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Presbyterian / Reformed vs. Seventh-day Adventist

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

Presbyterian / Reformed

The Reformed tradition follows the teaching of John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli and their heirs, and Presbyterian churches are its best-known family. It stresses the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, and government by elders (presbyters).

More about Presbyterian / Reformed Christianity

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: Can a saved person fall away?; Predestination and free will; 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: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Books of the Bible; The Trinity; How a person is saved; Mary and the saints.

Side by side

Question	Presbyterian / Reformed	Seventh-day Adventist
Authority: Scripture and traditionAgree	Scripture alone is the supreme authority. Confessions such as the Westminster Confession are subordinate standards that summarize its teaching.	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 Westminster Confession says the Apocrypha is not inspired and has no authority in the church.	66 books.
The TrinityAgree	One God in three persons, as defined at Nicaea and Constantinople and restated in the Reformed confessions.	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	Justification by grace alone through faith alone, with salvation entirely God’s work from election to glory. Good works are the fruit and evidence of faith.	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?Differ	No. The “perseverance of the saints” holds that those whom God has truly chosen will be kept in faith to the end, though they may stumble seriously.	Yes. Salvation can be lost by rejecting God, but no one is lost who continues to trust in Christ.
Predestination and free willDiffer	God unconditionally chose those he would save before the foundation of the world, which is the classic Calvinist position. Its five points are often summarized by the acronym TULIP.	Arminian in outlook. God desires all to be saved, and each person chooses whether to respond.
BaptismDiffer	A sign and seal of God’s covenant promise. Infants of believers are baptized, generally by sprinkling or pouring, and baptism is not thought to save automatically.	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 spiritually, through the Holy Spirit, for those who receive by faith. It is a sign and seal, not a change in the elements.	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	Governed by elders. Each congregation is led by a session of elders, which belongs to a presbytery, then a regional synod and a national General Assembly.	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. The PC(USA) ordains women as pastors and elders, while the PCA and other conservative bodies reserve those offices for men.	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 honored as the mother of Jesus, and saints are remembered as examples. Prayer is directed to God alone.	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 pass at once into Christ’s presence and await the resurrection. The unsaved face eternal punishment.	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	Centered on the preaching of the Word. Worship is more sober than in Catholic or Lutheran churches and traditionally uses hymns and psalms, with some congregations now using contemporary music.	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 gives gifts to the church. Traditionally, many Reformed teachers held that miraculous gifts ended with the apostles (cessationism), while others, including charismatic Presbyterians, disagree.	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, called the Lord’s Day. Some Reformed churches apply the Sabbath commandment to Sunday strictly.	Saturday, the seventh day. Adventists keep the biblical Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset and consider it a lasting commandment.
Best known for	The sovereignty of God, careful doctrine, government by elders and a long history of education and biblical scholarship.	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.

Presbyterian / Reformed vs. Seventh-day Adventist