Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has publicly credited prayer and his relationship with God as the source of strength behind his work in office.
"The only way to endure is alongside God," Abinader said during the inauguration of the new International Ministry Monte de Dios Horeb church in Santo Domingo Norte. The event brought together national authorities, Christian leaders, and hundreds of congregants to celebrate the opening of one of the largest evangelical facilities in the Caribbean.
Pastor Miguel Bogaert asked the president how he bears the pressure of governing a country. Abinader replied that he begins each morning with prayer and prays again before sleeping. "I ask God to grant me wisdom to make the best decisions," he said, according to El Caribe.
Days earlier, at a thanksgiving Mass at the National Palace marking his 59th birthday, Abinader had thanked God for another year of life and spoke about the role of prayer in his personal and family life, Diario Libre reported.
A Major Milestone for Dominican Evangelicals
The new sanctuary seats more than 7,000 people, sits on roughly 45,000 square meters of land, and features a main auditorium of nearly 16,000 square meters. The project took more than a decade to complete and represents one of the largest infrastructure investments by an evangelical church in the country.
Led by pastors Miguel and Montserrat Bogaert, the ministry expressed gratitude for the professionals, volunteers, and congregation members who took part in construction, El Caribe noted.
First Lady Raquel Arbaje attended alongside mayors Carolina Mejía and Betty Gerónimo, government ministers, legislators, representatives of various churches, and Honduran pastor Guillermo Maldonado, a special guest.
Abinader has spoken openly about his Christian convictions throughout his administration, participating in events organized by churches and evangelical organizations and at national religious ceremonies. His remarks at Saturday's inauguration, offered spontaneously in response to Bogaert's question, stood out as one of the event's most personal moments.
Original reporting by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.
