The Church Emblem

Why did the Church change the emblem? This question troubles many members, and sad to say, largely because of propaganda. The reality is, the Church has never changed its emblem! The Seventh-day Adventist Church has always just had one official emblem.

When people ask why the Church changed its emblem, they usually refer to the emblem which depicts the three angels flying over the world. They have often expressed disappointment that the new emblem did away with the three angels and consequently, to them, this is evidence that the Church no longer considers the three angels' messages important and that the church has forgotten the pillars of our faith.

The truth of the matter is that the above emblem was never recognized officially as the emblem of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The above picture was a depiction of somebody’s idea of the three angels' messages. Aside from the fact that there are also many variations of the above image, it is unclear who the source of the above image is. Nevertheless, when the Church finally felt impressed to have an official logo, the Communication Department of the General Conference proposed the current logo which is still in use. The above logo could not be used as it would become a copyright issue since the Church is not the author of the picture.

In 1996 the Seventh-day Adventist Church voted for a logo for the first time. Before 1996, there was no official logo. Different church entities used different logos and wrote the Church’s name in different ways. The Church strongly felt that it was important to unify our branding so that we can communicate as a unified Church the world over. Contrary to popular belief that the General Conference “changed” the logo, the minutes of the Annual Council in 1996 reflects the sentiments of the Church leaders at the time that

in the past there has not been a recognizable logo which identifies the Seventh-day Adventist Church and embodies its values and distinctiveness.

The logo which was presented for the approval of the General Conference Executive Committee at the 1996 Annual Council was the familiar green Bible and yellow flame with the name of the Church written below or alongside the logo.

What was the meaning of this logo? This logo, more than the three angels logo, reflects the core values of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Its foundation is the Bible, which is laid open thereby illustrating that the message of the Bible should be read and put in practice.

Salvation is the theme of the Bible, and as such, the cross is placed right at the center to illustrate the centrality of Christ’s death on the cross to our message. Conspiracy theories have been passed around that the logo has an upside-down cross. While it is true that some distorted and photoshopped images may appear to have an upside down cross, it was certainly not an upside down cross when adopted by the Church and when it is produced according to standards and guidelines set by the world church.

The flame which surrounds the implied world represents the Holy Spirit, and it is formed from three lines so that it could simultaneously represent the Godhead and the three angels' messages found in Revelation 14:6-12. The flames also point upwards, thereby symbolizing the resurrection and ascension of Jesus to His heavenly priestly ministry. It also has in view the second coming when Jesus will come on the clouds. Talk about incorporating the pillars of our faith!

Ever since 2018, the green and yellow emblem has been discontinued and replaced by the official denim blue logo. Consequently, we discourage the use of the three angels logo and the green and yellow emblem on all official Adventist communication. While you may use the three angels logo (with permission from its author) for your personal benefit, the emblem which should be reflected on all official church material is the denim blue logo below. According to the new standards, any colours can be used in your designs as long as the Bible and the flame are the same colour. Multiple colours of the logo are available for your use which can all be downloaded from adventist.design as long as the Bible and the flame are the same colour.