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Adventist Development and Relief Agency representatives tour Welfare Square, strengthen bonds with the Church

Relief Society general presidency, Presiding Bishopric meet with Adventist Development and Relief Agency leaders in Salt Lake City

Leaders from the Adventist Development and Relief Agency met with general leaders and officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 16.

ADRA is a humanitarian agency operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church that provides relief and development assistance in more than 120 countries.

Church leaders and officers present at a luncheon on Thursday were Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson and her counselors, Sister J. Anette Dennis and Sister Kristin M. Yee; and the Church’s Presiding Bishopric, Bishop Gérald Caussé and his counselors, Bishop W. Christopher Waddell and Bishop L. Todd Budge. They met with ADRA President Michael Kruger and others from his organization on the 26th floor of the Church Office Building.

Adventist Development and Relief Agency President Michael Kruger, middle, speaks with the Presiding Bishopric, the Relief Society general presidency and Welfare and Self Reliance Services staff during a lunch at the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan.16, 2025.
Adventist Development and Relief Agency President Michael Kruger, middle, speaks with the Presiding Bishopric, the Relief Society general presidency and Welfare and Self Reliance Services staff during a lunch at the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan.16, 2025. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have worked together for nearly 30 years, beginning with a project to feed the hungry in Ecuador in 1995. Since then, their combined efforts have blessed those in need through 335 projects in 85 countries, explained a news release posted on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

At the conclusion of the lunch, Bishop Caussé presented Kruger with a small stained-glass depiction of Lehi’s vision of the tree of life from 1 Nephi 8 in the Book of Mormon.

The tree represents God’s love (see 1 Nephi 11:22). Bishop Caussé said there’s no better way to describe the agency’s work.

“What is the greatest manifestation of love from God if it is not the gift of His Son, manifest in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ?” Bishop Caussé said. “This is the tree we all want to approach and share with others. I feel that today we share this together, the love of God. This is what ADRA does every day. Thank you for that.”

The purpose of the meeting was for Church leaders to thank the agency and strengthen relationships. The ADRA leaders participated in a tour of Welfare Square in Salt Lake City and the Bishops’ Central Storehouse.

Representatives from the Adventist Development and Relief Agency tour the Bishops' Central Storehouse in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025.
Representatives from the Adventist Development and Relief Agency tour the Bishops' Central Storehouse in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025.

While the Bishops' Central Storehouse is a huge warehouse with food and other critical supplies for people in need, President Johnson said the building represents more than the items inside.

“It also includes our people and our like-minded friends [like ADRA],” President Johnson told the group. “We’re so thankful to have you in the Bishops' Central Storehouse with us — resources we can draw upon when needs have been identified. And those needs will continue to arise. We’re so thankful for this association.”

Kruger had praise for all that he saw.

“I’ll be honest, I go back home and say, ‘You guys really need to go to Salt Lake,’” he said. “It is deeply impressive, and it speaks to who you are. It speaks to your faith, and it speaks to your values. It is something you can be justifiably proud of.”

Matthew Siliga, left, and Alex Balint, center, of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency observe cheese production on Welfare Square in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025.
Matthew Siliga, left, and Alex Balint, center, of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency observe cheese production at Welfare Square in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025.

During their time in Salt Lake City, ADRA leaders also met with Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. When Elder Bednar ministered in Peru and Ecuador in August 2024, he met with ADRA officials there to officially announce more than $1.6 million in donations to help migrants in both countries to develop self-reliance.

Several news media outlets were at the events, where Elder Bednar explained why the Church prioritizes such efforts.

“If we truly love God, then we should serve our brothers and sisters,” Elder Bednar said then, adding that this cause motivates organizations to join forces regardless of religious differences. “What unites us is much stronger than what could divide us.”

Kruger said ADRA will continue to treasure its relationship with the Church.

“We know that we are called to minister to others. For us to find like-minded organizations is exceptionally critical and crucial to us because we find that you share the same values,” he said. “Thank you so much.”

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