Historical research on the Seventh-day Adventist Church was conducted to present the roots of Adventist music in its liturgy. Comparative research of the influence of the Black Church on the African American Seventh-day Adventist Church was conducted along with an investigation of matters connected with the split into African American Regional Conferences. The present musical culture of contemporary African American Seventh-day Adventist churches was discussed in light of the influences of African culture and European culture. The contemporary issues including secular influences in the Adventist Church and the differences in worldviews of the traditional European culture and the African culture were compared.

The research attempts to bridge a range of cultural challenges that face the African American Seventh-day Adventist Church. The cultural issues considered here are drawn from three continents (Europe, Africa, and America), four cultures (traditional European, colonial American, African, and African American), and at least two different worldviews and spiritual orientations. After surveying the historical and cultural background of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and, in particular, the influences of the "Black Church" and African American culture more broadly on Black Seventh-Day Adventist congregations, this thesis put forward guidelines that respond to both denominational standards and the need to honor African-American musical culture.