The Seventh-day Adventist Men’s Organisation (Fellowship) of Northern Nigeria has stated that political and economic strategies are core components in addressing issues of sustainable development and therefore tasked the government to give these components deserved attention.
Addressing newsmen in Jos, Plateau State, ahead of the convention of the fellowship, the president, Pastor Yohanna Harry, added that religious freedom is equally essential to tackling the root causes of poverty.
According to him, this is because religious freedom is a pivotal human right that is central to all other freedoms and is a key to nurturing sustainable development.
“Faith and faith values play a tremendous and often unrecognized role in many facets of human interaction. For this reason, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is contributing by bringing the best values to Nigeria and the world’s economic challenges, and as people of faith, we work together in unity to alleviate suffering and promote the well-being of all.” He said
On humanitarian services, Pastor Harry mentioned that since the establishment of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1956, the church has continually prioritized humanitarian aid and community development, adding that Adventist humanitarian work reaches more than 120 countries and serves tens of millions of people every year, including Nigeria.
“Our world is full of wars, natural disasters, poverty, and famines, and we are motivated to reach out to those suffering in the name of Jesus. We derive our inspiration from our faith, which motivates us to show Christ’s love to the world around us.
“Our active faith is expressed personally in daily service to those around us and cooperatively in humanitarian organizations such as the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and Adventist Community Services (ACS).”
Pastor Harry therefore enjoined the government at all levels to intensify efforts towards addressing security challenges in different parts of the country.
He added that the convention of the fellowship is an avenue to review the activities of the organization aimed at helping those in need and make positive projections for the coming year.
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