Sacred Name Movement

The Sacred Name Movement (SNM) is a movement within Adventism concerned with emphasizing the use of the Hebrew name of God.^[1] Influenced by Clarence Orvil Dodd, the movement considers the use of God's name as important as the Jewish festivals. SNM believers also generally observe many of the Old Testament laws and ceremonies such as the Seventh-day Sabbath, Torah festivals, and kashrut food laws.^[2] The movement also rejects the doctrine of the Trinity as unbiblical.^[3]

History

The Sacred Name Movement arose in the early 20th century out of the Church of God (Seventh Day) movement. The movement was influenced by Joseph Franklin Rutherford after he changed the name of the main branch of the Bible Student movement to Jehovah's Witnesses in 1931.^[4] C. O. Dodd, a member of the Church of God (Seventh Day) who began to keep the Jewish festivals (including Passover) in 1928, adopted sacred name doctrines in the late 1930s.^[5] To promote his views, Dodd began to publish The Faith magazine in 1937.^[5] American religious scholar J. Gordon Melton wrote, "No single force in spreading the Sacred Name movement was as important as The Faith magazine."^[6] People who had dealings with the Sacred Name Movement in the 20th century, such as Herbert W. Armstrong, sharply criticized it saying that the Sacred Name Movement consisted of 'small', 'splintered' and 'divided' groups doctrinally. ^[7] After the death of C. O. Dodd (an early Sacred Name pioneer) in 1955, those using the Sacred Name are reported to have become even more confused in doctrine, since the shepherd had disappeared.

Little has amounted from the Sacred Name Movement. The Assemblies of Yahweh, which is not part of the Sacred Name Movement, came in to being because of the need to have a doctrinally sound, harmonious, organized and unified worship. The Preamble to the original Statement of Doctrine of the Assemblies of Yahweh produced in 1969 reads as follows:

The brethren in the faith who have united in organization to form the Assemblies of Yahweh, present this document as their statement of doctrine. These dedicated brethren have become concerned with the widespread disorganization which has been rampant during the past several years in the Sacred Name movement. This concern has led to the conclusion that a statement of doctrine such as this is necessary to define for the interested inquirers after Truth, the sound doctrines which are contained in the inspired Scriptures, the Word of Almighty Yahweh. We hereby present this document as the articles of faith on which we all can stand, and on which we can base a unity of purpose. We believe that this statement of doctrine clearly and concisely presents the faith which was once and for all time delivered to the sanctified believers. We believe that this statement of doctrine will be instrumental in uniting as all under one banner as the Body of the Messiah, and will enable us to give a ready testimony of our faith to all who seek truth, I Peter 3:15.
— Assemblies of Yahweh original Statement of Doctrine ^[8]

The Sacred Name Movement spurned the Assemblies of Yahweh. To this day, the Sacred Name Movement is very divided on doctrine despite holding 'unity conferences' every year. ^[9]