With a population of 315 million, the South American Division (SAD) has more than 2 million members and 10,600 churches. The division includes Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay, with adjacent islands in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
This region has a strong collaborative spirit in working together in church projects and initiatives for outreach and service.
Brazil is the membership powerhouse of this division, and it has the largest Adventist Church membership of any country. Brazil’s national “Christmas Mutirão” campaign in the past five years collected nearly 30 tons of food, toys and clothes in eight countries of South America. The annual initiative is endorsed by numerous A-list celebrities, including soccer icon Pelé.
Peru also has a high member-to-population ratio, one of the highest for a large country.
The Adventist Church operates two medical schools in this division – in Argentina and Peru.
The division has 13 colleges and universities, five of which are in Brazil and three of which are in Argentina.