In Dominican Republic, church inaugurates first combination church and radio antenna facility

New church inaugurated by church leaders and members in Nagua, Maria Trinidad Sánchez, Dominican Republic on Dec. 18, 2016. Images by Jeyson Javier.

January 12, 2016 | Nagua, Maria Trinidad Sánchez, Dominican Republic | Laura Durán/IAD Staff

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Dominican Republic recently inaugurated its first church equipped with a radio antenna to spread the message of hope to communities in the Maria Trinidad Sanchez Province on the northeast part of the island.  The new church transmits the church’s Radio Amanecer station programming from its rooftop to a population of more than 195,000.

First combination church and radio antenna facility on the island, as well as around the world.

The new church called “Radio Amanecer I” becomes the 39^th church to be built on the island in 2016, as part of an on-going annual church construction plan. The difference with the new building is that it’s not just a structure to transmit radio waves, but also a real church.

Dozens met during the ceremony on Dec. 18, 2016, as Adventist World Radio President Dowell Chow congratulated church leaders for their vision and commitment to evangelism efforts in the community.

“I have traveled all around the world and this is the first time that I see such a building as this, this is the first radio station church in the world,” said Chow.

“God has provided technology to reach the world with the message,” said Chow. “There are thousands of places where the gospel cannot be preached openly but through radio, television and the internet, we are conquering the world.”

The church was built thanks to a special offering collected once a year called “Offering of gratitude.”

“Expanding the coverage of Radio Amanecer will contribute to the restoration of the family, the spiritual freedom of many, the defense of the sacred human rights, and many people believing the eternal principles of the Holy Scriptures,” said Pastor Cesario Acevedo, president of the church in the Dominican Republic, as he addressed the small congregation.

Adventist World Radio President Dowell Chow congratulated the church for evangelism advances with the new church.

The growth of the church in the Dominican Republic continues to expand thanks to evangelism efforts and the generosity of all the members across the island to build more churches, explained Pastor Acevedo.

So far, 550 churches have been built and remodeled in the 20 years since the church adopted the Dominican Union’s plan back in 1996. This year the special offering collected surpassed the goal by 130 percent, according to Acevedo.  And every year it reaches about that percentage as well, he added.

“The church has had a plan of building 25-30 churches annually, so it’s a blessing to see that 39 were completed,” said Acevedo.

The new Radio Amanecer I Adventist Church has a small group of 18 members with two new members baptized during the inauguration ceremony. The church can house up to 150 worshipers.

General Manager of Radio Amanecer Dr. Miqueas Fortunato, said there’s a plan to set up five more antennas throughout the island this year, and these will be on top of five new churches as well.

Part of the small group at the new Radio Amanecer I church.

“It is really an investment to build a church with an antenna as a radio repeater to benefit unreached cities and communities with the message of hope and salvation,” said Fortunato.  Radio Amanecer reaches 90 percent of the island and the goal is to reach the entire island during the next three years.

Radio Amanecer is operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Dominican Republic. The Adventist station has been spreading hope through its radio waves for 33 years on the island.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Dominican Republic has more than 316,000 members worshiping in 1,291 churches and congregations. The church operates four conferences, two missions, dozens of primary and secondary schools, a university, hospital, radio station and an orphanage.

To learn more about initiatives and activities of the Dominican Union, visit adventistasrd.org.do