Seventh Day Adventists Founder: William Miller Overview In 1782 William Miller was born on the east coast of the United States. As a young man he was a farmer and during the war of 1812, he served as a captain in the American armed forces. In 1833 he was licensed to preach by a Baptist church but was never ordained. After having studied the Bible for two years, in 1818 Miller announced to the world that in 25 years (March 1844) Jesus Christ would return to the earth. At the height of his ministry, Miller had gathered some 50,000 followers,...