Homelessness and poverty

A brief Seventh-day Adventist perspective

Homelessness and poverty are serious problems. Thousands of people starve to death or go blind each day because of deficiencies in their diet. Millions of refugees and people who are homeless are without proper shelter. Billions are malnourished. Two-thirds of the world's population remains caught in a cycle of hunger-sickness-death. This leads to feelings of hopelessness, alienation, envy and resentment.

What inspires Seventh-day Adventists to serve the homeless and the poor?

Adventists follow the teaching of the Bible, which commands us to show compassion to the needy. The Bible says, "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8, NIV). Jesus wants us to heal the sick, feed the hungry and raise the downcast before sharing our faith.

Jesus is the Lord of all life. He desires the happiness and wellbeing of His children. Adventists, as followers of Jesus, express their faith holistically through their care and concern for the physical, social, mental and spiritual aspects of human existence.

The worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church released in 1990 a statement on homelessness and poverty. Read the full statement.