For Seventh-day Adventist Christians, observing a day of rest and worship is central to their faith. Adventism is a Protestant denomination noted for its observance of the Sabbath and for the belief in the second coming of Jesus Christ.

“Seventh-day Adventists believe what some of us term the four Cs of salvation: Christ, his cross, his commandments and his coming again,” Pastor Allen Martin of Christian Fellowship Seventh-day Adventist Church in Brooklyn said.

At the church, sermons are rooted in the tradition of the Black church.

“Adventism has embraced a holistic approach to Christianity which does not just deal with the spiritual aspect in terms of what we believe from the Bible, in terms of keeping the commandments. We believe that that is also connected to how we treat our bodies,” Martin said.

The promotion of a healthy lifestyle and diet is central to the faith. For many adherents, that includes a meat-free or plant-based diet.

“We say our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,” Martin said.

Sherline Victor says she is a prime example of someone who lives out this ideal.

“Studying our doctrines a little closely, I realized that meat was something that wasn’t intended for our original diet,” Victor said.

As a vegan who regularly exercises in a Prospect Park, her lifestyle is rooted in her identity as an Adventist.

“God wants us to be in health, and to prosper,” Victor said. “If we’re consuming things that are injurious to ourselves, we believe that God will hold us accountable for that.”

Martin says there are tangible benefits to their approach.

“There are some studies that rate that we live anywhere from seven to eight, even 11 years longer than the general population,” Martin said.

It is all in service to a higher power, in a faith that nourishes the spirit and the body.

“Our source of connecting with Jesus, connecting with Christ, empowers us to reflect and live out the principles of that lifestyle in a practical way, every single day” Martin said.