Just as the original Christian church began with the devastating events of “Crucifixion Friday,” so the Seventh-day Adventist movement also began with a “Great Disappointment.” While many of the Millerite Adventists, disappointed and embarrassed, quickly scattered from the movement, those who had truly felt the outpouring of the Holy Spirit were not willing to abandon the spiritual awakening they had experienced. Joseph Bates was one of the active participants in the Advent movement who moved beyond the “Great Disappointment” to become a founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Joseph Bates (1792–1872)
Joseph Bates was a tough-minded sea captain. During his youth, he accumulated a small fortune through his successful career as the skipper of a merchant ship. Converted to the Millerite movement, Joseph committed both his enthusiasm and his entire fortune to spreading the Advent message. His faith in God was not shaken by either the “Great Disappointment” or the loss of his financial resources.
Joseph devoted his life to four major movements during his lifetime—Millerite/second advent, temperance/health reform, abolitionist/anti-slavery, and the Sabbatarian/seventh-day Sabbath. Through his commitment to each of these movements, Joseph greatly influenced the unique identity and direction the Seventh-day Adventist movement would take.
As a health reformer, Joseph committed himself to the principles of temperate living long before the Advent movement came into existence. In the 1820s, he gave up alcohol and tobacco, much to the amazement of his fellow sailors. In the 1830s, he removed tea, coffee, meat, butter, cheese, pies, and other rich and greasy foods from his diet. Years later, when many of his fellow Advent believers half his age were suffering from overwork and poor health, Joseph introduced them to the health principles that enabled him to enjoy vigorous health until his death at the age of 80.
The causes Joseph committed his life to were demanding. Just as his commitment to health reform demanded self-control, so his belief in abolitionism, the second coming, and the Sabbath all demanded self-sacrifice and tremendous courage. Troubled by the injustice and tragic human suffering in the South, Joseph helped organize the Fairhaven Anti-slavery Society in 1835. He became a radical advocate of freedom and social justice because he believed he could not be a “consistent Christian” and ignore oppression. His example influenced many Adventists to become strong abolitionists.
In February 1845, Joseph read Thomas Preble’s paper entitled "The Hope of Israel," which introduced him to the idea that the seventh day was God’s Sabbath. He could not rest until he had searched the Scriptures on the topic for himself. He traveled 140 miles to Washington, New Hampshire, to meet with Frederick Wheeler who had been preaching the Sabbath truth for some time. Joseph arrived at the Wheeler home in the middle of the night, woke Frederick up, and studied the Sabbath with him until morning.
Joseph carried the good news about the Sabbath to James and Ellen White in Maine, and to Hiram Edson in New York. In 1849, his pioneer spirit led him west to Michigan, where he eventually organized a company of believers in Jackson. In 1852, he traveled to Battle Creek, where he asked the postmaster for the name of the most honest man in town. After being directed to David Hewitt, he immediately went to his home and knocked on the door. He told David he had important biblical truth for him. Their Bible study lasted all day, and the Hewitts became the first converts in Battle Creek.
Joseph Bates, more than any other individual, was responsible for introducing the seventh-day Sabbath to his fellow Adventist believers who would later form the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Portions of this article were adapted by Ann Fisher from Welcome to the Family, an out-of-print book published jointly by Home Study International and the North American Division, and used with permission. Ann writes from Walla Walla, Washington.
