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In his 2014 presentation at Friedensau, Dr. Idel Suárez examined how World War I profoundly affected the Seventh-day Adventist Church, particularly in Europe. The war created a serious crisis involving faith, conscience, church authority, and identity.

Before World War I, the Seventh-day Adventist Church generally upheld a noncombatant position, teaching that members should not bear arms. However, when the war began in 1914, Adventist leaders in Germany made decisions that allowed members to participate in military service, including bearing arms and, in some cases, performing duties on the Sabbath under wartime necessity. This marked a significant shift from the church's previously emphasized stance on noncombatancy and Sabbath observance.

Not all members agreed with this change. Many believed that participation in combat and compromise regarding Sabbath observance violated biblical principles and the historic Adventist understanding of loyalty to God above human authority, faithfulness to the Fourth Commandment, and the principle of noncombatancy. Those who refused military service on grounds of conscience often faced church discipline, exclusion, or hardship.

The conflict eventually led to separation. Members who maintained strict noncombatancy organized separately, forming what later became known as the International Missionary Society of the Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement (IMS-SDARM). Following this separation, the General Conference of the movement was officially registered in 1928.

Dr. Suárez emphasized that World War I was not merely a political crisis but a theological and prophetic test. The war challenged the church's understanding of religious liberty, church-state relations, end-time prophecy, and the identity and mission of the remnant church.

Rather than presenting the issue emotionally, Dr. Suárez encouraged thoughtful historical reflection. He portrayed World War I as a painful chapter in Adventist history, a turning point that reshaped church identity, and a lesson about faithfulness under extreme pressure.

World War I became a defining moment for Seventh-day Adventists. It exposed deep challenges regarding loyalty, conviction, and the relationship between church and state. The resulting separation and the organization of the International Missionary Society highlight how crises can lead to reform movements shaped by the desire to remain faithful to biblical principles.