Seventh-day Adventist churches in separate efforts on two Caribbean islands closed many of their doors for one Sabbath this month to minister to communities in the wake of violence.

Hundreds of Adventist Churches closed in Puerto Rico February 2 and in Jamaica February 9 as worshipers distributed messages of hope to their communities.

More than 27,000 church members in Puerto Rico handed out a free 20-page magazine entitled “A Look At the Puerto Rican Family,” which promotes strong families and speaks against drug addition and violence against women and children. The distribution effort, which comes in the wake of a wave of increasing violence plaguing the island, was the largest by the church in Puerto Rico, church leaders said. Many who attended morning worship services still participated in the distribution that afternoon.

At a cost of nearly $70,000, church leaders planned to reach some 250,000 families, or approximately 750,000 people through canvassing and promotion in local media.

“We are convinced that amidst the drama that we live in, we as a church need to put our hands on the plough to try to find solutions,” Pastor Jose A. Rodriguez, president of the church in Puerto Rico, said during a January 29 press conference to promote the event.

Rodriguez said the magazine is to educate Puerto Ricans and guide them toward a future free from violence against women and children. The magazine also contains messages to strengthen the family, promote respect for life, and speaks out against drug addiction and delinquency.

In Jamaica, hundreds of Adventists from 75 churches gave up church worship last Saturday to distribute more than 2,000 Bibles. Church members met and prayed with residents of 18 communities, including Spanish Town, the country’s former capital, now an area notorious for gang turf-war, extortion and robbery.

“We felt there is a need in the community for people to read the word of God,” said Pastor Everett Brown, president of the church in Central Jamaica. “I was surprised to see how receptive and anxious the people were for the Bibles and prayers. We believe that this drive has opened up opportunities for future visits.

“The church will have to assist the social needs of these communities through its resources and diverse ministries,” he added.

Spanish Town’s St. Catherine District Prison was also a recipient of several hundred Bibles.

“We have given Bibles to the correctional service because we want them to know that we care for them and that God loves them too,” Brown said.

There are nearly 36,000 Seventh-day Adventists worshiping in 325 churches in Puerto Rico. Nearly one out of 12 people in Jamaica is a Seventh-day Adventist in a population of some 2.8 million.