More than 10,000 children, teenagers and leaders from Pathfinder clubs across the Dominican Republic set up camp on the coast of San Cristóbal for the country's 3rd National Camp, held from April 15 to 20, 2025 at the Brisas del Mar campground, in Najayo. The gathering, organized by the Dominican Union of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, had as its theme 'Nehemiah: Time of Reforms'.
According to the newspaper Diario Libre, it was six days of programming aimed at physical, mental and spiritual growth, in an atmosphere of faith, fellowship and Christian values. In the Dominican Republic, the clubs use the name Pathfinders (Conquistadores); it is the same movement that, in Brazil and in the South American Division, is known as Desbravadores.
Six days of camping by the sea
The camp took place at the Brisas del Mar complex, in Najayo, a district of the province of San Cristóbal, in the south of the Dominican Republic. It is a space already frequently used for large gatherings of Adventist clubs in the country, thanks to the combination of a wide area and proximity to the sea.
According to Diario Libre, over the six days the participants experienced programming centered on physical, mental and spiritual development. The activities included hikes, outdoor challenges, educational workshops, moments of worship, games and artistic presentations — the typical repertoire of a camporee, in which the clubs set up their tents and compete in events throughout the days.
The newspaper El Día reported that the gathering mobilized more than 10,000 young people and brought together clubs from every region of the country, with the goal of exchanging experiences, strengthening principles and reaffirming commitment to God and to society. The figure of 'more than 10,000' includes children, teenagers and leaders; part of the coverage also recorded slightly lower numbers depending on the counting criterion, but all outlets converge on the mark of tens of thousands of campers.
What a camporee is (and why 10,000 people is a lot)
For those just starting out in the club, some context helps: a camporee — or camp — is the gathering in which several clubs come together for a few days, camp together and take part in a shared program of events, worship, drill and outdoor activities. There are unit, regional and Conference camporees, and the large national camps, which bring together clubs from an entire country.
It is this last category that describes the Najayo event. Bringing together more than 10,000 campers in one place requires months of logistics: transportation, food, security, health, water, restrooms and a large coordination team. That is why a national camp is always a portrait of the size and organization of the movement in a country.
In the Dominican case, the clubs carry the name Pathfinders (Conquistadores). The Brazilian Desbravador reader can read 'Conquistadores' as the direct equivalent of their own club: same ideal, same structure of classes and honors, same camping spirit — only a different language and a different Division of the Adventist Church.
Nehemiah: the theme and what it asked of the campers
The theme chosen for the camp was 'Nehemiah: Time of Reforms', in reference to the biblical figure who, in the Old Testament, leads the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. According to Pastor David Uribe, national director of Youth Ministry, the theme points to Nehemiah's leadership as a symbol of renewal, vision and commitment.
Uribe explained, as reported by the Dominican press, that with the theme 'Nehemiah: Time of Reforms' the organization evokes its great interest in service and its commitment to raising strong walls for the integral development of young people, alluding to Nehemiah's example as a reference of leadership and reform.
Choosing a biblical character as a guiding thread is common practice at large Adventist camps: the theme organizes the messages, the activities and the clubs' decorations throughout the days, giving unity to the experience. Reading Nehemiah as a reformer dialogues directly with the club's educational proposal, which combines discipline, teamwork and character formation.
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The closing of the camp featured the presence of the mayor of the National District, Carolina Mejía, who, according to El Nuevo Diario, visited the event and addressed the participants with words of encouragement and recognition. The presence of a civil authority of that standing at a club camp reinforces the movement's visibility in the country.
Also present was Pastor Teófilo Silvestre, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Dominican Republic — a role at the head of the Dominican Union, the body that administers the church in the country and that organized the camp. The Dominican Union brings together the Conferences and Missions that cover the entire national territory.
The joint presence of civil leadership and ecclesiastical leadership at the same event signals the institutional weight of the gathering. It was not an isolated activity of one club, but a national mobilization coordinated by the church's administration in the country.
The Dominican Republic and the Inter-American Division
The Dominican Republic belongs to the Inter-American Division of the Adventist Church, which covers Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and the north of South America. It is an organization distinct from the South American Division (SAD), which administers Brazil and the other countries of the Southern Cone. For this reason, although the clubs' program is a sibling one, the materials, calendars and class cards follow guidelines particular to each Division.
Adventism has a consolidated presence on the island. The church in the country celebrated its centennial in 2024 and reports having more than 320,000 members, distributed across Conferences and Missions in every region. In this context, a strong club and a large-scale national camp are a natural consequence of a broad and active membership base.
For the Brazilian Desbravador, the comparison is direct: just as the SAD holds regional and national camporees that gather crowds, the Dominican Union consolidated its own national camp, now in its third edition, as a highlight of the Pathfinders' calendar in the country.
What the gathering means for the movement
Third edition, more than 10,000 campers, a visit from authorities and a theme centered on service and the protection of youth: the Najayo camp is a sign of growth and maturity of the Pathfinder movement in the Dominican Republic. Gatherings of this size cannot be sustained without clubs active all year round, volunteer leaders and engaged families.
The theme's message — reform, rebuild, protect — echoes the club's very proposal in any country: to shape children and teenagers in an environment that unites faith, discipline, nature and teamwork. It is the same calling that the Brazilian Desbravador recognizes in their year-end camp, in their drill and in their investiture.
For those following the movement from outside the Inter-American, the Dominican gathering is also a reminder that the club is global. From Najayo to any city in Brazil, the scarf, the tent and the ideal are the same — only the language, the flag and the sea in the background change.