Because of its Biblical perspectives, the Seventh-day Adventist Church regards as germane its involvement in development and relief aid. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has been established to express the Church’s concerns in this area and to meet the following objectives:
- To awaken concern for the very poor, the deprived, the sick, the malnourished and the victims of natural and man-made disasters resulting in the commitment by the Church of its own funds and resources for the benefit of such needy people.
- To deepen the desire to understand the causes of poverty, suffering and need so that assistance given will be appropriate to the community and to the Church’s view of its mission.
- To establish policies and procedures which will eliminate race, sex, creed or politics from the criteria used for the granting of aid.
- To develop plans and policies which not only meet emergency needs but also seek to put in place programmes which will provide long term solutions.
- To involve the established institutions of the Church not only in their historic role in development and relief and in the spiritual mission of the Church, but also as participants in new initiatives in community development and relief.
