As part of his testimony, Pastor Luciano Barreto Nogueira de Moura says, “I was captivated by Christ in 1992 and was baptized in Salvador, Bahia, in my homeland of Brazil. I attended a Presbyterian church for some years and after moving to Brasília, the capital of Brazil, I attended the Bethel Brazilian church. In 1999, I discovered the Seventh Day Baptist Church on the Fortaleza SDB church website and began to lead a small group in the home of a Seventh Day Baptist brother in Sobradinho, Federal District. I was ordained as a pastor in 2006. Since then, I have been pastor of the First Seventh Day Baptist Church of Brasília, a small group that met in my home until August of 2014 when we began renting a room in Brasília.”
Douglas de Senne Machado was born into a Seventh Day Baptist (SDB) family in Joinville - SC, Brazil on June 25, 1983. Even before his baptism at the age of 15, he had already accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior and was actively involved in the local church's Youth Ministry as a secretary. He has also served two terms on the National Youth Leadership board, first as treasurer and later as vice-president (2014-2018).
Pastor Andrew Samuels has been serving as the Pastor of the Miami Seventh Day Baptist Church in Florida in the United States since June, 1988. Born on the island of Jamaica in the Caribbean, he grew up as a third-generation Seventh Day Baptist and migrated to the United States when he was 20 years old. He made his first public profession of faith at age 11 and was baptized a few months later at his home church, Mountain View SDB.
Debbie Hargett was born in Malawi where her parents were Seventh Day Baptist missionaries. After making the decision to follow Christ as a child, she was baptized in the Tuchila River at Makapwa, Malawi. Debbie, a retired nurse, is married to Jeff. They have three children and two grandchildren. She is active in the Metro Atlanta Seventh Day Baptist Church where she has served as Sabbath School teacher and treasurer.
Nick is the Director of Education & History and Dean of the School of Ministry for the SDB General Conference of USA & Canada and serves as an elected elder in his home SDB church in Milton, WI. He and his wife Brittany and four children live in Milton, near the church where he was raised and came to faith and where he now has the opportunity to worship, fellowship, and serve.
Read more: Vice President for North America, Rev. Nicholas Kersten
Canaan Phiri was born to an SDB Preacher. He went to church almost every Sabbath. However he made a personal decision to follow Jesus at his first Youth Camp in 1974 in response to a sermon by Pastor David Clement Pearson, then a missionary to Malawi. He was then baptized on 31st August 1974 by Pastor Absalom K Harawa. In 1979, he accepted the Lord’s calling to serve as a pastor and he started serving as an Associate Pastor for the Blantyre Churches.
Rev. Abel Joshua Caeser is a dedicated pastor with a wealth of experience and a passion for ministry. Born on May 11, 1963, he is married to Shirnette and is blessed with a loving family consisting of five children: Dr. Abel (Jr), Shurbet, Javes, Joel, and Shonelle. Rev. Caeser's educational journey began with his completion of secondary school, followed by five years of study at Guyana Bible School, where he earned an advanced diploma in Ministerial Leadership.
Read more: Vice Presidente for the Caribbean - Abel Joshua Caeser
