Medellin, Colombia…[Libna Stevens/IAD]
The Inter-American Division (IAD) held a celebration last week during its first Youth Leadership and Prayer Convention in Medellin, Colombia, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the organization of the Youth Ministries Department in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
As part of the celebration, a tree planting ceremony took place on the grounds of Colombian Adventist University on July 27 to recognize the 1.5 million Adventist young people across Inter- America.
“We are very happy to be joined with our young people in this celebration,” said Pastor Bernardo Rodriguez, youth ministries director for the church in Inter-America, to the youth leaders and young people assembled at the ceremony. “You represent all the delegates of this convention, and what better place for these trees to grow than here on this mountain so we can leave a footprint on behalf of the young people of Inter-America.”
Present at the tree planting was Pastor Baraka Muganda, youth ministries director for the Adventist World Church, who planted the first tree.
“Today we are planting these trees to signify the importance of youth mininistries in the Seventhy-day Adventist Church,” Pastor Muganda said. “We are planting these trees for the next generation, to tell our young people that the church cares for them and to remind us where Jesus has led youth ministries for the last 100 years.”
Pastor Rodriguez and Pastor Balvin Braham, youth ministries associate director for the church in Inter-America, also planted trees, as did youth leaders and one young person representing each of the 15 IAD territories.
A total of 17 trees were planted to form the letters “JA”, an acronym for the Spanish words Jovenes Adventistas (Adventist Youth). The trees will take about five years to flourish.
