Record-Setting 90 Students Preach in Dominican Republic
Feature
Before He ascended to Heaven, Jesus issued the Great Commission: “Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation,” (Mark 6:15, ESV). Southern Adventist University’s Evangelistic Resource Center (ERC) follows this command by equipping laypeople to evangelize. That includes students who sign up and travel to Argentina, Costa Rica, Zimbabwe, and other international locations. Volunteers are each assigned to a local church where they preach daily sermons during a weeklong visit.
In November 2025, the ERC collaborated with Southern’s Soul-winning And Leadership Training (SALT) program, which operates in partnership with It Is Written, to send nearly 90 students to speak at an equal number of churches in the Southeast Dominican Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. It was the largest student evangelism group ever sent out from campus during Thanksgiving break, and the efforts of students and local laypeople resulted in more than 500 baptisms.
For Carola Rizzo, sophomore health science major, the mission to the Dominican Republic was her second ERC trip, following one to Belize in spring 2025.
“I chose to go again because the first time was such a spiritual experience, and I wanted to keep the momentum going,” she says.
Organization for a trip begins long before students land at their destination. Raul
Rivero, ERC director and associate director of Southern’s Pierson Institute of Evangelism
and World Missions, explains: “We work with the host conference to certify men and
women in local churches to give Bible studies to people in the area. That lays the
groundwork, so that community members are ready to hear our students preach.”
Students also receive training prior to traveling. During a weekend intensive, they
become familiar with topic outlines, practice preaching, and gain tips on maintaining
eye contact, using voice inflection, and working with a translator. Each is mentored
on how to add personal stories to make the presentation materials more engaging.
The prospect of preaching can be intimidating for many, but the ERC’s sermon templates help students move past that barrier. Rizzo, who admits to struggling with public speaking, says her abilities have improved with each sermon.
“I truly believe the Holy Spirit is the One doing the talking when I preach,” she says. “I actually find a calm once I get up there.”
Topics for the speakers include the Sabbath, death and resurrection, baptism, and the Second Coming. At one church, Rizzo recalls that even believers were very receptive to hearing core Adventist beliefs again. However, her experience was not without challenges. During the culminating sermon about baptism, the electricity went out at her church.
“I knew the enemy was trying to get me,” she says, but her perseverance was rewarded when several members responded to her call for baptism.
On different parts of the island, dozens more SALT volunteers were preaching at other churches. Evie Rodriguez, sophomore medical laboratory science major, shares her experience of stepping outside of her comfort zone. Ever passionate about Bible work, she found the idea of preaching quite daunting.
“I felt like I had no qualifications,” Rodriguez says, “but I decided I wanted to go on the trip anyway—even if just for the experience of relying fully on God.”
Her first time preaching at Refugio de Cristo, a church on the island’s south side, was a Sabbath morning.
“The sermon did not go exactly as I wanted,” Rodriguez admits. “I stutter when I get
nervous, and I was speaking in Spanish, which isn’t my first language. After I got
back to the hotel, several other SALT students prayed with me. That’s when I realized
that this isn’t about me. It’s about God! It’s totally up to Him, and He never fails!
I returned to preach that afternoon with a completely different attitude.”
Rodriguez maintains connections with several church members she met and hopes to return
to the Dominican Republic.
“Anyone who feels called to go on a mission trip should do it!” Rodriguez attests. “Even if you don’t think you’re the right person for the job, God will still do the impossible through you.”
The views and opinions of campus guests do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Southern Adventist University. An individual's or group's invitation to speak or present on campus should not be regarded as a university endorsement of their philosophies and beliefs.
