Santiago, Dominican Republic….[Libna Stevens/IAD]
Taking a stand against the escalating violence and drug abuse use in their country, more than 3,000 young Seventh-day Adventists marched through the main streets of Santiago, Dominican Republic on Feb. 24. The event was designed to promote family unity, a drug-free society and obedience to God’s law.
“There has been an unprecedented rise in violence and the drug trafficking in the popular sectors of the Dominican Republic,” says Silvestre Gonzalez, spokesperson and communication director of the church in the Dominican Republic. “Every day there are news reports of two or three people dying as a result of gunfire between the police and offenders, and this has brought a lot of uncertainty to the Dominican family.”
It is for this reason, says Gonzalez, that the Adventist Church has embarked on sharing the hope of a better life in Christ throughout the main cities in the country.
“The [Adventist] Church through its young people seeks to increase their presence in their communities and lead young people to knowing Christ,” he says.
The march, which included young people, pathfinders and masterguides from dozens of Adventist churches in the city of Santiago and the surrounding communities, was well covered by the local and national media.
Pastor Gonzalez spoke to the press on the work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its commitment to helping young Dominicans make the right choices and turn their backs on violence and drugs to save future generations.
This was the second such event organized by the youth department of the Adventist Church in Santiago in the past two years. The first march took place in June of 2005.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is the second largest organized church in the Dominican Republic. There are more than 231,000 Adventist members worshiping in 609 churches on the island.
