Louisville South Hispanic Church Hosts ‘End It Now’ Event to Combat Domestic Violence

paola mora zepeda

Karen Alcantara interviews Maria Perez and Gabriela Perez, who were lawyers in Venezuela, and spoke about the legal aspect of domestic violence at the local End It Now seminar. End It Now is a global Adventist initiative that provides resources and advocates for the end of violence worldwide.

Luis Guarini

Event attendees listen to the discussion. This one-day program featured seminars, testimonies from survivors, Q&A sessions with legal experts, and powerful illustrations that shed light on the devastating impact of domestic violence.

Luis Guarini

A group photo was taken following the End It Now event at the Louisville Southside Hispanic Church. The event was also attended by the Louisville West Hispanic Church and the La Grange Hispanic Church.

Luis Guarini

The Louisville Southside, Ky., Hispanic Church took a powerful stand against domestic violence Sabbath, August 26, 2023, by hosting a day-long event as part of the global Adventist initiative End It Now. The event brought together the congregations of two other churches, the Louisville West Hispanic Church and La Grange Hispanic Church, to address the critical issue of domestic violence in its various forms, including physical, sexual, verbal, and financial abuse.

End It Now provides resources, raises awareness, and advocates for the end of violence worldwide. The event, planned by the church’s Women’s Ministries Department, served as a platform to discuss the importance of recognizing and addressing domestic violence.

“We wanted to bring a message of hope,” said Karen Alcántara, Louisville Southside Hispanic Church women’s ministries director. “You are not alone. In God there is healing. So, no matter what you have experienced or no matter what you are living in, Christ offers hope. As a church, we are here to support you.”

The program featured seminars, testimonies from survivors, Q&A sessions with legal experts, and powerful illustrations that shed light on the devastating impact of domestic violence. The church aimed not only to educate its members, but to extend its message of hope to the broader community.

What set this event apart was the active participation of the entire church community. This inclusive approach highlighted the importance of engaging all members in the effort to combat domestic violence, as it affects individuals and families regardless of gender.

“We want to tell the world that we are part of that church that cares for children, that cares for women, that cares for men, that cares for the elderly,” said Alcantara. “It does not matter what weight we carry; we can take all of that and place it on the cross.”

One of the event’s core objectives was to provide information that is often inaccessible to those who need it most. For next year, the organizers want to offer these seminars to their community as well.

Kentucky-Tennessee | November 2023