Adventist Education
WHAT DOES THE NAME "SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST" REFER TO?
The name "Seventh-day Adventist" refers to two core beliefs. Respecting the fourth of God's Ten Commandments, Adventists worship on Saturday, the seventh day of the week. "Adventist" refers to Jesus Christ's promise to return and take his followers home to heaven. Adventists believe in the imminent advent, or return, of Jesus Christ. You can find out more about Adventists at www.adventist.org.
ADVENTIST HISTORY
The Seventh-day Adventist church grew in the mid 1840s during the Second Great Awakening, a time of religious revival in the United States. Its first members came from the Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, and Christian Connection congregations, but over the following decades the denomination has grown into a worldwide church with millions of members. The Adventist church is well known for its excellence in healthcare, education, and human service activities.
ADVENTIST MISSION
From the very beginning, Adventists have focused on the importance of education and healthcare in improving people's lives. In fact, Adventists run the next-largest denominational education system in the world, second only to Catholic schools. Adventist hospitals and clinics are also numerous, including Loma Linda University Medical Center. You'll find at least one Adventist healthcare center in many major metropolitan areas in North America.
ADVENTIST LIFESTYLE
One of the founding principles of the Adventist church is a healthy lifestyle - a balanced combination of exercise, diet, and trust in God. Adventists are generally vegetarian and abstain from drinking alcohol or smoking. They operate successful stop-smoking clinics worldwide. Loma Linda, California, a primarily Adventist community, was recently named by researcher Dan Buettner a "blue zone" or "longevity oasis" where the residents not only have the longest life expectancy on earth, but are happier and healthier, too.
ADVENTISTS TODAY
Today the worldwide Adventist church has over 15 million members in more than 200 countries. Adventists operate 7200+ schools worldwide with nearly 1.5 million students. They also run 168 hospitals worldwide, 138 nursing homes and retirement centers, 442 clinics and dispensaries, and 34 orphanages and children's homes. In addition, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International, a disaster relief organization, funds over 2,400 projects in 112 countries.
The Approach and Philosophy of Adventist Education
Mission: To enable learners to develop a life of faith in God, and to use their knowledge, skills, and understandings to serve God and humanity.
Vision: For every learner to excel in faith, learning, and service, blending biblical truth and academic achievement to honor God and bless others.
There are over 7,500 Adventist schools in almost 150 countries. Click the link below to learn more about Adventist Education.
QUESTIONS OFTEN ASKED ABOUT ADVENTIST EDUCATION:
ARE ADVENTIST SCHOOLS ACCREDITED?
Yes. Every Adventist school is accredited by a state or national accrediting body. In addition, the church office of education also operates a comprehensive accrediting process to maintain a high standard of excellence in all Adventist schools.
CCA is accredited by the Middle States Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools, the National Council for Private School Accreditation, the Association of Seventh-day Adventist Secondary Schools, and the North American Division of SDA Education, and is an approved private school with the State of Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Click the links below for more information.
DO ADVENTIST SCHOOLS PROVIDE AS COMPLETE AN EDUCATION AS PUBLIC OR OTHER PRIVATE SCHOOLS?
Yes. The Cognitive Genesis study found that, on average, Adventist schools are better places to learn than any other. This study was designed to determine how well students did in the Adventist school system and how their academic achievement compared to the achievement of students in other school systems. In addition, the study used ability (or aptitude) tests to assess how well students could think and reason in such areas as verbal skills, comprehension and problem solving.
