The following list of documents has been provided to assist church members as they struggle with the issues brought about by recent changes to the position of the International Date Line (IDL).
The following series of short papers gives an overview of the main points of the discussion. In addition, there are a few longer papers from the “pioneer missionaries” who have been a part of this discussion from the beginning.
1. Why the Church Decided As It Did
A brief theological overview giving a rationale for its position on Sabbath observance in Samoa, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, and the Phoenix and Line Islands (on the far eastern extremity of the nation of Kiribati). The document highlights:
- A commitment to the Sabbath and to the Lord of the Sabbath
- Recognition of the Sabbath as sanctified time
- A consistent practice of worshipping on the same seventh day
- and that the Sabbath is determined by sunset as it moves over the land.
2. Theological Aspects of Sabbath Observance
A consideration of Seventh-day Adventist identity, the Sabbath being a sign of the relationship between God and His people. There is much more to being an Adventist than just observing the Sabbath.
3. How the Sabbath is Determined
What is it that determines when a person observes Sabbath: the geographic location or personal experience? This paper gives some reasons why the Sabbath is not tied to an individual’s travel, but to the land, and the passing of the sun across it.
4. The Seventh Day
An examination of the numbering of weekdays and the sequence of days in the week. This affects our approach to a change in the weekly cycle and ensures we celebrate the Sabbath when it continues to come every seventh day.
5. The Sabbath: Variable or Absolute
A comparison between things that are variable (like the dateline, preferences for worship music, what to wear to church and how to pray), compared with absolutes (like God and His love, God’s Law and the Sabbath).
6. The Role of the Church
The Biblical role of the church in decisions on matters of faith and practice. This paper gives some examples from Scripture and history the role of the church in deciding on contentious issues.
7. Background To The Change
A brief account of the beginning of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Samoa, the situation in Tonga, and the statement formulated by South Pacific Division in anticipation of future Sabbath anomalies.
8. Sabbath Observance and the Church Manual
An explanation of the role of the Church Manual in Seventh-day Adventist Church life.
9. Lessons From the French Revolution
A case study from the time of the French Revolution when they introduced a 10-day week.
10. The Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast
A review of the biblical significance of the Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast and how it affects the individual believer.
11. The Pattern of Sabbath Observance
A stylised map that shows the neighbourhood of nations in the Pacific, their relationship to each other, and their pattern of Sabbath observance.
12. Lunar or Seventh-day Sabbath For Samoa?
A brief comparison and evaluation of three positions: does the Sabbath occur on Saturday or Sunday in Samoa, or does it float with the lunar cycle?
More
What about a Lunar Sabbath?
The Lunar Sabbath theory
The Lunar Sabbaths—the big lie
Further Reading
The change of day in Samoa (by Pastor David Hay)
Merritt Kellogg (by Pastor David Hay)
The seventh day in Samoa (by Pastor Ray Coombe)
BRC statement on Tonga
