Methodist vs. Seventh-day Adventist
A side-by-side comparison of Methodist and Seventh-day Adventist teaching on 16 questions, from Scripture and salvation to baptism, communion and church government.
Methodist
Methodism began in the 18th century as a renewal movement within the Church of England under John and Charles Wesley. It emphasizes God’s grace offered to all, holiness of heart and life, and practical care for the poor.
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: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Baptism; Communion (the Lord’s Supper); Sacraments or ordinances; Church government; Death, purgatory and hell; Style of worship; Day of worship.
Varies within one or both: Clergy and women in ministry; The Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.
Where they agree: Books of the Bible; The Trinity; How a person is saved; Can a saved person fall away?; Predestination and free will; Mary and the saints.
Side by side
| Question | Methodist | Seventh-day Adventist |
|---|---|---|
| Authority: Scripture and traditionDiffer | Scripture is primary, and is understood in light of tradition, reason and Christian experience. This fourfold method is called the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. | 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. The Apocrypha is not part of the canon. | 66 books. |
| The TrinityAgree | One God in three persons, in the historic creeds and in Wesley’s Articles of Religion. | 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 | Justified by grace through faith. Wesley also taught that God’s grace goes before conversion (prevenient grace) and leads to sanctification, growth in holiness that may be called “Christian perfection,” meaning perfect love. | 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 | Yes. Wesley taught that a believer can fall from grace by persistent unbelief or sin, though he held that God is eager to restore. | Yes. Salvation can be lost by rejecting God, but no one is lost who continues to trust in Christ. |
| Predestination and free willAgree | Rejects Calvinist predestination. Grace is offered to everyone, and each person is free to accept or resist it, which is the Arminian position. | Arminian in outlook. God desires all to be saved, and each person chooses whether to respond. |
| BaptismDiffer | A sacrament and sign of God’s grace. Both infants and adult believers are baptized, and the mode may be sprinkling, pouring or immersion. | Baptism by immersion, given after instruction and a public profession of faith. It marks membership in the church. |
| Communion (the Lord’s Supper)Differ | Christ is truly present, but the manner is a holy mystery. The United Methodist Church rejects transubstantiation and does not define a theory. | Observed quarterly, in a service that includes foot washing as an act of humility. The bread and grape juice are symbols. |
| Sacraments or ordinancesDiffer | Two sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. | 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 | A “connectional” system in which churches are bound in districts and conferences. The United Methodist Church has bishops, and some Methodist bodies do not. | A representative system of local churches, regional conferences and a General Conference. Delegates make decisions for the world church. |
| Clergy and women in ministryVaries | Women are ordained as pastors and bishops in the United Methodist Church and most other Methodist bodies. Clergy may marry. | 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 and the saints are honored as models of faith. Methodists do not pray to them. | 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 are with Christ at death and await the resurrection, and unbelievers face judgment. | 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 worshipDiffer | A mixture. Worship generally follows a set order with hymns (many by Charles Wesley), Scripture and preaching, and styles range from traditional to contemporary. | A Sabbath school and a worship service on Saturday. The service is built around preaching, hymns and prayer. |
| The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsVaries | The Spirit’s work is stressed in assurance and holiness. Attitudes to tongues and healing vary, and the Wesleyan holiness movement gave rise to Pentecostalism. | 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 | Warm-hearted evangelism, hymnody, holiness of life and social outreach through hospitals, schools and missions. | 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.
Learn more on this site
- The Inspiration and Inerrancy of Scripture
- The Reliability of Scripture
- Baptism
- What Does the Bible Say About Salvation?
- What Does the Bible Say About Heaven?
- What Does the Bible Say About Hell?
- What Does the Bible Say About Judgment Day?
- What Does the Bible Say About Worship?
- Sabbath
- The Canon
- Textual Variants and "Lost Books" (Gnostic Gospels, Apocrypha)
- The Trinity
- The Deity of Christ
- Grace
- Justification
- Free Will, Predestination, and Divine Sovereignty
- Catholic Church
- Eastern Orthodox Church
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