From Small Beginnings,
a Bountiful Harvest
Presented Tuesday, July 5, 2005

Ruy H. Nagel
President

The first pages of the Seventh-day Adventist Church history in South America were written with sacrifice, hard work, and tears. I am certain that the last pages of its history will soon be written under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit.

With just 4,903 members scattered among 88 churches, the South American Division (SAD) was organized in the city of La Plata, Argentina, on February 16, 1916. Religious prejudice and great distances were constant obstacles. Additionally, the world was experiencing the consequences of the First World War.

During the last decade of the nineteenth century, when the first missionary contacts were made in Argentina, Pastor F. W. Westphal wrote about the difficulties faced by the pioneers. "I will never forget the little mud house of Brother Riffel, where I stayed. The church members took me to several places each day, and I held from two to four meetings daily, in addition to the visits and the Bible studies. After several weeks, we organized the first church in South America." It was the church in Crespo in Argentina, with 35 members. This took place on September 9, 1894. Today we are 2,415,392 members, in 7,801 organized churches and 9,539 companies. As we look at the past, we praise God for the wisdom, strength, and inspiration that He has granted to His people since that humble beginning.

What Is the Secret?
Why does the Seventh-day Adventist Church grow at such a tremendous rate in South America? First of all, God has poured out innumerable blessings on His people. Second, it is owing to the spirit of religiousness found in the majority of the inhabitants in the countries that make up our territory. Third, the church members on our continent have a strong missionary profile. Addi-tionally, they like to work in an atmosphere of cooperation. In 1986, when the South American Division completed 70 years of existence, Dr. Mário Veloso, the division secretary at that time, made a precise synthesis of the missionary spirit of our people.

"The church members have a clear concept of identity, they know that they belong to God's people, and they are satisfied with Him. The mission of evangelizing the world, given by Christ to the church, is present in all activities. Each congregation considers itself an agency for winning souls and an instrument of evangelization. There is a unifying plan that guides all activities of the church in South America, which obeys one clear evangelistic objective. The majority of the organized churches and companies are relatively small fraternal groups, and the large churches are working with a defined program of subdivision and formation of new congregations and churches. The church members and administrators at all levels--local church, conference/mission, union and division--fulfill their tasks basing themselves on defined principles of church growth" (Adventist Review [Portuguese], October 1986, p. 11).

Today, almost 20 years later, the same spirit and enthusiasm are still characteristic of the Seventh-day Adventists in the eight countries of our division: Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. However, a new motivation factor has given a special color to the church's mission.

Integrated Evangelism
For almost 10 years now, all church activities have two key words as a parameter, which summarize our work philosophy: integrated evangelism. This is not a different plan from that established by the General Conference, but it is a strategy that attempts to bring the church departments, at all levels, to work on common goals in a spirit of mutual cooperation so that each member may be spiritually strengthened and feel the desire to win new disciples for Christ.

Integrated evangelism is a lifestyle of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South America. We do not have a diversity of plans, but only one plan that includes and respects the individual characteristics of each member, employee, and leader within a supportive framework.

This work philosophy contributes to the spirit of unity among us, for Jesus prayed, "that they all may be one" (John 17:21). This integrated action is also an efficient and economic form of utilizing the tithe, offerings, and material and intellectual resources of the members. Thus the church fulfills its mission in the world. "The church is God's appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God's plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency" (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 9).

Integrated evangelism has changed the mentality of our ministers and leaders. No one works alone. Because of this harmonious action, the results have been impressive. In December 1999 our division had 1,701,617 members. At the last General Conference session we affirmed that we hoped to reach 2 million members. And God heard our prayers. On December 31, 2004, we had 2,415,392 members. This represents a growth of 41.95 percent over the previous quinquennium. Therefore, it is clear that joint efforts under divine blessing produce surprising results. During this quinquennium Brazil became the country with the greatest number of Seventh-day Adventists in the world: 1,329,662.

Methods That Work
The evangelistic strategies put into practice in the South American Division have not changed significantly, because they continue to give excellent results. Public evangelism and personal evangelism are based on the trio "pastor-elder-member," in a coordinated action of denominational employees and lay members. Everything revolves around this "trio."

The methods, programs, and ministries that we develop constitute the pillars that sustain our integrated evangelism. I would like to present a few highlights:

Small groups. In the 10 unions that make up our territory, we have more than 60,000 small groups that meet weekly to study the Bible, pray, and witness. One highpoint of these meetings has been reading the magazine Prayer Makes a Difference, which is about intercessory prayer. The motivating influence of this publication has revitalized the missionary spirit in our churches.

Caravan of Power. The Peru Union pioneered this method, which involves ministers and members in a bold evangelistic project. After the preparation work, planting, and cultivating of the Adventist message for six months, the Caravan of Power, under the leadership of Pastor Alejandro Bullón, held meetings in 17 locations, with attendance of up to 20,000 people in some places. The final phase of the campaign was held September 15-20, 2003, in the Lake Titicaca area, baptizing 10,534 people.

The second Caravan of Power was held in the Brazilian state of Rondonia and generated a 50 percent plus growth rate in the number of baptisms in the first quarter of 2004 (from 2,900 to 4,400). From July 30 through August 7 the Caravan visited 12 cities, with the final program held in the state capital of Porto Velho. A total of 40,000 people attended the meetings.

In 2004 other campaigns of this type were held in Brazil. The Rio Grande do Sul Conference commemorated their first 100 years by promoting a Caravan in five stages, resulting in 400 baptisms in this difficult area. In the final phase, with the participation of Pastor Bullón, 30,000 people attended the meetings held at the Beira-Rio Soccer Stadium in the city of Porto Alegre.

Easter week evangelism. During the period of Easter week, ministers and members unite to evangelize neighborhoods adjacent to churches. The meetings are held nightly in churches and rented locations. Many lay members preach, taking advantage of the religious interest of people at this time. During the past quinquennium thousands of people were baptized as a result of this method.

Publishing work. This area of the Lord's work prepares the way for public and personal evangelism. Our division has two publishing houses, one in Argentina, which serves seven countries of the Spanish language, and another in Brazil, for the Portuguese language. The force of our publishing work can be measured in the following terms: the Brazil Publishing House consumed 4,500 tons of paper in 2004 in the preparation of books, magazines, and tracts. In the past quinquennium, literature evangelists sold books and magazines valued at S$106,048,282.73.
The unions, conferences, and institutions have purchased thousands of books and magazines for evangelization. The Northeast Brazil Union alone, located in a region facing economic difficulties, purchased 50,000 copies of the book Christian Service, by Ellen White, to use to train and motivate members.

Women's ministries. Women in our churches participate in many work fronts. They are active in small groups. In 2004 this ministry prepared and distributed a magazine on abuse and violence in the family, which caught the attention of federal and state representatives. Another valuable contribution has been their work of reception at the doors of our churches. Many non-Seventh-day Adventists attend church meetings because of the smile and hospitality offered by the women in our churches. Women's ministries is completely consolidated in South America, working in harmony with the philosophy of integrated evangelism.

Children's ministries. Although implemented a short time ago on our continent, this ministry is already showing positive results. One of the blessings of this ministry has been the participation of boys and girls as child preachers. In the Northeast Brazil Mission, a 13-year-old girl named Ariane de Melo Felipe has prepared more than 100 people for baptism. She preaches and gives Bible studies to youth and adults.

Radio and television. The influence of the Seventh-day Adventist radio stations in South America has been decisive in evangelization. In the year 2000 we had 42 radio stations. Currently we have 78 scattered throughout South America, thanks to the financial support of churches, lay members, and a Seventh-day Adventist businessman. These stations, which operate in buildings owned by the church, broadcast religious music, biblical seminars, health topics, education, etc. On the occasion of an evangelistic campaign, the nearest radio station promotes the event. Approxi-mately 300 non-Adventist radio stations have rebroadcast the New Time network programming.

It Is Written is broadcast by secular television stations, but the church continues to operate a satellite system in conjunction with the General Conference that reaches other divisions. The church also utilizes seven open TV stations and 200 cable stations. Nearly 2,000 secular radio stations rebroadcast the Voice of Prophecy, Voice of Hope, and A Light on the Path programs.

Week of reaping. With support and participation from ministers and lay members, all evangelistic efforts during the second semester of each year are channeled toward two weeks of reaping: one in September and the other in December, resulting in large baptisms.

Youth and Pathfinders. The spring baptism, held in the month of September and promoted by the Youth Department, is a tradition in South America, and offers motivation and vitality to our youth. Thousands of preteens, teens, and youth have been baptized during this week.

In the majority of churches youth hold their program called Youth Worship on Sabbath afternoons. Most teens and preteens who attend church are part of the Pathfinder Club. In January 2005 we held the South American Pathfinder Camporee in the city of Santa Helena, Paraná, Brazil, with 20,000 Pathfinders in attendance. Broad press and television coverage were given to this event.

Weekly church meetings. One of the secrets of the church's strength in South America is the interest of its members in attending Sabbath school, worship service, evangelistic meetings on Sunday nights, and prayer meetings on Wednesday nights. Attendance is sacred. In any church, chapel, or rented meeting hall, in large cities as well as small towns, our church members meet to praise the Creator.

A Bright Future
The next quinquennium is promising, because we have an army of denominational employees and church members who are devoted to the task of leading people to Christ. There are 5,489 denominational employees, 5,500 full-time literature evangelists, and 11,326 student literature evangelists. We have four universities, seven schools of higher learning, 773 elementary schools and academies, 21 hospitals and clinics, two food factories, two publishing houses, 78 radio stations, and many television programs.

At the South American Division council held in Brasilia in November 2004, the union, conference, and institution leaders reaffirmed their objective of applying the philosophy of
integrated evangelism.

In South America we still have many locations without an Adventist presence. This is a challenge for the Global Mission program. However, we are certain that if the Lord has helped us up to this point, we can count on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and we can write the final paragraph of the history of the church on the South American continent.