Seventh-day Adventist Church Provides Free Health Services to Over 5,000 in Venezuela

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the West Venezuela Union has completed a yearlong health outreach initiative, impacting over 5,000 people in San Cristóbal, Táchira State. Known as “Health in Mission,” the program mobilized Adventist health professionals, church members, and partners to address urgent medical and emotional needs amid Venezuela’s ongoing challenges.

Pastor Orlando Ramírez, president of the West Venezuela Union, highlighted the necessity of the outreach as the country continues to face severe economic and medical difficulties. He noted that many Venezuelans cannot access sufficient services through the public health system, while private care remains unaffordable for most. In response, the church developed a strategy that combines free medical assistance, emotional support, and discipleship, engaging local congregations in small community health groups.

Before each major medical brigade, churches formed small health groups that conducted several weeks of wellness classes and built relationships with community members, Ramírez explained. This preparation period was followed by volunteer Adventist physicians, the union’s missionary team, and external donors collaborating to offer free clinics. The initiative emphasized both physical and spiritual care, reflecting the church’s holistic approach to health.

Church leaders and small-group coordinators received training for the health outreach initiative during the first months of January 2025. This preparation phase strengthened partnerships with Adventist health institutions and local congregations, ensuring the spiritual, logistical, and medical readiness needed to serve the communities of San Cristóbal.

This year’s outreach provided a wide range of medical services, including dental care, gynecology, pediatrics, geriatrics, cardiology, gastroenterology, nutrition, psychology, physiotherapy, general surgery, and ophthalmology. Nancy Perdomo de Rivas, health ministries director of the West Venezuela Union, emphasized the importance of the initial phase in building strong foundations for the outreach efforts.

The initiative exemplifies the Adventist Church’s commitment to serving communities through health and wellness programs, aligning with the biblical call to care for the vulnerable. Micah 6:8 reminds us that justice, mercy, and humble service are central to God’s will, and the outreach reflects these values through its dedication to meeting both physical and emotional needs.

Source: Read the original report