Hearts and Hands — What Is the ROI of ADRA Programs on Local Church Growth?

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), with $120.7 million in total revenue in 2024, operates 422+ projects across 96 countries, benefiting nearly 20 million people during the COVID-19 pandemic alone. Despite this massive humanitarian footprint, the direct return on investment (ROI) in terms of local church growth remains essentially unmeasured. No publicly available study systematically correlates ADRA program locations with membership accession rates. ADRA's mandate as a professional humanitarian agency — often government-funded and bound by non-proselytizing agreements — creates a structural tension with direct evangelistic goals. However, ADRA Inter-America's 2026 strategic plan explicitly aims for deeper integration between ADRA and local congregations, suggesting growing institutional recognition that the humanitarian-evangelistic gap needs bridging. This LRP examines the available evidence and identifies the critical research gaps.