A meeting themed "In a Loud Voice," based on Revelation 14:6-9, presented OneVoice27, the global movement that aims to mobilize the Seventh-day Adventists to proclaim how Jesus can transform lives and offer people a new beginning through digital media using the hashtag #allthingsnew, to the South American Division (SAD).
The movement will culminate in September 2027, when the church commemorates the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus' baptism, with a special focus on evangelism through social media and other digital platforms.
Digital evangelism in action
Dárci Nunc-nfoonro Saez Parra, a clinical phytotherapist and indigenous woman of the Laklãnõ Xokleng ethnicity from Ibirama, Santa Catarina, Brazil, doesn't usually use her cell phone at night. However, one early morning in March, she woke up, picked up her phone, and found content that would change the course of her life.
On Instagram, Parra watched a video by Gustavo Marques, SAD Youth director. In the post, he invited followers to ask questions about the Bible and announced a week of free Bible studies on the life of Jesus.
At the end of the video, Marques instructed anyone interested to click a button displayed on the screen that would direct them to WhatsApp. Parra didn't know Marques, but she was interested in the subject. Until then, she had never heard of Bible study.
"I was unaware of this. I always read the Bible, but studying is different," she said.
On the other side of the screen
While people clicked on the video link, Giovana Rodrigues Willem, Communication director of the Penha Adventist church, received the WhatsApp responses. According to her, the system automatically sent the message "I am interested in participating" as soon as someone accessed the link. From there, Willem asked for each person's full name and said they would be contacted again as the event date approached.
Parra was one of those who clicked on the link and responded to the message on March 16.
“I asked for her full name, she replied, and said she would definitely be there,” Willem recalled.
On March 20, the day before the program began, she sent another reminder to Parra that the week of Bible studies would start the following day.
To ensure Marques's video reached Parra and others, Willem partnered with her fiancé, Paulo Romualdo da Silva Júnior, a communications professional. In addition to editing the video, he implemented a paid traffic strategy, which involves paying social media sites to increase the reach of content to more users. This tool also allows videos to target people in specific geographic regions and audience interest profiles, among other criteria.
On the day of the event, Parra went to church alone. Upon arriving, she didn't recognize anyone and even considered leaving, feeling that this wasn't her place. However, the reception mirrored the warm welcome she had already experienced online. Willem was waiting for her with enthusiasm.
“When I saw her at the church that first day, I was so happy and went to meet her. I went down the church stairs and said, 'Hi, Dárci! It's so good to see you here! Come on in, make yourself at home. We're serving tea and some cookies. You can grab some here and then find a place you like to sit and feel comfortable. This is the best place you could be.' Then I hugged her and went with her to get some tea. After that, she sat down, and the event started soon after,” said Willem.
For Parra, the experience confirmed the potential of social media as a tool for evangelism. “Just as it did in my life, it will certainly do in the lives of so many other people. Sometimes it's just that one minute that they [the internet user] have, and the internet is in everyone's hand today. So, I think it's a good path, one that can make a big difference in many people's lives,” she said.
A baptism before church leaders
After the week of programming, church leaders continued Bible studies with Parra. Instructors noted that she already had a level of knowledge uncommon among people beginning this type of study. According to Parra, this is because she had been following the programming of TV Novo Tempo for some time and had friendships with Adventists, although she had never attended a church of that denomination. Novo Tempo is the official Portuguese-language radio and television media network operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South America.
Parra's baptism took place before more than 160 administrators and leaders from different areas of the Adventist Church in Southern Brazil who were gathered for a council meeting to discuss church strategies and priorities.
The scene moved those present.
“This moment is transformative in my life. I think it's the confirmation of what I always asked God for: 'enlighten my mind, give me discernment, give me wisdom, so that all the decisions I make will be for the honor and glory of the Lord',” Parra said.
According to Willem, Marques witnessed the impact of social media on Parra's connection to the church and to baptism. For this reason, he invited her to be baptized during the council, which was specifically discussing digital evangelism strategies.
Parra's story was shown on the Novo Tempo TV program, Revista Novo Tempo. The report is part of the coverage of OneVoice27 and shows, in practice, how a biblical message shared on social media can reach and transform a person's life.
The original article was published on the South American Division Portuguese news site.
