:: Click Here to Download Official 2005 Year End Meeting Picture ::
Panama City, Panama…[Libna Stevens/IAD]
As Inter-America begins a new five-year term with over 2.6 million members under its belt, Seventh-day Adventist leaders from the 15 regions met to vote on strategies dealing with equipping the leadership and membership for effective witnessing in their respective territories. The voting, which was part of the Year-End Executive Committee Meetings, took place in Hotel Panama in Panama City, from Oct 30 to Nov. 1. The meetings were scheduled to be held at the Inter-American Division headquarters in Miami, Florida the previous week, but were moved to Panama due to Hurricane Wilma
The meetings set the tone for the next quinquennium where church department leaders presented their plans. Future leadership meetings were scheduled, new evangelistic initiatives were voted on, and new leaders were elected for seven of IAD’s union missions.
As the membership growth nears the 3 million mark, making Inter-America the largest out of the 13 world divisions, IAD President Israel Leito says a higher membership is not the only goal.
“The main focus of the next five years is to bring the membership to study the Word more, to pray together more and to work together becoming a vibrant church in the community united to impact the community together, provide this opportunity to improve the study of the church together, pray together, and work together better,” says Pastor Leito.
To accomplish that, Pastor Leito says there are four major events voted which will begin early next year:
Go Tell the World – Summit on Mission and Evangelization – A summit for church leaders in Inter-America, stemming from an initiative from the Adventist World Headquarters, where it focuses the church on its identity as called out community and its end time mission of proclaiming the gospel. The summit, scheduled to be held in Miami, Florida, on January 15-16, 2006, is geared for church leaders from throughout the territory to continue focusing on evangelism at home while at the same time refocusing on the privilege to participate in mission endeavors in other parts of the world.
Leadership Conference – A leadership conference geared towards reviewing leadership practices and the effect they have on the church, training of newly-elected leaders, promoting continuing education seminars throughout the union territories once every two years, among other plans. All church officers from each union and conference and mission fields are scheduled to attend the conference to be held in Miami, Florida, March 12-14, 2006.
Prayer Conference – A prayer conference to call the attention of church leaders to give earnest study to the issue of prayer and a life of prayer—of leaders depending upon the Lord more than ever before in order to do the work entrusted to them, deal with Theological issues affecting prayer, rekindle and revitalize the membership in attending the weekly prayer meetings, and help membership to fall in love with a prayer life. All church officers from each union, conference, and mission, as well as dozens of pastors and lay preachers, will convene in Miami, Florida, March 15-16.
School of Evangelism – A program called school of evangelism will take place in the Inter-American Division territory, in coordination with the General Conference to train pastors, lay members and workers feeling the call to be an evangelist. The school will begin training under Adventist Evangelist Mark Finley, in Panama City, November 7 to 19.
Other voted items included:
Obsessed With Jesus – A Youth Ministries program to promote active participation of at least 75 percent of the youth of Inter-America in continued study of the Bible. The program is set to strengthen the image of the church through various projects of service to the community, and provide tools for conflict resolutions between parents and their teenage children, among other objectives. Next year’s youth focus will be Year of Connecting: Obsessed with His love: Be His disciple.
Voted leaders to church positions: Dominican Union Mission: President: Cesareo Acevedo, Secretary: Silvestre Gonzalez, Treasurer: Moises Javier. Haitian Union Mission: President: Theart Saint Pierre, Secretary: Sylvain Blaise, Treasurer: Claudel Dolce. French-Antilles Guiana Union Mission: President: Max Laurent, Secretary: Franck Miandy, Treasurer: Joel Kichenama. Inter-Oceanic Mexican Union Mission: President: Cesar Gomez, Secretary: Reynol Zebadua, Treasurer:Jairo Zavala. Mid-Central American Union Mission: President: Alfredo Argueta, Secretary-Treasurer: Saul Ortiz. North Central American Union Mission: President: Mario Calderon, Secretary: Dennis Slusher, Treasurer: Juan Jose Moran. Venezuela Antilles Union Mission: President: Julio Palacio, Secretary: Josney Rodriguez, Treasurer: David Poloche. Inter-American Division: Trust Services: Balvin Braham, Shepherdess Coordinator: Gloria Trotman.
During the next five years, Inter-America will again endeavor to do its part for the finishing of the work, says Pastor Leito.
“The things that have worked in the past that were so successful, a dedicated membership, a consecrated leadership, ministers who understand the responsibility they bear as shepherds for the flock,” adds Pastor Leito. “Those are the things which will be stressed in order to get the church more involved in understanding first the reality of the second coming of Jesus, to proclaim this reality with the world and then to move along with the help of the Holy Spirit for the coming of the Lord.”
Inter-America, with its 37 countries and many islands, gathers more than 2.6 million Seventh-day Adventist to its 8,626 churches and congregations every Sabbath throughout its territory.
For more information on voted programs and upcoming events, visit www.interamerica.org.
