About the Souderton Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Souderton Seventh-day Adventist Church was first established in Fairhill, Pennsylvania in 1909, moved to Sellersville in 1919, moved to a new building on Main Street in Telford in 1929, then moved to its current location in 1969. It carries on the great traditions of the Seventh-day Adventist founders, who recognized no creed except Scripture and looked for the literal soon coming of Christ to this earth. The name “Seventh-day Adventist” expresses two core beliefs of our church. We believe in the Bible’s Seventh-day Sabbath as God’s holy day of rest, which was established as a memorial of Creation and as an avenue for strengthening the creature/Creator relationship. And, we believe in the literal second “Advent” of Christ to this earth.
A history of the local church and its mission is available here.
The centennial celebration for the local church occurred August 22, 2009. It was a community event, complete with civil and church dignitaries, former pastors and members, and guests from area churches. The front page newspaper report anticipating the event can be accessed here.
Below are scans of original reports, documenting broad strokes in the development of the church. You will find these reports somewhere on each scanned page.
- A 1908 report , representing the extensive door to door (canvassing) work that led up to the church plant.
- A 1908 report on the start of the Adventist elementary school in Fairhill, which preceded the official start of the church.
- A 1911 report giving details about the Adventist elementary school in Fairhill.
- A 1909 report on the official start of the church in Fairhill, just outside of Souderton.
- A 1919 report of the start of the church in Lansdale, comprised of members from Souderton.
- A 1919 report of the regrouping of the Souderton members in Sellersville.
- A 1929 report of the dedication of a new church building in Telford.
- A 1970 report of the renovation and dedication of the current church facility in Souderton.
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.