- April 28, 2024
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The Rev. David Pires is the new pastor of Portuguese Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Since he was a small child, people in the Rev. David Pires’ church called him “little pastor.” It was a nickname that followed him into his teenage years and became true 12 years ago, when Pires entered into a life of ministry.
Pires grew up in Brazil, in a Christian family, and moved 21 years ago, to the United States.
“I had an adventurous spirit and wanted to see something different from the place I was born,” Pires said.
With church blood running in his veins, Pires said he was called to ministry in his early 30s. For the past eight years, he has been the pastor at Orlando Brazilian Seventh-day Adventist Church.
While still running his congregation in Orlando, Pires has also taken over as the new pastor at the Portuguese Seventh-day Adventist Church, in Bunnell.
Pires, who preaches primarily in Portuguese, said his vision for the church is that everyone will be welcomed, no matter their background, and that his congregation would be a witness in the community.
“When Jesus was here, he called 12 disciples, and he told the disciples that they were the salt of the earth,” Pires said. “Today, the disciples are gone, so we are the disciples. And what does salt do? The salt gives flavor to the food.
“What Jesus was saying is that the purpose that we are placed here is to give flavor to other people’s lives — in this case, the community. He goes on to say, if the salt doesn’t give flavor, throw it in the garbage. It means that if we Christians don’t give flavor to other people’s lives, there is no value in why we are here,” he said.
Pires hopes to get his church involved in the community through aiding the homeless, providing food for the hungry, and providing assistance to pregnant teenagers.
Health seminars for weight loss, cholesterol and hypertension control are also on the list.
The church currently has a food bank and plans to invest more in the youth.
“The church should be out there,” Pires said. “This is a place to worship God, but the church should be out there, not in here.”
Portuguese Seventh-day Adventist Church is located at 203 Dr. Carter Blvd., Bunnell, formerly S. Lemon St.
IN BRIEF
+ First Baptist Church hosts support group
First Baptist Church of Palm Coast will host a living-free support group, 6:30-8 p.m. on Mondays, starting Oct. 24.
This is an anonymous support group for those seeking freedom from life-controlling problems, including anxiety, fear, anger, substance abuse, co-dependency, overspending, gambling and any other issue that could be a stumbling block to spiritual growth. For more information, call 445-2020.
— Send religious news to [email protected]. Photos of small groups of two to four people are also welcome. Please include first and last names.
