‘Never Lose Sight of the God of ADRA’

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Australia celebrated its 40th anniversary with a special event held on October 26 at Avondale University Church in Cooranbong, New South Wales.

The event was an opportunity for current and past staff, board members, volunteers, and supporters to share memories and fellowship and look forward to the future. More than 600 people from across the country gathered to celebrate 40 years of ADRA’s operation in Australia.

The full day of celebrations began with the main church service, which focused on ADRA’s ministry. Guest speaker Michael Kruger, ADRA International president, emphasized that God chooses, deeply values, and loves every person. As God’s chosen people, each person is also called to “seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with [their] God” (Micah 6:8).

“This celebration was a beautiful reminder of God’s guidance and providence for ADRA in Australia and all the regions where ADRA operates,” Kruger said. “It is a good opportunity to look back, recognize, and remember the God who led the agency and led every person in the days, months, and years that have passed since ADRA’s beginning.”

Kruger then charged the staff to “never lose sight of the God of ADRA. The God who has provided, guided, directed, and led ADRA over the last 40 years, because He will lead ADRA forward.”

The afternoon program focused on thanksgiving, looking back at the previous decades, and looking forward to the future. Terry Johnson, president of the Adventist Church’s Australian Union Conference, thanked the ADRA team and board members for their contributions. He referenced Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, where the apostle encouraged the Corinthians to set money aside regularly to support the struggling church but later expressed concerns about whether they had followed their commitment. Paul then went on to highlight the example of the Macedonian churches, who, despite their poverty, displayed rich generosity. “True generosity reflects one’s faith,” Johnson said. He reinforced the importance of fulfilling commitments to help others, especially those in need.

Both the morning and afternoon programs featured praise and worship from Sandra Entermann and her team.

Today, ADRA is a global humanitarian agency with more than 5,000 employees and 7,000 volunteers serving in more than 120 countries, agency leaders reported. In addition to supporting communities in long-term humanitarian crises and conflicts, ADRA responds to an average of two disasters per week. Although ADRA country offices are spread across different continents and thousands of miles apart, ADRA works as a unified body to provide innovative solutions to a world in need.

“It is always important to reflect on the past to better prepare for the future,” ADRA Australia CEO Denison Grellmann said. “Our predecessors’ legacy is impossible to match, but we hope to be very focused and intentional with what God has entrusted [to] us, now and into the future.”

The original version of this story was posted by Adventist Record.