May 14, 2020 | Miami, Florida, United States |
More than 160 Seventh-day Adventist church administrators and leaders from across the Inter-American Division territory vowed, during the close of the annual mid-year business meetings on May 7, to continue motivating the more than 3.7 million membership to remain faithful in spreading the gospel even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leaders voted strategies, initiatives, policy amendments and events, and took special time to pray for God’s direction, protection, strength and opportunities in the weeks, months and years ahead to expand the mission of the church.
“As a church we have a lot of concerns, as church leaders we may have a bit of anxiety about the future, but we trust in God for He will take us from where we are during this COVID-19 pandemic to where He wants us to be,” said Pastor Elie Henry, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America, as he spoke to top administrators and leaders.
“These are very particular times in which we are living and we see the signs of the end times approaching,” said Pastor Henry. “We know that problems will increase but we must continue moving forward, walking with God and keeping the mission of the church before us, sharing hope because we have nothing to fear.”
Among the initiatives and upcoming events, executive committee members voted, include:
The Missionary Book of the Year to be distributed in 2021 across the IAD will be the Hope for Troubled Times by Evangelist Mark Finley. Both of IAD’s publishing houses IADPA and GEMA are scheduled to print five million copies in English, Spanish, and French, to be distributed on April 17, 2020. During 2015-2019, more than 35 million copies of the missionary book approved by the Adventist world church every year have been distributed by thousands of active church members throughout the IAD, reported Ervin González, publishing ministries director for the church in Inter-America.
The Let’s Talk About Him digital evangelism program, which consists of five-minute presentations about Jesus, is produced in the three main languages and is carried on all social media platforms. The digital evangelism campaign will be adopted and shared with friends and non-believers across the 24 union territories. The series of eight presentations invites viewers to enroll in Bible studies at ltah.org or estamosorando.org. The digital campaign aims to reach 5,000 non-believers in every union, followed up with an additional Let’s Talk About Him series produced by each union territory, as well as follow-up with local evangelism efforts.
Church leaders also approved featuring an online Adventist Youth Society program once every quarter throughout the IAD territory. The IAD youth ministries initiative is intended to ground and nurture young people spiritually, train and motivate them in church leadership, educate and tech them to be involved in church growth, discipleship and showcase practical ways and new methods to be implemented in the church. The second-quarter program is scheduled to be held in English, Spanish and French, on May. 16, at 5:30 p.m., on Inter-America’s YouTube channel. The next AYS program is scheduled for July 11, and October 10, 2020.
Inter-America’s Annual Segment Leadership Development (SeLD) Conference this year is scheduled to take place July 6-9, 2020. The event, themed “Leadership In Unusual Times”, will be held online and will feature two dozen speakers and experts. To take be part of the convention, leaders must pre-register by June16, 2020, at seld.interamerica.org
Committee members approved for 50 of its chaplains across the territory with two or more training segments, to register in the 3rd Adventist Chaplains World Congress to be held online on Oct. 20-22, 2020. Online registration is open at adventistchaplains.org. You can register in consultation with your union territory by accessing HERE.
A new Chaplaincy Center was voted to be established at Vista del Jardín Adventist Hospital in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The new center, which is affiliated with the Adventist Chaplaincy Institute of the General Conference, becomes the third such center throughout the IAD territory. Additional centers include one at Bella Vista Hospital in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, and one at the La Carlota Hospital in Montemorelos, Mexico.
A special Hope Channel Inter-America Media and Communication Advisory for Inter-America’s 24 union presidents is scheduled to be held in November 2020, in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The one-day advisory meetings are programmed to take place one day after Inter-America’s annual year-end business meetings conclude. (Event may be subject to changes.)
Top church leaders voted to hold its Year-End Executive Committee meetings on Nov. 8-12, 2020, in Guatemala City, Guatemala. (Dates and venue may change.)
In addition, leaders voted to hold its mid-year business meetings through video conference on May 3-4, 2021.
To learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America and its initiatives and activities, visit interamerica.org
This article was originally published on the Inter-America Division’s website
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