ARTICLE

The Communications and Media Ministry of the Ontario Conference has observed through interviews with children, youth, and adults, as well as on various church-streamed services, that many members commonly identify themselves as belonging to the “SDA church.” It is important that we understand our identity- we are Seventh-day Adventists (“Adventists” for short) – not “SDAs.”

Around the world, apart from the Seventh-day Adventist Church, several governmental, educational, medical, or professional organisations also use the acronym “SDA” to identify themselves. Some examples include:

• Software Design Association
• Sudan Dental Association
• Singapore Disability Association
• State Development Area
• Students’ Democratic Alliance
• Service Desk Association
• School Development Authority

In some local and informal contexts, this three-letter acronym “SDA” has also taken on other meanings or slang interpretations, such as:

• Sugar Daddy Arrangement
• Severe Driving Anxiety
• Socially Dead Association
• Single Dad Army
• Same-Day Approval

In this digital age, clarity is important. To avoid confusion and misinterpretation, all members are strongly encouraged to use “Seventh-day Adventist Church” rather than “SDA Church,” especially in public communication, media interviews, and digital outreach.

Proposed by David Hewitt, known as the "most honest man" in Battle Creek, the name "Seventh-day Adventist" was adopted on October 1, 1860, by a vote of 24 to 1 of 25 delegates at an autumn meeting in Battle Creek, Michigan.[i]

The name “Seventh-day Adventist” expresses two fundamental beliefs of the Church: the biblical Sabbath (“Seventh-day”), which reminds us of God’s power as Creator and Sanctifier, and the Second Coming (“Adventist”), the Blessed Hope cherished by God’s people and centred on the promised return of Jesus Christ and the assurance of salvation through Him.

In light of this, we should avoid reducing our official church name to a three-letter acronym, especially in external communication. Moreover, because our internal activities—including worship services and church activities—are now frequently live-streamed and shared on social media, they are no longer confined to an internal audience but are visible to the public. As such, we must represent the Church in a clear, respectful, and consistent manner.

For this reason, the use of “SDA” should be discontinued in all public-facing communication and branding. All churches are encouraged to use the Conference-provided adventist.ca domain names, and social media handles should maintain consistency by using formats such as @(churchname)adventist rather than @(churchname)sda.

The same principle applies to internal and external church signage, podiums, bulletins, PowerPoint slides, banners, T-shirts, plaques, giveaways, and all other printed or digital publications. Instead of using “SDA,” churches should use the proper name “Seventh-day Adventist Church” or simply “Adventist.”

We sincerely appreciate the churches that have already embraced and complied with the brand guidelines. We look forward to seeing all churches across Ontario united in the consistent and appropriate use of our Church’s name.

To learn more about the Adventist brand guidelines, please visit the Ontario Conference Communications Department.

Pastor Edwin Martin
Communications and Media Ministry Director,
Ontario Conference 

[i] https://www.adventistarchives.org/about-the-name-seventh-day-adventist