On a regular basis, members of Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church in Takoma Park, Maryland, hand out food and supplies to refugees living in the Washington, D.C., area. But this summer, during the 2025 General Conference Session in St. Louis, that ministry expanded across state lines.
Anees Abdelnour, a Sligo Church member and General Conference employee, wanted to bring the same spirit of service to St. Louis while attending the session.
“He wanted to bless refugees in St. Louis to share the love of God on behalf of the Adventist Church,”
said Pastor Rick Johns, Sligo’s Pastor for Outreach and Discipleship.
That simple desire sparked weeks of planning—mostly through emails and phone calls—between churches, conferences, and communication teams in multiple regions.
Abdelnour reached out to leaders in the Mid-America Union, which covers the territory of St. Louis, asking if any local churches could help host a small outreach. He offered for Sligo Church to pay for the supplies.
“We just needed a willing church in the area to help us coordinate and deliver the bags,”
he explained in one message.
Local help came from Agape SDA Church in St. Louis, part of the Central States Conference. Their Community Services leader, Patricia Andrews-Pierre, stepped up to organize the event, identify refugee families, and arrange volunteers. She even contacted the St. Louis International Institute and local Rwandan SDA pastor Innocent Tuyishime to help connect with families in need.
“I’m so thankful that we could work together,” said Andrews-Pierre.
“Everyone did their part—even though we were in different parts of the country.”
With support from Hyattsville SDA Church (Maryland), communication guidance from the Mid-America Union, and encouragement from Hyattsville and Sligo pastors, the group pulled it together.
On July 9, eight Haitian refugee families received bags filled with groceries and cleaning supplies—each worth about $150. The event took place across the street from the St. Louis Convention Center, allowing GC Session delegates and visitors to witness the outreach in action.
“Being in transition—given today’s climate—a lot of [these families] are afraid to go out and be able to get things,” said Agape elder Lionel Bailey. “And so, this is where God allowed us to open the door.”
“Of course we are going to support that effort,” added Pastor Johns. “Our church feels we must be doing everything we can to show Jesus’ love and compassion amidst the divisive climate that afflicts our nation at this time.”
Bailey echoed the spiritual importance of the moment. “We don’t know them. But [Jesus] said,
‘If you have done this unto the least of one of these, you have done it unto Me.’
And so, we are called by God. His name is who we represent.”
What started as a simple email request turned into a cross-country act of kindness—uniting believers, helping strangers, and lifting up the name of Jesus through practical love.
The original article was published on the Columbia Union Conference news site, Visitor Magazine
