First Sabbath Offering for the Madrid church property

Spain is a sovereign state largely located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. It also has archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and several small territories on and near the North African coast. It is a democracy of over 46 million people with a parliament and a constitutional monarchy. Spain has a thriving tourism industry, being the third most visited country in the world (2014). According to research (2015), 71.8% of the population of Spain considers itself Catholic. However, only 48.4% of Spaniards between the ages 18 and 24 say they are Catholics, while 47.1% either do not consider religious matters, or are unbelievers or atheists.

Madrid, historically categorized as a “village,” is the capital of Spain. With 3.2 million inhabitants, it is the largest municipality of the Community of Madrid. The total population of the metropolitan area is 6.5 million. It is the commercial base for many multinational companies and is also the political, economic, and cultural center of Spain.

The Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement was officially registered in Spain as a Non-Catholic confession in 1972. Since then many believers, pastors, and workers are working hard in preaching the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in this Field.

Due to good working conditions, many of our believers from other countries had migrated to Spain by the year 2000 and onwards. This created the need to buy a property in Madrid, which we then made into a temple of worship. To assist us in establishing this lighthouse for the Lord, we contracted a financial commitment with a bank. So far we have paid back more than a third of what is owed. However, Spain’s economic status has declined in recent years and many believers were forced to migrate to other countries, thus decreasing the Madrid church membership. This has created a difficulty for us here in meeting the repayment commitments necessary to secure the church property.

For this reason, we appeal to the good heart of all our brothers, sisters, children, and friends around the world to please help us in this need by providing a generous offering to this cause. In advance and wholeheartedly we express our gratitude, asking the Lord to bless all of you and your families.

Your brothers and sisters from Madrid