✨ Today is a very special day — December 12, 2025. ✨
We celebrate 104 years of life of Dr. Milton Soldani Afonso, the most generous person I have ever met. 🎉🎂
His life and legacy have left countless lessons. With a deep commitment to education, Dr. Milton invested in the lives of many students, and I am grateful to be one of those he sponsored. 📚❤️ Because of his faith and example, he influenced not only my education but also my walk with God.
His life reflects the character of Jesus through faith, humility, and service. ✝️🌿 Following in his footsteps has been a blessing, and I remain thankful for his influence and for the path he helped shape.
Dr. Milton Afonso’s story has touched my heart and the lives of many who know him — a story of faith, devotion, and a life God used in remarkable ways to bless others. 🌍✨
Today, we thank God for his life, his example, and the legacy he continues to leave. 🙏💙
I have a book that tells his life journey. He is still living and we celebrate his life filled with love, service, and unwavering faith.
To me, Dr. Afonso has been more than a mentor and sponsor; he has been like a grandfather. I remember him saying once that he could be my grandfather, and his presence in my life has reflected the warmth, guidance, and love of our Heavenly Father. Through him, I have seen the gentle yet powerful character of Jesus, the work of the Holy Spirit in ordinary lives, and the incredible ways God uses people to glorify His name.
Dr. Afonso has devoted his life to the mission of our church making a great impact in the wold. He defended religious liberty as an attorney, courageously standing for truth and justice. I was overjoyed to recently send him a birthday card, sharing that I am working here in the religious liberty ministry.
As I I reflected on Chapter One of The Desire of Ages, which reminds us that Jesus—Emmanuel, God with us—gave everything, receiving His love from the Father only to pour it out for humanity. The law of the universe is: take it to give. Jesus’ love is not passive; it is active, reaching out to the suffering, meeting every need, and offering hope in the midst of despair.
To know God is to love Him, and to love Him is to serve Him and obey His guidance—not out of force or coercion, but out of heartfelt devotion. Genuine love cannot be imposed; it flourishes only in freedom. This freedom requires a clear separation of church and state, for religious liberty is a human right, inalienable, and created by God.
We see so much suffering around us—dark times, chaos, and brokenness—but we can take heart. Jesus will come again with healing in His wings, bringing comfort, restoration, and life to all who trust in Him. This is not mere theory; it is a living reality. Dr. Afonso’s life shows us what it looks like to reflect that love and courage in practical ways. His dedication, kindness, and unwavering faith are a model for us all—a reminder that even in a world shadowed by suffering, we can be instruments of God’s healing, love, and justice, while defending the freedom to worship Him without coercion or interference.
May we, too, follow this path, giving as we have received, serving out of love, respecting the freedom of all to worship God, and sharing the hope and light of Jesus in every corner of our lives.
The life of Dr. Milton Afonso is an example to me of love and dedication. He is a pioneer who carried forward faith in action. When I chose law school, he had a great influece in my life. I was walking in His in his footsteps. He was my sponsor from seventh grade through my MBA in the United States. He not only supported me academically, paying for my education, but he also invested in my sisters’ education, sponsoring them at UNISA and UNASP from elementary school onward and plus thousands of other students. Through his actions, I saw practical demonstrations of God’s character—patience, generosity, forgiveness and faithfulness—reflecting Jesus Himself.
Our pioneers, our mentors, our parents—they grow old, and eventually they die. I pray that Dr. Milton remains faithful until his last day so that we may see him again when Jesus comes back. And the torch of faith that they carried? That is now our responsibility. We must take that torch and pass it on to this generation and the next, preparing everyone for the soon coming of Jesus. As the Apostle Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” May we, too, remain faithful, steadfast, and committed to the calling God has placed upon our lives, guarding the faith until the very end.
The Bible gives us examples of those who faced challenges in a foreign land yet chose faithfulness. Daniel and Joseph found themselves far from home. They made a choice to commit their faith to God and obey Him, even before the trials came. This is a powerful lesson for us: before the challenges in life arrive, we must decide now to be faithful and trust God completely.
Dr. Afonso became my sponsor when I was in 7th grade, and he continued sponsoring me until I completed my MBA in the United States in December 12, 2008. Because of him, and through God’s grace, I had access to an education and opportunities to serve God in ways I enjoy it.
He was a colporteur in his youth, I too went colporteering in the 7th grade. It was then that I read all the books and learned to love sharing Jesus through printed pages, meeting people, praying with them, and learning firsthand the joy of mission. Those experiences stayed with me for life. They taught me courage, faith, and the power of the Holy Spirit changing lives.
It all began with a simple card—an invitation to a Seventh-day Adventist Church that his father received and left on the table. That small printed card became the doorway through which Dr. Milton Solano Afonso’s family came to know God and were later led to an Adventist boarding school, where faith and education walked hand in hand.
In much the same way, it was through printed pages and literature evangelism that my grandmother was introduced to the church, becoming a pioneer of faith in our family. What seemed like ordinary pieces of paper became powerful instruments in God’s hands, shaping generations and leaving a legacy of faith.
We are called to share God’s message of salvation boldly, with love and clarity, so that others can understand God’s promises and His plan of salvation and eternity with Jesus.
I feel honored to serve in the Religious Liberty Department, surrounded by an extraordinary team of staff, attorneys and preachers—Alan, Steve, Jonathon, Bill, Naomi, Loritha, Patrick, Natalie and others—who dedicate their lives to defending freedom, upholding civil rights, and guiding others toward truth.
I am especially moved by the legacy of pioneers like Dr. Milton Afonso. His life was not just a lesson in faith—it was a living example of God’s love in action. He taught by doing, showing us all what it means to stand courageously for what is right, to serve selflessly, and to embody integrity in every aspect of life. Walking in his footsteps is both a privilege and a responsibility—a reminder that the torch of faith, compassion, and justice is ours to carry forward.
Friends, let us take the torch of faith with courage, sharing the hope of Jesus in a perishing world. May our children, our grandchildren, and the generations to come see and understand the character of Christ through our example, just as I have been blessed to see it through the life of Dr. Milton Afonso.
Now is the time. The world urgently needs to hear the message of hope. The world longs to see the love of Jesus in action. We have been entrusted with this sacred responsibility—not for our own glory, but to reflect His light to a world in need. May God fill us daily with His Holy Spirit, guiding us, strengthening us, and empowering us to carry this mission faithfully until the very end.
Amen.
P.S. I’m attaching a picture of Dr. Afonso holding Rebecca during our visit in 2012, when Brent, Rebecca, and I went to see him in his office in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The other picture includes my husband Brent, Dr. Afonso, me, Esther—his secretary’s daughter who went to Southwestern with me and was my roommate—and his secretary, Laura. He was 91 years old at the time, and I was working with the Voice of Prophecy back then.
Here are some interesting facts about Dr. Afonso’s life:
🌱 Early Life & BackgroundMilton Afonso was born on December 12, 1921, in the town of Nova Lima (near Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil). Milton Soldani Afonso – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre
Https://adventistreview.org/news/patron-of-adventist-communication-education-turns-100/
‘Miracle’ Church Opens in Elite São Paulo Neighborhood - Adventist Review - Adventist Review
His upbringing was extremely humble. His family lived in a simple shack (described as damp and contaminated) behind a lumber yard; there was no running water or proper sanitation. Dialogue
To help support the household, as a child he sold sweets that his mother made. That early “street-commerce” would later shape his entrepreneurial and sales skills.
✨ Spiritual Conversion & EducationHis family wasn’t originally Adventist: his mother was involved in spiritualism, his father identified as Catholic but was irregular in practicing.
The turning point came when his mother discovered an invitation card that his father had brought home after purchasing a lottery ticket. Along with the ticket, someone had given him an invitation to attend a series of evangelistic meetings at a Seventh-day Adventist church. His mother decided to go, taking her children with her— an event that ultimately led to Milton’s introduction to the faith. Advius: Série Especial - "Entrevista Milton Afonso"
After that, his mother, determined to give him a better future, sent him to a boarding-school affiliated with the Adventist Church in Rio de Janeiro and later in Sao Paulo. Even when finances were tight, his mother struggled to pay for his education.
To help pay his way, Milton became a “colportor” — selling religious books and literature. That early experience as a literature-seller proved formative: by 1941 he was reportedly the top-selling colportor in Brazil.
🎓 From Student to Lawyer — Early Professional LifeEncouraged by his educational progress, Milton went on to study law. He earned a law degree (Bacharel em Direito) from the Faculdade de Niterói, later obtaining a doctorate in jurisprudence and specialization in labor legislation.
Early in his legal career, he created a publishing venture: a magazine focused on federal legislation / tax law (imposto de renda), which reached 50,000 subscribers — a remarkable achievement for someone coming from his background. Milton Afonso - Fiel empresário cristão e humanitário - Pés na Salvação
However, Milton’s ambitions soon shifted: instead of only practicing law or publishing, he felt called to build something bigger — to help the poor and support education, social welfare, and evangelism.
🏥 Building a Health and Philanthropy Empire: Golden Cross & BeyondIn April 1971, together with friends, Milton founded Golden Cross — a health insurance/health-care operator with a philanthropic purpose: all profits were meant to fund education, social assistance, and evangelistic projects. O Segredo de Milton Afonso para ser rico e viver muito - Mais Relevante
Within a short time, Golden Cross grew rapidly. From a few thousand clients in the early years, it reached a scale of tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands. By 1984, it had become the largest health-insurance company in Latin America and was reportedly among the top four in the world. Milton Soldani Afonso – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre
According to accounts, the company at peak employed around 70,000 people — including some 18,000 physicians and 5,000 health-insurance agents — and provided coverage to over 2 million beneficiaries. Milton S. Afonso: Diálogo com um Humanitarista Adventista no Brasil – Weleson Fernandes
Profits from Golden Cross were consistently channeled toward philanthropic causes such as scholarships, student support, social assistance, and evangelistic outreach.
🎓 Championing Adventist Education: Universidade de Santo Amaro (UNISA) & Support to EducationIn 1985 at the request of Brazil’s Ministry of Education, Milton assumed the administration of Organização Santamarense de Educação e Cultura (OSEC).
Over the following years he invested heavily — reportedly tens of millions of dollars — to transform OSEC into a full-fledged university. In 1994, OSEC was officially converted into UNISA, the Universidade de Santo Amaro.
Under his leadership and investment, UNISA grew to become one of the largest private universities in the São Paulo metropolitan area, with multiple campuses (four, as reported), and dozens of undergraduate courses (including medicine, dentistry, law, pharmacy, etc.).
For many, this university opened the doors to higher education that otherwise would have been unreachable — fulfilling Milton’s long-standing dream of helping poor and deserving students to study.
📡 Expanding the Message: Media, Communication & EvangelismBeyond health and education, Milton had a bold vision for Christian communication. He invested in media — acquiring radio stations, and eventually supporting the foundation and expansion of what would become the Rede Novo Tempo de Comunicação, a major Adventist media network broadcasting across South America and beyond.
His support helped launch radio and television outreach, providing a platform for evangelism, biblical teaching, and religious programming.
❤️ Philanthropy, Christian Faith & ValuesThroughout his life, Milton Afonso remained committed to faith — giving to his church, funding education and welfare, and supporting evangelistic outreach. dialogue with Dr. Afonso
Despite enormous wealth and influence, he reportedly maintained humility and attributed all his success to God. In a quoted statement, he said something like: “Thank God, because you raised me so high, coming from so far.”
He invested significantly in assisting students: over decades, tens of thousands received scholarships or support through his institutions. Cem anos de solidariedade – Novo Site da Revista Adventista
🕊️ Legacy & RecognitionIn December 2021, celebrations marked his 100th birthday. At that time, church leaders from the global leadership of the Adventist Church visited Brazil to honor him — recognizing his lifetime of service, philanthropy, and faith. Patron of Adventist Communication, Education Turns 100 - Adventist Review
He is widely regarded within Brazil (and among the Adventist community) as a major patron of Christian education, communication, health care, and social welfare. Milton Soldani Afonso – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre
Through his companies (Golden Cross), his university (UNISA), his media investments (Novo Tempo), and his philanthropic gifts — including support for orphans, scholarships, and evangelistic outreach — Milton Afonso has left a far-reaching and multi-generational legacy.