This study compares the historical development of [Black] Regional Conferences in the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church with [Black] Central Jurisdiction/Black Annual Conferences in Methodism (now known as the United Methodist Church) and White SDA Conferences--specifically through the prism of race, religion, and to a lesser degree gender. Secondly, emphasis is given to the salient events surrounding [Black] Regional SDA Conferences and [Black] Methodist Central Jurisdiction/Annual Conferences, and White SDA Conferences in order to discern the thread of historical development that emerged in these religious entities. What were the reasons the Methodist and Seventh-day Adventists decided it was essential to set up a separate organization structure for Blacks in 1864, 1939, and 1944/1945? Three pivotal areas selected for particular scrutiny in this study are church growth, financial concerns, and self-determination. Emphasis will be given to the ways in which [Black] Regional SDA Conferences have functioned compared with the [Black] Central Jurisdiction/Annual Conferences and White SDA Conferences, 1940 to 2001. The hypothesis of this study is that the cultural pluralism model is superior to the cultural assimilation model. In addition to the comparative nature of this study, it is also heuristic and descriptive