Mayaguez, Puerto Rico….[Freddy Sosa/IAD Staff]
Hundreds of Seventh-day Adventist Churches in Puerto Rico closed their doors Sabbath, Feb. 2, as worshipers took to their communities to distribute messages of hope.
More than 27,000 church members left the relative comfort of their sanctuaries Sabbath morning and chose instead to pass out a free 20-page magazine entitled “A Look at the Puerto Rican Family.” The distribution effort, which comes in the wake of a wave of increasing violence plaguing the island of late, was the largest ever by the church in Puerto Rico, church leaders said. Many who still attended morning worship services participated in the distribution that afternoon.
At a cost of nearly $70,000, church leaders planned to reach some 250,000 families, or approximately 750,000 people.
It was an effort involving the cost of not only producing the magazine, but also promoting it through the press, television and radio.
During a press conference held on Jan. 29th to promote the effort, Pastor Jose A. Rodriguez, president of the church in Puerto Rico, said the purpose of the magazine is to educate Puerto Ricans and guide them toward a future free from violence against women and children. The magazine also contains messages to strengthen the family, promote respect for life, and speaks out against drug addiction and delinquency.
“We are convinced that amidst the drama that we live in, we as a church need to put our hands on the plough to try to find solutions,” stated Pastor Rodriguez. He added that factors such as poverty and dysfunctional families cause social evils such as violence and child abuse. “God is the answer,” said Pastor Rodriguez, “He is the only solution to any human problem.”
Articles in the magazine were written by experts on health, counseling, education, human behavior and theology.
There are nearly 36,000 Seventh-day Adventists worshiping in 325 churches in Puerto Rico. Made up of four regional territories, the church operates two radio stations, 20 elementary and secondary schools, as well as a university on the island.
