Amelia Rocío Cotes Cortés, director of Religious Affairs of the National Government in Colombia, recently visited church leaders at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in northern Colombia. During the visit, she highlighted the fundamental role of churches in the construction of the cultural and social fabric in Colombia.

Cortés discussed the desire of her office to work on research together with the church’s Colombia Adventist University (UNAC) and the interest of the government to know the church’s national and international organization and its dependencies during the April 12, 2023, visit.

“We were prompted by the Office of Religious Affairs and spoke on certain research topics, the possibility of holding colloquiums or symposiums, and working together as a university and church on social projects to benefit vulnerable families in Colombia,” said Jair Flores, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director for the North Colombian Union. During the visit, Cortés highlighted that churches have a positive objective: bettering people’s lives. “Churches transform the individual, transform each being together as a community, transform their entire environment, and transform their context,” she said.

In addition, Cortés highlighted the importance of the churches’ role in sustainable development and comprehensive education, citing the Adventist Church as an example of a “moral reserve of the country,” with dedicated work and an exemplary organizational structure.

“The Adventist Church is a church that is not only renowned, but it is a name earned by responsibility, for their hard work, their way of organizing themselves, the order they have in each of their structures,” added Cortés. “I have had the best experience with the Adventist Church without being part of it, and for this reason, I imagine that those who are within it are very happy to be part of this church because it is definitely an example for many others.”

According to Cortés, it is important for the government of President Gustavo Petro to work hand in hand with the churches at a crucial moment in which the government seeks to put an end to more than 50 years of conflict.

“It is important to understand that the churches, which constitute around 200,000 places of worship and temples in the country, also have to be governance spaces in terms of power, authority, and communication, since the moral authorities that the churches have are extremely important, especially for this government that wants to work toward peace,” Cortés emphasized.

Union and university leaders were part of the meeting with Cortés.

Pastor Edgar Redondo, president of the North Colombian Union, said the relationship with government authorities of any order will always be valuable. “The Word of God tells us in Romans 12:18: ‘If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone [NIV],’” referenced Redondo. “Opening the doors to government figures is valuable, as it allows the authorities to know the potential that the church has to produce changes in society.”

There are nearly 150,000 Seventh-day Adventists worshiping in 1,664 churches and congregations throughout the North Colombian Union. It is one of two unions operating in Colombia. The South Colombian Union oversees the capital city and southern region of the nation.

To find out more about initiatives and activities led by the North Colombian Union, visit unioncolombiana.org.co.

The original version of this story was posted on the Inter-American Division website.