About Seventh-day Adventists
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a mainstream Protestant church with approximately 19 million members worldwide, including more than one million members in North America. The Seventh-day Adventist Church seeks to enhance quality of life for people everywhere and to let people know that Jesus is coming again soon.
Adventists believe a Trinity of three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—make up one God. They made salvation possible when Jesus, the Son, came to earth as a baby in Bethlehem and lived a sinless life in accordance with the Father's will. When Jesus was crucified for the sins of the people of the world and arose from the dead on the third day, victory was won for everyone.
When He returned to heaven following the resurrection, Jesus left the Holy Spirit to serve as our Comforter and Counselor. He promised to return to earth a second time to complete His plan of salvation and take His people to heaven. Adventists are among the believers who look forward to that day.
Adventists believe that God is concerned with the quality of human life, and that everything—the way we live, eat, speak, think, treat each other, and care for the world around us—is part of His plan. Our families, our children, our jobs, our talents, our money, and our time are all important to Him.
History of the Millersburg Seventh-day Adventist Church
In 1891 after a series of meetings a small group of believers starting meeting in Pleasant Grove, OH. The group of nine people was formally organized on December 17, 1899.
In 1902 they purchased the old Pleasant Grove School House where they meet until 1922. The group then started meeting in Millersburg. By 1945 they had outgrown their meeting place and needed a new place to worship. The group of 21 members trusted the Lord to provide for their new church.
The Lord did provide for their church building. The husbands of two of the members contributed starter money, building materials and labor. The church members needed to raised the next $1,000. On August 26, 1945 excavation for the foundation began. All the church members pitched in that day to help keep the expenses low. Lutheran friends helped with a generous donation of $150.
Progress was slow, but the Lord provided each time expenses had to be paid. Church members sacrificed in their own ways. One aged sister gave $100 from a sale, her year’s increase, which she needed. One couple, not having money to give, decided to keep the family on the wife’s earnings while the husband donated over 5 months of labor on the new church building. Others did without things in their homes or made other sacrifices. Even the children helped. One lad, nine years of age, gave nine cents and said, “Now it’s my church.”
Was it hard work? Yes! But it was more than sacrifice, more than work. It was a joyous privilege to work with one another and with God, that they might have a church in which to worship Him. What was given or done without cannot be called sacrifice when measured by His sacrifice for us on Calvary. We rejoiced that the church was dedicated free of debt on June 21, 1947. A day long prayed and planned for. A day long to be remembered.
In 1989 the congregation again needed more room and plans were started to add to the church, but due to changes in regulations the addition could not be built at the Pleasant Grove site. A search was begun for land on which to build. Sister Hazel owned a farm on State Route 39, west of Millersburg and she sold the church 2-1/2 acres. The church purchased a manufactured building for their new place of worship.
By the late 1990 more space was again needed. Construction of a new sanctuary addition was started in 2000 and completed by 2001. The Lord blessed and the congregation was able to pay off the mortgage in ten short years.
Current Activities of the Millersburg Seventh-day Adventist Church
The congregation is active with weekly church services, prayer meeting, monthly fellowship dinners and seasonal church socials. The facilities have been used for weddings, wedding showers, baby shows and funerals. We are truly blessed to have this both practical and beautiful facility. Our hearts go out to God for His goodness to us.
The congregation holds an on-going collection of food for the Love Center Food Pantry. As the holidays approach we participate in the inter-denominational holiday food basket program by collecting the assigned number of a specific food item. The People of Peru Project is an other of our outreaches; we collect funds throughout the year as well as a special collection at the end of the year for food baskets ($25 will feed a family for weeks).
In recent years we have started holding an annual two night program entitled "Cooking/Baking Cholesterol Free" to introduce the community to ways individuals can make simple changes to their cooking/baking practices for a healthier diet. We've also started the annual Millersburg Food Run 5K/10K & 1-mile race. The proceeds of the race are donated to a the Love Center Food Pantry to help provide for those who would otherwise go hungry.
It is our prayer that our congregation be used to share God’s love and His salvation with the local community.