On June 15 the Seventh-day Adventist Church celebrated its 130th anniversary in Brazil. It was on this date in 1895 that the first Adventist congregation was organized in the rural community of Gaspar Alto, Santa Catarina. Thousands of Adventists are the result of that single event. “Brazil today has 1.7 million Adventist members. We realize that the hand of God has guided these people here. But we also understand that this brings the responsibility of preaching the gospel to the whole world,” said Edward Heidinger, executive secretary of the South American Division (SAD).

To mark the date regional church leaders hosted a commemorative program on June 14 on the grounds of the Adventist church in Gaspar Alto. The event brought together hundreds of church members and leaders. The celebration recalled the stories of the pioneers and highlighted the urgency of the Adventist mission. “Pioneers knew that life was fleeting, and they dreamed of the heavenly city,” said SAD president Stanley Arco. “They persevered even amid persecution.”

The church building in Gaspar Alto was inaugurated in March 1896, less than a year after the organization of the congregation. Throughout the decades it has undergone renovations to preserve its structure. To preserve its history, leaders recently inaugurated a replica of the original facade of the building. “After 130 years seven generations have passed, and most Brazilian Adventists have no direct connection with the pioneers. But when we visit this place and listen to their great-grandchildren telling the story, we realize that our origin is the result, not of a simple doctrinal discussion, but of an identity built with sacrifice and faith,” said Marlinton Lopes, president of the South Brazil Union Conference (SBUC).

The current church of Gaspar Alto.

Photo: Eliezer Xavier

House built with materials from the original Adventist church in Gaspar Alto will be the headquarters of the new Adventist Education Museum.

Photo: Eliezer Xavier

Stanley Arco, president of the South American Division, photographs a school report from the first Adventist seminary in Brazil.

Photo: Eliezer Xavier

Adventist Education students at the future Adventist Education museum.

Photo: Eliezer Xavier

Baptism during the 130th anniversary celebration of the Adventist Church in Brazil.

Photo: Eliezer Xavier

Preservation of Adventist History

During the celebration regional church leaders also announced the project for the construction of the Museum of Adventist Education on a plot of land just a few yards from the Gaspar Alto church. “Our plan is to build a museum,” Arco said. “This place was the headquarters of the first missionary school, which gave rise to the Adventist seminaries across Brazil.”

The Gaspar Alto church is still open. “After 130 years the church of Gaspar Alto is still very active,” said Paulo Lopes, president of the Santa Catarina Conference. “Each year [the members] lead people to Christ. It also has a high level of loyalty and commitment to mission, with departments functioning normally. It has been an example for other churches,” he said.

Participants read in German.

Photo: Eliezer Xavier

Inauguration of the first church in Gaspar Alto replica.

Photo: Eliezer Xavier

Stanley Arco, president of the South American Division, preaches on the identity of Adventist pioneers.

Photo: Eliezer Xavier

To support the maintenance of the historic structure and the new projects, the church launched a website to receive donations. “The resources will be allocated to the preservation of history,” regional church leaders said. They will also be applied to the construction of the museum, the creation of new rooms for the congregation, and the installation of a kitchen in a multi-use hall.

The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Portuguese-language news site.