May 19, 2008 Miami, Florida, United States…[Libna Stevens/IAD]
Inter-America’s Executive Committee of the Seventh-day Adventist Church began day one of its meetings after a series of spiritual programs this past weekend. The more than 120 leaders met at the church’s headquarters in Miami, Florida, May 18, to approve the leadership of two new unions that will comprise the already growing 15 unions, or regions, comprising the territory.
The Belize Union of Churches became the first of its type in the western hemisphere and the first outside of Europe, says Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America.
“This is very significant not only for Inter-America but for the rest of the world,” he says.
The approval of the Belize Union of churches was voted during the Adventist World Church’s executive committee meetings last month. For years, Belize was a conference office as part North Central American Union which is based in Guatemala.
The new leadership voted in by Inter-America’s Executive Committee last night consists of Pastor Dennis Slusher as president, Luis Jessy as executive secretary, and Abilio Cimas as treasurer. Other church department leaders will be elected later during the official inauguration ceremony. The Belize Union becomes the fourth union in Central America with over 31,000 members.
Equally significant was the action taken by committee members to vote in the church leadership of the new Central Mexican Union which will be based in Mexico City, the second largest metropolitan city in the world with more than 20 million people. Pastor Leito says this has been a vital move.
“Mexico City was part of the North Mexican Union but we felt it needed to be singled out and dedicated extra attention,” he adds.
The Central Mexican Union is now comprised of four church regions. Its task will be to supervise these fields and “to conquer Mexico City and fill the city with the gospel,” he says.
Central Mexican Union officers voted in were Pastor Tomas Torres as president, Jose Dzul Trejo as executive secretary, and Florencio Suarez as treasurer. Additional church leaders will be voted in the coming weeks. The new Central Mexican Union has over 62,000 church members and becomes the fourth union in Mexico.
With its explosive membership, Inter-America has effectively grown from 15 major regions to 17 in order to effectively church the three million members in the territory.
The IAD Executive committee meetings will continue through Thursday, May 22.
