The Seventh-Day Christian Conference

HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH-DAY CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE

History of the Seventh-Day Christian Conference

The Seventh-Day Christian Conference was incorporated as a religious organization on February 3, 1937, with headquarters in New York City. Its core mission is to:

• Promote the Christian faith.
• Foster spiritual growth among its members.
• Disseminate the teachings of the Old and New Testaments, emphasizing the Ten Commandments and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Seventh-Day Christians believe in the Bible as the inspired word of God, salvation through Jesus Christ, the binding nature of the Ten Commandments, the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday) as the true day of rest, and the importance of Christian ordinances like baptism by immersion, the Lord's Supper, and fellowship.

The Conference originated from a group of former Seventh-day Adventists who, in 1928, left the denomination due to concerns about discriminatory policies. These individuals established independent churches across the United States under the name United Sabbath Day Adventists. In 1934, several of these churches formed the Seventh-Day Christian Conference, emphasizing the biblical principle of equality and rejecting all forms of racial discrimination.

The Conference has been led by several presidents:

• R. Leo Soaries
• Philip J. Bailey, Sr.
• E. Leo Warren
• Dingwall C. Fleary
• DeForest B. Soaries
• Lionel W. Holness
• Buster Soaries
• Charles Ffrench
• Lesford Foreman

In 1956, the Conference established a mission in Kingston, Jamaica. In 1964, they built a church and headquarters there. In 1979, the Conference acquired its own headquarters building in New York City.

The P.J. Bailey, Sr./George A. Harewood/E. Leo Warren Scholarship Fund was established in 1982 to support the higher education of young people affiliated with the Seventh-Day Christian Church.

In 1999, the Jamaica Mission gained greater autonomy and was established as the Caribbean Conference of Seventh-Day Christians, encompassing seven churches across Jamaica.

To address the need for future ministry leaders, the Conference, with support from the Ministers and Workers Educational Fund, has trained several young men and women for ministry roles.

Churches in North America:

• Victory Tabernacle S.D.C. Church, New York City
• St. Paul's S.D.C. Church, New Jersey
• Hope and Deliverance S.D.C. Church, Stamford, Connecticut
• Open Door S.D.C. Church, Toronto, Canada
• Regeneration Fellowship, Kissimmee, Florida

Seventh-Day Christian Conference Headquarters:

246 West 138th Street New York, New York 10030

Pastor Lesford Foreman, President

Caribbean Conference of Seventh-Day Christians Headquarters:

67C Waltham Park Road Kingston 11 Jamaica, West Indies

Pastor Levi Rodney,

President