are unconscious until the resurrection.
Death, purgatory and hellDiffer	Purgatory is rejected. Believers rest in Christ awaiting the resurrection, and the final judgment decides eternal destiny.	The dead are unconscious until the resurrection (sometimes called “soul sleep”). The wicked are ultimately destroyed rather than tormented forever, which is the doctrine of conditional immortality.
Style of worshipAgree	Simple worship centered on singing, Scripture and preaching. Many groups sing without instruments.	A Sabbath school and a worship service on Saturday. The service is built around preaching, hymns and prayer.
The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsAgree	The Spirit is understood to guide the congregation in discernment and daily life. Miraculous gifts are not emphasized.	Spiritual gifts are believed to continue, and the church holds that the gift of prophecy was shown in Ellen G. White. Tongues are understood as real human languages.
Day of worshipDiffer	Sunday.	Saturday, the seventh day. Adventists keep the biblical Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset and consider it a lasting commandment.
Best known for	Peace witness and refusal of violence, adult baptism, simple living, mutual aid and service through relief organizations.	Saturday Sabbath, a health message that includes vegetarian eating, a large system of schools and hospitals, and the expectation of Christ’s soon return.

“Agree” means the two traditions take the same broad position, although the wording above may still note finer differences. “Varies” means at least one of the two is itself divided on the question, so no single position can be given. These summaries describe typical teaching, and individual churches may vary. For an authoritative statement, consult each denomination’s own confessions.

Anabaptist / Mennonite vs. Seventh-day Adventist