VANCEBORO — A small church on Chandler Road is going back to basics, focusing on the early Hebrew translation of the Bible.

Earl Edwards, pastor at Sabbath Keepers, said his congregation moved into the church building in 2005 and followed a Baptist doctrine at the time. The realization of a Hebrew-English translation discrepancy, however, lit a fire within Edwards — one that could only be quenched by more study.

Soon after, Edwards said he felt led to change the ways of his church, and it didn’t take his congregation long to realize this need for change.

Edwards began looking back to the Hebrew biblical translation, sharing what he learned with the church. Among his revelations is the day of the Sabbath, which he believes the Bible names as Saturday, not Sunday.

He referenced Acts 20:7, in which the disciples are gathering for a meal. The King James Version reads, “Upon the first day of the week,” while the literal Hebrew translation reads, “And on one of the Sabbaths.” The use of the word “upon” signals that Sunday hadn’t begun at the time of this meal, a point confirmed by the Hebrew translation, according to Edwards.

He also came to believe that the new covenant created with Jesus does not make the Old Testament laws null and void.

Edwards said many of the Christian church’s traditions today come from the Catholic Church, but when Protestants broke off into their own denomination, many of the traditions remained intact.

“We’re trying to break everything down back to the 1^st Century,” Edwards said. “We broke off, but we never severed the umbilical cord.”

Edwards is adamant that Sabbath Keepers will remain a non-denominational church, instead basing its teachings off of what is learned from the Hebrew translation. An example of this is the wearing of tzitzits, four knotted tassels worn on belt loops as a reminder of the Ten Commandments, a tradition still followed by many Jews today.

Edwards also leads his church to use the original Hebrew names for God and Jesus, Yahweh and Yeshua, respectively.

“When you translate, a lot gets lost in the translation,” Edwards said. “I don’t force my views on everybody. … I do not beat up on Sunday people. I did it for 41 years, but I did it out of ignorance.”

Although some people view this outlook as bazaar or just plain false, Edwards said he welcomes people to come listen, but he also has no problem with agreeing to disagree.

Sabbath Keepers is set up as a discussion area, rather than a traditional sanctuary with pews. During the Saturday afternoon service, church members gather to discuss passages and bounce ideas off of one another.

He said he wants to return to the same practices that Yeshua (Jesus) followed when he was alive, rather than rely on manmade traditions.

The more he learns, the more he wants to keep studying. And the more he is inspired to teach his congregation.

“I share it with love and compassion,” Edwards said. “It’s beautiful when you start putting it together.”

Sabbath Keepers holds a service every Saturday at 3 p.m. and a mid-week study on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. The church is located at 2685 Chandler Road, Vanceboro.