ADRA calls Adventists to “Be the one to serve the One” at General Conference Session
From News Release, July 3, 2015: At the 2015 General Conference (GC) Session in San Antonio, TX, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International is calling Adventists from all over the world to join the movement to bring about long-lasting and positive change to communities around the world. ADRA is the humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination.
“Most social movements started with passionate people who were willing to stand up and give a voice to justice and reach out to make a difference,” said Jonathan Duffy, ADRA International President. “If we can start that movement as a church and bring other denominations and even faiths on board and we can find a common voice, then we can actually effect change.”
ADRA’s exhibit this year, “Be the one to serve the One,” located in Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, calls Adventists to a life of Christ-like love through service, compassion, justice, and mercy.
The exhibit is based on Matthew 25:35-36, showing how Adventist Christians can serve Jesus by meeting the immediate needs of people living in poverty. The booth features stories from Syrian refugees, girls at risk of human trafficking in Thailand, Peruvian entrepreneurs, and remote communities receiving medical care in the Brazilian Amazon.
“The Gospel comes alive when we come face to face with those in need, and we act to serve them,” explained Duffy.
For the last 30 years, ADRA has been working hand in hand with communities to bring sustainable change and resources to eradicate poverty. In the last five years alone, ADRA has worked with more than 97 million people in areas such as food security, water, community health, education, and disaster relief.
ADRA is encouraging GC Session participants to stop by the ADRA exhibit and learn more about how they can #ServetheOne and share what “Be the one to serve the One” means to them, communicated via social media.