The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada joins citizens across our nation in mourning the loss of six innocent lives in the senseless killings that occurred on Sunday evening at the Mosque in Québec City, Québec. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of each victim, continuing to keep them in our prayers. We are heartbroken that a space of safety, security, and peace for many has been violated.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada affirms that there is no place for hatred of a person’s race or religion, as well as the actions that are based on this hatred. We believe that God has called us to love all of our neighbours equally, regardless of race, gender, religion, or lifestyle. Therefore, we stand with the people of Quebec and with the people across Canada that will continue to daily demonstrate a spirit of love, compassion, and peace in midst of such sadness and despair.

We pray for the day when all people of all races, genders, religions, and lifestyles can live their lives without fear or hatred. We encourage the members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church to embody the character of Jesus by demonstrating the love and compassion He exemplified. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9, NIV).

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The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada is comprised of approximately 70,000 members in 462 churches and companies. They operate 43 schools over all levels of education from Kindergarten to post-secondary. Their mission is to reach people with a Christ-centred message of Hope and Wholeness using revival and transformation, education for discipleship, alignment within the church, community outreach and evangelism, and healthy leadership and management.