Members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South America are mourning the December 13 death of Milton Souza, director of the Adventist Media Center in Brazil. Souza, 51, had been receiving treatments at the Hospital do Câncer in São Paolo, Brazil for intestinal and liver cancer since September.

“The Church loses a great leader. We will miss him. And now, more than ever, it is time to spread the gospel and tell about Jesus’ return to this Earth,” said Erton Köhler, president of the Adventist Church in South America.

Souza had been director of the Media Center since May 2002. Previously he served as manager of Novo Hamburgo New Time Radio, secretary of the Rio Grande do Sul Conference and director of the Cruzeiro do Sul Adventist Academy.

Souza is survived by his wife, Miriam, and two daughters.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. December 14 in Rolante, Rio Grande do Sul.