The International Missionary Society of Seventh-Day Adventist Church Reform Movement (IMSSDARM) is an independent Protestant Christian denomination that split from the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement Church in 1948-1952.
IMSSDARM is a part of the Sabbatarian Adventist movement. The IMSSDARM headquarters is located in Cedartown, Georgia,.
History
World War I rupture in Adventist movement
The IMSSDARM first appeared as a distinct organization in Denver, Colorado, USA, shortly after II world war [1949].
Adventist doctrine had historically condemned war and told its followers not to serve as soldiers. “The denomination of Christians calling themselves Seventh-day Adventist, taking the Bible as their rule of faith and practice are unanimous in their views that its teachings are contrary to the spirit and practice of war, hence they have ever been conscientiously opposed to bearing arms.” –Letter to Austin Blair, Governor of Michigan, August 3, 1864, (Signed) John Byington, J.N. Loughborough, Geo. W. Amadon, General Conference Committee.However, in 1914, the warring governments in Europe pressured the Adventist leadership to allow military service for their young men. This was the official statement issued by the church leadership in Germany:"Most honorable Lord General and Minister of War, August 4, 1914:
"…While we stand on the fundamentals of the Holy Scriptures, and seek to fulfill the precepts of Christendom, keeping the Rest Day (Saturday) that God established in the beginning, by endeavoring to put aside all work on that day, still in these times of stress, we have bound ourselves together in defense of the 'Fatherland,' and under these circum-stances we will also bear arms on Saturday (Sabbath)….” (Signed) “H.F. Schubert, President”
During the I world war, approximately two percent of Seventh-day Adventist members in more than 16 European countries were disfellowshipped from the church for their open opposition to war and their support of pacifism. In some countries, entire congregations and their elders, within just one week, found themselves deprived of church membership because of their stand on the war question and the Sabbath. Later in 1925, these became the Seventh day Adventist Reform Movement organization, in the city of Gotha, Germany.
Creation of The SDARM
After World War I, disfellowshipped Adventists in Europe decided to temporarily organize so as to legally hold representation before the SDA General Conference and hold their collective resources and support their ministers and workers, till they were able to organize as General Conference.
Since some disfellowshipped Adventists in Germany had worked with the International Missionary and Tract Society of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, they organized in 1919 in Germany as "Internationale Missionnsgesellshaft der Siebententags Adventisten Alte seit 1844 stehengebliebene Richtung Deutsche Union" (International Missionary Society of Seventh-day Adventists, old movement standing firm since 1844). The disfellowshipped brethren in the other European countries, organized themselves using a variety of other names.
Sending at least 16 representatives of these new organizations, unsuccessfully attempted in 1920 and 1922 to reconcile their differences with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. At this point, the organization decided to continue independently from the Adventist Church. This move was facilitated by the discovery that an Adventist reform movement had been prophesied. These advent faith holders now were to become the SDARM
In July 1925, representatives from those 16 countries established the basis of their faith in the Principles of Faith document, choosing the name of Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement, at the first official General Conference meeting in Gotha, Germany. Soon the SDARM began spreading the Gospel throughout North America, Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
In April 1936, the Nazi government confiscated all SDARM property in Germany. Many German SDARM leaders and followers died in concentration camps. Some of them were allegedly denounced by members and leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Post war schism
After 1945 (in 1948), the General Conference of the SDARM tried to settle the differences and discord with the leaders of our North American Union, that in 1927, the German missionaries sent to support the work of the church, had registered as IMSSDARM American Union. For some years they had held some doctrinal differences, added to their discord due to some GC leaders mismanagement, that unfortunately led to a schism.