SILVER SPRING, MD – On October 16, 2019, the Executive Committee of the Seventh-day Adventist Church voted at its Annual Council meeting [see Video] to adopt the position that “[t]he Seventh-day Adventist Church considers abortion out of harmony with God’s plan for human life.” The newly adopted position statement affirms that “God considers the unborn child as human life” and that “the principle to preserve life enshrined in the sixth commandment places abortion within its scope.”
The document also states that “Life is protected by God. It is not measured by individuals’ abilities or their usefulness, but by the value that God’s creation and sacrificial love has placed on it. Personhood, human value, and salvation are not earned or merited but graciously granted by God.”
The position encourages churches to create “an atmosphere of true love” and that church members “should provide care for struggling individuals, couples, and families” and “open their homes to those in need, including single parents, parentless children, and children in adoptive or foster care.” For those who have had abortions, the statement encourages churches to “provide emotional and spiritual support.”
The adoption of a pro-life position does not imply that the denomination will become active in civil legislation on abortion-related issues but does provide internal guidance for church members and institutions.
Link: “Adventist Statement on the Biblical View of Unborn Life and Its Implications for Abortion”
Updated 10/24/2019 to include a link to the final approved statement.