Paulo Lopes felt more than excited when he received the call confirming his appointment as the new president of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) effective March 2025.

“I’m humbled and honored,” Paulo says quietly. “Becoming the president of ADRA was never an ambition of mine. I simply wanted to serve.”

For more than 30 years, Paulo has been a part of ADRA’s mission, delivering justice, compassion, and love to people in crisis around the world. His journey began not in an office or on a leadership path, but with the passion to be a missionary.

“I was born and raised in Brazil, but God has given me the privilege to serve our church and ADRA in different countries,” Paulo shares.

His calling led him to Africa, Armenia, Russia, India, and Brazil, each experience solidifying his dedication to ADRA’s mission and desire to go wherever he is needed.

“I met a missionary family working in Brazil, and we became friends,” Paulo recalls. “I told them I wanted to serve overseas. Later, they contacted me to ask, ‘Would you be willing to go to Angola? ADRA needs someone there.’ I said yes, and that changed everything.”

Paulo arrived in Angola in 1992 with his family at the age of 27. Shortly after, the country fell into civil war. Paulo, originally designated as finance director, found himself acting country director.

“I had no experience. But I prayed, ‘God, you brought us here for a reason. I’ll do my best and leave the rest to You.’ It was my baptism of fire. In those moments, you truly decide what kind of life you’re going to live.”

During one of the darkest points of the war, Paulo was unexpectedly invited by the United Nations to join a humanitarian mission into a conflict zone.

“They told me, ‘You’re on the first flight tomorrow morning to a war-torn area. The rebels are in control, and you’re going to meet with them.’”

He prayed for wisdom. “When they asked me who I was, I didn’t know what to say. I had to make promises to help the region, but in truth, I had no supplies, no team, and no resources. I was alone.”

But God was not finished. On the flight back, Paulo sat next to the country director for Save the Children.

“He asked what I planned to do. I was honest—I said, ‘I have nothing.’ The next day, he opened his warehouse to me. ‘Take whatever you need,’ he said. And soon, I returned to that region with a plane full of supplies. God is the provider. Not USAID. Not the UN. They’re just channels. God is the one who provides.”

Now, decades later, Paulo sees a new season ahead for himself and the global ADRA network.

“ADRA today is not the same agency I joined,” he says. “We’ve grown, we’ve embraced technology, and we’re more prepared than ever to respond effectively. But I believe this moment is also a turning point.”

As ADRA grapples with funding shortages for its global operations, Paulo is honest about the path ahead. “Yes, these are difficult times, but every crisis comes with opportunity. We’re reassessing how we work, who we partner with, and what the future of ADRA looks like. We’re not just trying to survive; we’re committed to coming out of this stronger and more resilient.”

Despite the complexity of leading the global humanitarian organization during uncertain times, Paulo’s focus is clear, and his confidence in God’s faithfulness remains unshaken.

“Even as we face and navigate challenges, we are in His hands. God has always provided for us, and He always will,” he says. “This agency does not belong to us. It is God’s agency. We are just channels of His blessings, instruments to bring hope and relief.”

His message to the global Adventist family is heartfelt: “I invite you to join me on this journey. I count on your prayers and support. Looking into the future, my hope for ADRA is that we continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this broken world.”

ABOUT ADRA

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency is the international humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, serving more than 120 countries. Its work empowers communities and changes lives around the globe by providing sustainable community development and disaster relief. ADRA’s purpose is to serve humanity so all may live as God intended. To learn more about ADRA International’s president, Paulo Lopes, and ADRA’s global mission, visit ADRA.org.

When you give to the mission offering during Sabbath School, a portion of that offering helps fund ADRA’s important ministry around the world. Thank you for your generous support.

Paulo Lopes, appointed in March 2025, now serves as president of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International (ADRA), leading the agency’s global humanitarian mission

Paulo and his new friend take selfies at an ADRA project in Peru in 2022

Paulo boards a plane to visit an ADRA project in Mozambique in 1998

Paulo visits Syrian refugees in Kurdistan, Iraq in 2016