Seventh-day Adventist Church in popular culture refers to the coverage of Adventists and Adventism in film, television, literature, postage stamps and have been discussed in the media for their longevity. Adventists have impacted world eating habits in the breakfast and health food areas. One author wrote, "popular culture hasn’t often been very kind to Adventists."

Representation in cinema

The movie '' Evil Angels'' (released as ''A Cry in the Dark'' outside of Australia and New Zealand) portrays the events surrounding the

death of Azaria Chamberlain Azaria Chantel Loren Chamberlain (11 June 1980 – 17 August 1980) was a nine-week-old Australian baby girl who was killed by a dingo on the night of the 17 August 1980 during a family camping trip to Uluru in the Northern Territory. Her body ...

, the daughter of Seventh-day Adventist Church pastor

Michael Chamberlain Michael Leigh Chamberlain (27 February 1944 – 9 January 2017) was a New Zealand-Australian writer, teacher and pastor falsely implicated in the August 1980 death of his missing daughter Azaria, which was later demonstrated to be the result ...

and his wife Lindy. Lindy is falsely accused and convicted of killing the nine-week-old baby, and the public's unfamiliarity with of the practices of the religion are shown as one of the causes of public opinion turning against the Chamberlains. Another Australian film, ''

The Nostradamus Kid ''The Nostradamus Kid'' is a 1992 Australian feature film written and directed by Bob Ellis. The film is about the religious and sexual coming of age of a 1950s and 1960s Seventh-day Adventist boy. Ken Elkin (Noah Taylor) is a "randy young m ...

'', depicts a coming-of-age story in which a Seventh-day Adventist young man grows up in the 1950s. 2016 Hollywood film ''

Hacksaw Ridge ''Hacksaw Ridge'' is a 2016 biographical war film directed by Mel Gibson and written by Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan, based on the 2004 documentary ''The Conscientious Objector'' directed by Terry Benedict. The film focuses on the World ...

'' depicts the story of

Desmond Doss Desmond Thomas Doss (February 7, 1919 – March 23, 2006) was a United States Army corporal who served as a combat medic with an infantry company in World War II. He was twice awarded the Bronze Star Medal for actions on Guam and in the Phi ...

, a Seventh-Day Adventist medic who exhibited extraordinary bravery in the Pacific Theatre during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, including single-handedly saving the lives of at least 75 wounded American soldiers in one night under heavy enemy fire on Maeda Escarpment

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

, for which he was awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

. Doss saw himself as a conscientious cooperator and voluntary enlisted in the US Army to be a medic during the war. He suffered significant abuse and was

court martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

ed for his personal beliefs. The 2004 film ''

Hotel Rwanda ''Hotel Rwanda'' is a 2004 drama film directed by Terry George. It was adapted from a screenplay co-written by George and Keir Pearson, and stars Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo as hotelier Paul Rusesabagina and his wife Tatiana. Based on the ...

'' focuses on the actions of

Paul Rusesabagina Paul Rusesabagina (;"Paul Rusesabagina, Rwanda's ...

who was internationally honored for saving 1,268 civilians during the Rwandan genocide. Rusesabagina was educated in Adventist elementary and secondary schools and describes himself as a "lapsed Adventist" in his autobiography.

Representations in television

In the American series ''

Gilmore Girls ''Gilmore Girls'' is an American Comedy drama, comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and beca ...

'', one of the recurring characters, Mrs. Kim, is a strict, caricatured Seventh-day Adventist. In the '' House'' episode " Here Kitty", Dr.

Gregory House Gregory House, M.D. is the titular protagonist of the American medical drama series ''House''. Created by David Shore and portrayed by English actor Hugh Laurie, he leads a team of diagnosticians and is the Head of Diagnostic Medicine at the ...

refers to the events surrounding William Miller and the "

Great Disappointment The Great Disappointment in the Millerite movement was the reaction that followed Baptist preacher William Miller's proclamations that Jesus Christ would return to the Earth by 1844, which he called the Second Advent. His study of the Daniel 8 ...

" of 1844. He remarks about Miller, "every time he was irrefutably proved wrong, it redoubled everyone's belief." Towards the end of the episode the patient rebuts House by saying "his followers never faded out, they became the Seventh-day Adventists – a major religion". The 1970s

situational comedy A sitcom, a Portmanteau, portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troup ...

, ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series ''Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...

'' alludes briefly to Adventists. In the sixth season episode "The Little Atheist", main character

Archie Bunker Archie is a masculine given name, a diminutive of Archibald. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Archie Alexander (1888–1958), African-American mathematician, engineer and governor of the US Virgin Islands * Archie Blake (mathemati ...

says, speaking of his unborn grandson, "Raise him a if you want, raise him a Norman with seven wives, a holy roller, a Seventh-day Adventurer". The '' Family Guy'' tenth season episode "

Livin' on a Prayer "Livin' on a Prayer" is a song by the American rock band Bon Jovi, and is the band's second chart-topping single from their third album '' Slippery When Wet''. Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Desmond Child, the single, released in ...

" makes light of some people's skepticism towards Adventists.

Lois Griffin Lois Patrice Griffin (''née'' Pewterschmidt) is a fictional character from the animated television series '' Family Guy''. She is voiced by Alex Borstein and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the Griffin family, in a 15-min ...

, the mother from the main family in the series, states, "I don't know who's crazier,

Christian Scientists Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρισ ...

or those Seventh-day Adventists." The scene cuts to a scene where one Methodist man explains his faith as a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

and another man explains his faith as a Seventh-day Adventist. The second man says the same thing as the first man, except that they go to church on Saturdays instead of Sundays, causing the first man to react in shock. ''

Girls A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.c ...

Season 4 episode "Tad & Loreen & Avi & Shanaz" complains about the bothersome persistence of door-to-door evangelist Adventists, confusing Jehovah's Witnesses with Seventh-day Adventists. The fictional character Avi Mensusen, states, "Shanaz, do we get

Watch Tower A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is t ...

? It's those annoying Seventh-day Adventists, again." ''The Leftovers first episode of Season 3 there are some strong references to the event of the

. The intro is set back in the 19th century of America, showing a small family giving away their possessions, a group of people waiting for something on top of roofs and a congregation where someone is preaching about an event that will occur later in 1844. The event is strongly suggested to be the second coming of Jesus. On

Brazilian television Television in Brazil has grown significantly since the first broadcasts in 1950, becoming one of largest and most productive commercial television systems in the world.Straubhaar, JosephBrazil - The Museum of Broadcasting Communications Its bi ...

, the Adventist Church has been represented a few times in a pejorative manner in the humorous program Zorra Total, from

Rede Globo TV Globo (, "Globe TV", or simply Globo), formerly known as Rede Globo, is a Brazilian free-to-air television network, launched by media proprietor Roberto Marinho on 26 April 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Grupo Globo. The TV stati ...

, the largest broadcaster in the country. In one episode a construction company accused of corruption and money laundering disguises itself as an Adventist church to avoid being arrested by the federal police in a satire

Operation Car Wash Operation Car Wash ( pt, Operação Lava Jato) was a criminal investigation by the Federal Police of Brazil's Curitiba branch. It began in March 2014 and was initially headed by investigative judge in France, but unlike judges in the common law ...

. In another episode a pastor founds the "Seventh Digit Admilssista Church", in which a false pastor named Admilson and auxiliaries exorcise the faithful, speak in strange languages, and ask for exorbitant amounts of tithes and offerings, referencing bank accounts of more than one million

reais The Brazilian real ( pl. '; sign: R$; code: BRL) is the official currency of Brazil. It is subdivided into 100 centavos. The Central Bank of Brazil is the central bank and the issuing authority. The real replaced the cruzeiro real in 1994. ...

. Several pastors of the denomination such as Gilberto Theiss and Michelson Borges released letters of repudiation against the Program Zorra Total and Rede Globo, arguing the disrespect to the Adventist faith and considered the act as blasphemy. The thirteenth season of reality show RuPaul's Drag Race features a contestant named Ethan Mundt who uses the stage name

Utica Queen Utica Queen is the stage name of Ethan David Mundt (born June 2, 1995), a drag performer most known for competing on season 13 of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. Early life and education Mundt was born to Robert Duane and Susan Melinda Mundt in Olmsted ...

revealed he is a Seventh-Day Adventist.

Representations in literature

In ''

Black Boy ''Black Boy'' (1945) is a memoir by American author Richard Wright, detailing his upbringing. Wright describes his youth in the South: Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee, and his eventual move to Chicago, where he establishes his writing care ...

'' (1945) by Richard Wright, "Granny" is said to be a Seventh-day Adventist. In ''

Alas, Babylon ''Alas, Babylon'' is a 1959 novel by American writer Pat Frank (the pen name of Harry Hart Frank). It was one of the first apocalyptic novels of the nuclear age and has remained popular more than half a century after it was first published, con ...

'' (1959) by

Pat Frank Harry Hart "Pat" Frank (May 5, 1908 – October 12, 1964) was an American writer, newspaperman, and government consultant. Frank's best known work is the 1959 ''Alas, Babylon'', and '' Forbidden Area''. Biography Frank was born in Chicago ...

, one character says to another that Adventists such as him do not drink or trade in whisky. In ''

The Stand ''The Stand'' is a post-apocalyptic dark fantasy novel written by American author Stephen King and first published in 1978 by Doubleday. The plot centers on a deadly pandemic of weaponized influenza and its aftermath, in which the few survivin ...

'' (1978) by Stephen King, the character Stan Nogotny described the city of Boulder, Colorado "as if the Catholics,

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

, and Seventh-day Adventists had gotten together with the Democrats and the

Moonies The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, widely known as the Unification Church, is a new religious movement, whose members are called Unificationists, or " Moonies". It was officially founded on 1 May 1954 under the name Holy Sp ...

to create a religious-political

Disneyland Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envision ...

." ''

The Brothers K ''The Brothers K'' is a 1992 novel by David James Duncan, an author, fisherman, and environmental advocate from the Pacific Northwest. It builds on the sporting and spiritual themes of ''The River Why'', Duncan's first book, but on a much larger c ...

'' (1992) by

David James Duncan David James Duncan (born 1952)
at Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library,

...

includes Adventist characters. '' The Road to Wellville'' (1993) is a heavily fictionalized story of

John Harvey Kellogg John Harvey Kellogg (February 26, 1852 – December 14, 1943) was an American medical doctor, nutritionist, inventor, health activist, eugenicist, and businessman. He was the director of the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan. The ...

, the Adventist doctor who invented

corn flakes Corn flakes, or cornflakes, are a breakfast cereal made from toasting flakes of corn (maize). The cereal, originally made with wheat, was created by Will Kellogg in 1894 for patients at the Battle Creek Sanitarium where he worked with his bro ...

. '' The Road to Wellville'' 1994 film is based on the book. In '' Towing Jehovah'' (1994) by

James Morrow James Morrow (born March 17, 1947) is an American novelist and short-story writer known for filtering large philosophical and theological questions through his satiric sensibility. Most of Morrow's oeuvre has been published as science fiction ...

, a character named Neil described his caution around religious people, citing an instance of a Seventh-day Adventist suggesting he accept Jesus to avoid

Armageddon According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...

. (see:

Seventh-day Adventist eschatology The Seventh-day Adventist Church holds a unique system of eschatological (or end-times) beliefs. Adventist eschatology, which is based on a historicist interpretation of prophecy, is characterised principally by the premillennial Second Coming ...

) In '' The Terminal Experiment'' (1995) by

Robert J. Sawyer Robert James Sawyer (born April 29, 1960) is a Canadian science fiction writer. He has had 24 novels published and his short fiction has appeared in ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'', ''Amazing Stories'', '' On Spec'', ''Nature'', and numerou ...

, a character explains the values of being immortal, including studying various faiths including Seventh-day Adventism. ''

Tree of Smoke ''Tree of Smoke'' is a 2007 novel by American author Denis Johnson which won the National Book Award for Fiction and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. It is about a man named Skip Sands who joins the CIA in 1965, and begins working in Vi ...

'' (2007) by

Denis Johnson Denis Hale Johnson (July 1, 1949 – May 24, 2017) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and poet. He is perhaps best known for his debut short story collection, '' Jesus' Son'' (1992). His most successful novel, ''Tree of Smoke'' (2007) ...

features Kathy Jones, a Seventh-day Adventist aid worker

Representations on postage stamps

Postage stamps A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the f ...

are used by countries to celebrate their culture and important people, places and events. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is the sixth-largest highly international religious body and operates in over 200 countries and territories so a number of commemorative postage stamp issues by various countries have portrayed the Seventh-day Adventist Church and other Adventist subjects. This list is organized by the first date a postal authority issued a Seventh-day Adventist themed stamp.

Madagascar

In 1967, the first depiction specifically of an Adventist subject on a postage stamp occurred in the Malagasy Republic (which has since achieved independence as

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

) when

Paositra Malagasy Paositra Malagasy is the national postal service of Madagascar. It is responsible for providing postal services and delivery of mail and packages within the country and to international destinations. Paositra Malagasy is headquartered in Antananariv ...

issued a stamp showing the Adventist mission headquarters and church building in

Tamatave Toamasina (), meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French Tamatave, is the capital of the Atsinanana region on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief seaport of the country, situated northeast of it ...

. The "Temple Adventist", a mosque and a Catholic Cathedral were each shown on a stamp in the three stamp set.

Norfolk Island

In 1967–1968, Norfolk Island Postal Service issued a series of definitive stamps depicting historic ships, including a 1968 20c depicting the Seventh-day Adventist owned mission schooner the

Pitcairn The Pitcairn Islands (; Pitkern: '), officially the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, is a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the sole British Overseas Territory in the Pacific Ocean. The four is ...

. In 1856 Pitcairn Island was completely evacuated to than deserted Norfolk Island, so the Pitcairners become the first non-convict residents of Norfolk. The ''Pitcairn'' ship brought the first Adventist missionaries and three Pitcairn islander converts to Norfolk in 1891. They shared the Adventist message with their relatives, quickly establishing an Adventist Church in part of the old prison. The ''Pitcairn'' would visit several more times over the years. The same ship was later depicted on several Pitcairn Island stamps discussed below. In 1981 Norfolk Island issued a 24c Christmas stamp depicting the island's Seventh-day Adventist Church with its sign and the printed words SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH in all caps.

Samoa

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

(Western Samoa until 1997) has made three Seventh-day Adventist related issues to date. The first stamp issued in 1970 shows the Seventh-Adventist Sanatorium (hospital) building in

Apia Apia () is the capital and largest city of Samoa, as well as the nation's only city. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō'') of Tuamasaga. ...

which served from 1896 to 1906. The 1979 Christmas miniature sheet includes four stamps showing different churches and an additional five churches surrounding the actual stamps. A Seventh-day Adventist Church is shown in the lower left of the sheet. A 2007 stamp featured the Fusi Saoluafata church, on Upolu Island with the heading "SDA Church". It came in a pane of 12 stamps showing various church buildings on the islands.

Pitcairn Island

The small isolated UK colony Pitcairn Island has issued the most stamps with a Seventh-day Adventist connection of any postal authority due to the strong connection to the island. Pitcairn started printing stamps in 1940 and although there is little demand for postage from the less than 50 people in the local population, postal releases by Pitcairn are highly collected around the world and represent a significant part of the isolated island's revenue. Seventh-day Adventist connected issues include: *1958:The church school and teachers house stamps *1975: The Pitcairn owned by the Adventist church. *1977: The island church, which is the Seventh-day Adventist church on the island. *1986: A series of four stamps to celebrate 100 years of Adventism on the island. The stamps show the four successive Adventist Churches built on the top of each stamp with the lower portions showing John Tay, the Pitcairn mission schooner (again), a baptism, and members singing hymns to a departing ship. *1997: A series of four healthcare stamps depicted the Adventist-operated Island Health Center *1997: A second island church stamp *2012: Roy Clark (1893-1980) shown with his wife May. Clark served as the island postmaster, schoolmaster, Adventist church elder and historian. *At least three more Adventist individuals have been featured

Malawi

In 1978 Malawi issued a series of stamps showing churches including a 4P Christmas stamp picturing the Malamulo Mission.

Tonga

A 1979 Tonga stamp included the Nuku'alofa Seventh-day Adventist church in the lower right of the 22s stamp bearing the text TONGA The Friendly Islands Decade of Progress 1969 to 1979. A 1981 Tonga stamp shows an Adventist camp meeting.

Papua New Guinea

In 1981 Papua New Guinea issued a stamp that said "Mission Aviation SDA 1964" with an image of an Adventist plane used to provide medical and other aid to remote villages inaccessible by road. The Adventist Church has operated mission planes in the country since 1964.

Bahamas

In a 1982 Christmas 12c issue, the

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...

issued its first Adventist-themed stamp depicting the Centerville Church in Nassau the Bahamas first Adventist congregation organized in 1911. A 2009 postage stamp depicts Grant's Town Adventist Church on New Providence Island.

United States

A February 1986

US Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U. ...

stamp commemorated Sojourner Truth (1797-1893) who was a famous advocate for abolition of slavery and women's rights. Truth was pictured on the Black History series stamp with a double portrait to emphasize her two focused fights against slavery and for women's rights. She is expected to be pictured on the back of a new US$10 bill by 2020. A November 11, 2013 stamp issue by the US Post Office commemorating

winners included reference on the backing sheet to Seventh-day Adventist US Army medic

who was the only winner of the American's highest decoration for bravery who refused to kill or carry any weapon, beliefs that were informed by his Adventist faith. The stamp was also available as a cover with Doss's story and image of Doss receiving the Metal of Honor from President Truman. While not mentioning the church or a high-profile member, the October 1998 "Giving and Sharing an American Tradition" USPS stamp has a deep Adventist connection. The first class letter rate 32c stamp was the product of 27 years of advocating by Milton Murray for the release of a philanthropy themed stamp. Murray wanted to see recognition for all the small charities that would never get their own stamp, so he wrote politicians and the Postmaster General suffering rejection after rejection until finally in 1998 the stamp was approved and issued. Murray devoted his life to raising money for the church and charitable activities. He founded the Adventist Church operated 'Philanthropic Service for Institutions (PSI) in the 1970s and served as the PSI director for 20 years. As an advocate for organized giving he helped found many charities. Murray received several independent awards for his leadership in the philanthropic field.

Cook Islands

In 1990, the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

issued a block of four stamps featuring individuals representative of the four main religions in the territory. Dr. Joseph E. Caldwell, an Adventist missionary who arrived on the Pitcairn (schooner) and did much to develop the church in the Cook Islands in the face of significant persecution. He also established a hospital in the Cook Islands during his eight years there. Dr Caldwell was featured in the highest value $1.60 stamp while the independent Cook Islands Church, Roman Catholic and Mormon Churches were the subject of the other stamps in the series. Although there are only about 11,700 people resident in the Cook Islands over 900 Adventist members meet in 15 churches there.

Uruguay

In 1996 Uruguay issued a $3.50 stamp to celebrate "100 Anos Inglasia Adventista del 7th dia en Uruguay" that features a stained glass style three angels of

Revelation 14 Revelation 14 is the fourteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, but the precise identity of the author remains a poi ...

with trumpets over the earth. This imagery is particularly relevant to Adventists who place great emphasis on taking the three angels message to the whole world.

Vanuatu

A 1996 Vanuatu postal stamp showed the

Port Vila Port Vila (french: Port-Vila), or simply Vila (; french: Vila; bi, Vila ), is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. It is located on the island of Efate. Its population in the last census (2009) was 44,040, an increase of 35% on the pr ...

Seventh-day Adventist Church in the upper left of the stamp. Two individuals are also depicted.

British Virgin Islands

In 1999 the Seventh-day Adventist Church at Fat Hogs Bay in the British Virgin Islands was shown on a 35c stamp.

Canada

In July 2000,

Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (french: Société canadienne des postes), trading as Canada Post (french: Postes Canada), is a Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the opera ...

marked the 57th worldwide General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists meetings held in Toronto, Canada with a single domestic-rate (46 cent) commemorative stamp. First day cancelations were issued in Toronto at the start of the GC Session.

Russia

In July 2001, the

Russian Post Russian Post ( rus, Почта России, a=RU-Почта России.wav, ''Pochta Rossii'') is an Aktsionernoye Obschestvo (AO, private limited company)

issued a stamp portraying the Adventist church in

Ryazan Ryazan ( rus, Рязань, p=rʲɪˈzanʲ, a=ru-Ryazan.ogg) is the largest city and administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. The city is located on the banks of the Oka River in Central Russia, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 Cens ...

, as part of a series on religious buildings. This was the first depiction of an Adventist church on a Russian stamp.

Fiji

In 2002 Fiji issued four stamps to celebrate Operation Open Heart. The mission to do open heart surgeries and train doctors in heart surgery techniques was launched by Russell Lee and two others at Sydney Adventist Hospital in 1986 with a mission to Tonga. Supported by Sydney Adventist Hospital and ADRA (

Adventist Development and Relief Agency The Adventist Development and Relief Agency International (ADRA or ADRA International) is a humanitarian agency operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church for the purpose of providing individual and community development and disaster relief. ...

) using volunteer staff, Operation Open Heart expanded internationally to Tonga, Nepal, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, China, Mongolia, Solomon Islands, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Rwanda, Philippines and Tanzania. The range of surgery types expanded to From Cardiac surgery, the projects have expanded to include cleft lip and palate reconstruction, burns surgery, uterine prolapse surgery, women's health, orthopaedic reconstruction surgery and primary health care. Team members have been honoured by medals and awards from various countries for their service. In any way Operation Open Heart represents the worldwide medical missions of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Kiribati

In 2003 Kiribati issued a stamp depicting the London (Port Camp) Seventh-day Adventist Church on

Kiritimati Kiritimati (also known as Christmas Island) is a Pacific Ocean atoll in the northern Line Islands. It is part of the Republic of Kiribati. The name is derived from the English word "Christmas" written in Gilbertese according to its phonolog ...

or Christmas Island.

Philippines

In February 2005, the

Philippine Postal Corporation The Philippine Postal Corporation ( fil, Korporasyong Pangkoreo ng Pilipinas), abbreviated as PHLPost and also known as the Philippine Post Office, is a government-owned and controlled corporation responsible for providing postal services in t ...

issued a 6p stamp (domestic letter rate) commemorating the 100 year anniversary of the Seventh-day Adventist Church entering the Philippines. The stamp is based on a 1967 painting "God watches over Manila" by O.T. Navarra that hung in an Adventist hospital and depicts Jesus with his arms stretched out over the cityscape. In addition to the painting the stamp includes elements super imposed over the painting including the denomination, church name and logo, a church building located in the North of the country, the years 1905–2005. The stamp was designed by long time Philippines post office employee Alfonso Divina who is also an Adventist member. Leomer Batulayan managed the process of getting the stamp approved and issued. Belatulayan was the former director of the

in the Philippines,

Brazil

In 2005 Brazil overprinted stamps to recognize a country-wide Adventist Pathfinder Camporee. A 2009 stamp issued in Brazil featured the Central Adventist Church of

Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná in Brazil. The city's population was 1,948,626 , making it the eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in Brazil's South Region. The Curitiba Metropolitan area ...

. The 2200 seat structure was recognized for its innovative architecture and design.

Chile

In 2006, the Chilean Postal Corporation issued a three stamp set (images) that commemorated the 100th anniversary of Universidad Adventista de Chile also known as Chile Adventist University. Each shows buildings in the history of the school. The stamps marked one of the first times any South American national government has officially recognized the Adventist Church.

Cayman Islands

The 2007 Cayman Islands Christmas stamps featured stained glass windows of six island churches. The 80c stamp is the window from the East End Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Montserrat

A 2011 Christmas release by Montserrat featured the refurbished New Enenezer Seventh-day Adventist Church building. The 1997 volcanic eruption destroyed this building and 5 other of the 7 Adventist churches on the island while the remaining Adventist structures were used as temporary housing for evacuees. Adventists celebrated 100 years in Montserrat in 2015.

Iraq

In 2020, the Iraqi Post released a set of eight commemorative stamps to honor the Christian churches in the country, the set included a photograph of the Baghdad Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Health food

Seventh-day Adventists invented

and launched the worldwide breakfast cereal business in 1894. Working in an Adventist Church owned hospital in

Battle Creek Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which en ...

Michigan, two brothers launched what would become

Kelloggs The Kellogg Company, doing business as Kellogg's, is an American multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. Kellogg's produces cereal and convenience foods, including crackers and toaste ...

, a business that was quickly copied by others, notably C. W. Post. The church directly owns or has owned many food factories manufacturing cereals,

meat analogue A meat alternative or meat substitute (also called plant-based meat or fake meat, sometimes pejoratively) is a food product made from vegetarian or vegan ingredients, eaten as a replacement for meat. Meat alternatives typically approximate qua ...

s, dairy alternatives, and other health oriented products. The Seventh-day Adventist Church owned

Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company The Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company is the trading name of two sister food companies (Australian Health and Nutrition Association Ltd and New Zealand Health Association Ltd). Both are wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. F ...

continues to be a major producer of breakfast cereals and dairy alternatives like So Good (soy beverage) based in Australia and New Zealand with international sales and subsidiaries.

Longevity research

The Adventist dominated community of Loma Linda,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

was identified as a "Blue Zone" when research showed that members of the church live on average as much as 10 years longer than the typical American. The extraordinary longevity of Seventh-day Adventists has been linked to a combination of factors. Adventists encourage abstinence from tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs, encourage regular exercise and a vegetarian plant based diet, and practice regular fellowship with like minded Christians and a strong faith in God. Longevity and health among Adventists has been scientifically studied since the 1950s with some of these studies collectively referred to as

Adventist Health Studies Adventist Health Studies (AHS) is a series of long-term medical research projects of Loma Linda University with the intent to measure the link between lifestyle, diet, disease and mortality of Seventh-day Adventists. Seventh-day Adventists have ...

References

External links

{{Religion and philosophy in popular culture Christianity in popular culture History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church