Adventist Youth March in Colombia Stirs One Teen to Immediate Baptism

While thousands across Colombia marked independence day on July 20 with cultural celebrations, nearly 2,000 Adventist youth in northern Colombia took to the streets with uniforms, smiles, and messages of hope.

Amid the nationwide celebrations, the Seventh-day Adventist Church mobilized its youth clubs across northern Colombia. Among the many onlookers, one young girl was so deeply moved by the march that she made a life-changing decision: to give her life to Christ through baptism.

“I got so emotional. I felt like I was supposed to be there—that it was my place,” said 15-year-old Lebelis Nazar, who had been drawing closer to God for several months and had shown interest in the Pathfinder Club she was attending. “I just needed a little encouragement, and when I saw the march, it felt as though God was calling me directly.”

After speaking with her mother—who expressed support despite not being an Adventist—Nazar, accompanied by her club leader and some friends, arrived at the local church, where she was baptized by Edilberto Ospina, from the Guaranda district, at the end of the activity.

“She cried when she came out of the water. We all cried,” said Yoelis Yepes, club director. “This ministry has become a refuge. Here young people find direction, purpose, and the love of Christ.”

The Jadá Club and Its Impact

The Jadá Club, to which Nazar belongs, is part of the Caribbean Colombian Conference (CCC), a region in which Youth Ministries have seen notable growth, local church leaders said. Comprised mostly of young people from non-Adventist homes, the club has ignited a spiritual flame that continues to draw teenagers to the feet of Jesus, youth leaders said.

“Our method is Christ’s method: we serve first, then we evangelize—and it’s bearing fruit,” said Yaith Echeverría, district youth leader.

This is not an isolated case.

“Since 2018, in the city of Cartagena—where the headquarters of our conference is—the Adventist Church has been officially invited to participate in the national independence day parade on July 20, representing the Cartagena Adventist School (CAC). The parade includes educational institutions, the national police, and military forces,” said Bruno Villegas, Youth Ministries director of CCC.

The march began in Cartagena and has now expanded to 60-65 percent of the districts in the conference, Villegas added. In such towns as Turbaco, Carmen de Bolívar, Arjona, Majagual, Valencia, Tierralta, and Alta Montaña, the Adventist presence is now part of local protocols—thanks to a consistent testimony of service and social commitment.

Tradition, Honor, and Literature

In Saravena, a town in the eastern department of Arauca, independence day also became a deeply mission-focused occasion. There, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is invited each year because of its positive community impact.

This year, all three youth clubs—Adventurers, Pathfinders, and Master Guides—from the five local districts took part in the parade, accompanied by the marching band from Bethel Adventist School. More than 150 youth participated not only in the parade but also distributed missionary literature to passersby and took part in patriotic ceremonies.

A Church That Shows Up and Transforms

Mauricio Buitrago, Youth Ministries director of the North Colombian Union Conference, emphasized the spiritual value of these events.

“The leadership exercised by the Colombian Union over local fields is not just about organizing events and expecting support, but about empowering local fields to work through what they already have—engaging in service and witness,” he said.

“Lebelis’s baptism is proof that today’s youth are making thoughtful, spiritually grounded decisions,” added Edilberto Ospina, district pastor in Guaranda. “It reflects the work being done by the clubs, how they’re impacting society and leading young people to make wise choices in a broken world. We praise God for her decision and for all the ministry happening here.”

The original version of this story was posted on the Inter-American Division news site.