He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it (Titus 1:9 NIV).
As Paul’s letter to Titus reminds us, belief and trust in God’s message is essential to the Christian experience in order to encourage others and refute opposition. The 2023 Institutional Church Workers’ Survey asked respondents to what extent they accepted certain individual teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (these questions were directed just to those workers—the great majority—who indicated that they were Seventh-day Adventists):
a) All humanity is involved in a great controversy between Christ and Satan regarding the character of God, His love, His law, and His sovereignty over the universe (Great Controversy).
b) The seventh day of the week is the Sabbath according to the Bible (Sabbath).
c) Adventist standards in diet (Adventist diet)
d) Christians who have died are in an unconscious state until the resurrection (i.e. there is no immortal soul that survives after death) (State of dead).
e) The Adventist church’s interpretation of end-time prophecies (End time prophecies)
f) The Investigative Judgment began in 1844 (1844).
g) The universal church is composed of all who truly believe in Christ, but in the last days a remnant has been called out to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (Remnant).
h) Ellen G. White is an inspired messenger to the Adventist church (Ellen G. White).
i) After the millennium, God will restore the earth as a home for the righteous who were resurrected or who were alive at His coming (Millennium).
Survey options ranged from “I do not accept it” to “I fully embrace it,” with an option for “have not heard of it/not relevant to me.”
Among employees working in education, support for the Church’s teachings was very high. About 96% expressed acceptance of the Great Controversy, 99% of the Sabbath, 90% of the Adventist diet, 94% of the state of the dead, 93% of end-time prophecies, 89% of the teaching about 1844, 93% of the remnant, 97% of Ellen G. White, and 96% of the millennium. The Adventist diet raised somewhat more questions, with 7.3% saying they had some questions about it. Very few employees expressed major doubts or rejected these teachings. The main exception was the teaching about 1844, about which 10.1% expressed questions, doubts, or disbelief, though 2.8% said they did not accept the state of the dead.
A similar picture emerged among employees working outside the education sector, although there were somewhat more questions about several teachings. About 95% expressed acceptance of the Great Controversy, 99% of the Sabbath, 85% of the Adventist diet, 93% of the state of the dead, 87% of end-time prophecies, 86% of the teaching about 1844, 91% of the remnant, 96% of Ellen G. White, and 96% of the millennium. Some beliefs raised more questions: 10.4% had questions about the Adventist diet, 10.9% about end-time prophecies, and 7.3% about 1844 (with another 6% having major doubts or not accepting it). In most cases, only a small percentage expressed major doubts or rejected a teaching. The most noticeable exception was the state of the dead, which 5.8% said they did not accept.
While the statistics above are very encouraging, with doctrinal approval mostly above 90%, there are some concerning exceptions. Mrs. White wrote that “[t]he people whom God is leading must venture out upon His word. They must walk forward by faith. Truths have been committed to them which they must obey” (Ellen G. White, Manuscript 29, November 21, 1890, “Diary,” vision dated Nov. 29, 1890). It is important for us individually, and as a Church, to remember that we consider our doctrines “truths [that] have been committed” to us and which we “must obey.” Reinforcing those truths in those places where research has shown that faith is weak is the very reason the research exists.
You can access the full report here.
Created in collaboration with the Institute of Church Ministry.
Published by ASTR on 09/21/2026