Our apparent deficiencies can become opportunities for God’s glory when we partner with Him. Despite a major chronic disability, Seventh-day Adventist evangelist Ronilson Alves Pinto, 43, who lives in Belém de Pará in northern Brazil, makes the most of every opportunity to talk about Jesus, demonstrating that our capabilities can transcend our physical limitations.
“My childhood and youth were marked by the sequelae of difficulties in moving and communicating that attend cerebral palsy. With a lot of willpower, however, I managed to break the limits and barriers,” Pinto explained during his recent testimony at the South American Division Quinquennial Council of regional church leaders in Brasilia, Brazil.
Adventist Possibilities Ministries and the Fight Against Stigma
For Pinto, the biggest challenges come from the limits imposed by other people. It is the reason he serves as an advisor to Adventist Possibilities Ministries (APM) in the area of assisting people with disabilities and reduced mobility. According to a United Nations (UN) report from 2024, about 12 percent of the population in Latin America and the Caribbean lives with some type of disability.
“In childhood the stigma was evident,” Pinto said. “The biggest challenge was wanting to do some activity that everyone did, but when I was going to do it, they would tell me I wouldn’t be able to,” he shared. Among his group of friends, Pinto was always the last to be selected to play. “I felt I had to prove my ability all the time,” he recalled.
This is just a part of the stigmas that people with some type of physical or intellectual limitation face, experts say. The lack of awareness in society and in families ends up reducing the chances of personal development.
The Bible as a Tool for Literacy
According to Pinto, the Bible was his literacy instrument. He learned to read through chapters and verses while asking God for the gift of public speaking. “Doing research on God’s Word and the Spirit of Prophecy [the writings of Adventist Church cofounder Ellen G. White], and other resources, helped me grow spiritually,” he emphasized.
Although the notion of inclusion and taking small steps of progress have increased across the board, levels are still far from the ideal, Pinto explained. “Society and the church have not fully understood what inclusion means, and keep treating these people as handicapped.”
APM tries to fill this gap by sharing knowledge and suggesting effective initiatives to include people with disabilities in church activities. Pinto says he believes that “church leaders and members have not yet understood the magnitude of this new reality, that everyone needs to be saved and [needs to be] instruments of salvation to reach other people.”
The Power of the Gospel Through Preaching
So how did Pinto end up becoming a preacher? “In 2005, when I was baptized, I felt God was calling me to become a preacher of His Word,” he recently shared. “Soon I was surrounded by doubts: How will people understand what I am trying to tell them?” he asked himself.
But God answered his prayers, and through his ministry 760 have already been baptized, he reported, and two new congregations have been planted. Those who thought he would be an impediment to God’s work have been proved wrong, he said. “It has not been easy to get to this point, but dependence on God broke down all barriers and prejudice. Today I can attest to His power in my life,” Pinto emphasized.
Just the impact of seeing him at the podium draws people’s attention, those who have heard him preach say. Pinto, who has a degree in theology, tries to make his message as accessible as possible, using his life story to motivate others.
“My desire is the desire of God’s heart: to preach to every regional community and even beyond, across the globe,” he said. “I would like to plant new congregations and reach out to as many as I can.” And then he added, “I have decided to be a coworker with Christ, and I do not see myself doing any activity other than preaching the gospel of His kingdom. I thank God for such a privilege.”
The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Portuguese-language news site.
