Miami, Florida….[Libna Stevens/IAD]
For nearly four days, Seventh-day Adventist leaders from throughout Inter-America met to discuss and evaluate programs and initiatives related to Sabbath Schools and Personal ministries taking place across the vast church territory. The group of two dozen church leaders met at the Inter-American Division headquarters in Miami, Florida, June 16-19, 2008.
The consultation meeting was an opportunity to evaluate the objectives laid out at the beginning of the quinquennium, said Pastor Carlyle Bayne, organizer of the event and Sabbath School and Personal Ministries director of the church in Inter-America.
“We wanted to identify where we are in terms of our work in the departments and then make a plan to finish all that was set out to be accomplished by December 2009,” said Pastor Bayne.
With approximately 3.4 million Sabbath School members, including adult, youth, and children, as well as visitors not yet baptized, and an active lay force of more than one million, as well as Community Services programs, such a meeting among directors was essential.
Although some objectives set out earlier in the quinquennium still need to be achieved, great accomplishments have been reached.
Among the initiatives achieved so far is the exchange program in place among personal ministries directors, says Pastor Bayne.
“We have concentrated on bringing the directors closer together, like using a director from a particular union and visit another union to share visitation programs and other initiatives,” he said. “That has proven to be effective so far in several of the union territories.”
Another successful initiative growing strong is the development of evangelistic programs to support the small groups sprouting throughout the IAD during the last few years. It’s a strength that has allowed groups and churches to multiply at the local church level with their action unit Sabbath School model and churches small group ministries, said Pastor Bayne.
Yet with these and other successful initiatives, Pastor Bayne said there are still challenges and more to accomplish to reach the millions of people still unreached in Inter-America.
“There are approximately 252 million people who live in this [church] division,” said Pastor Bayne. “That number is what drives us, the number of people who live in this division territory, who need to have the Word opened up to them so they can make a decision either for it or against it. There are so many un-entered places in our territory still,” he added
Reaching and training the new members to be actively participating in Sabbath School and in evangelistic efforts is something that continues to be a challenge as thousands are joining the church in Inter-America every year.
Among the recommendations set out by those attending the council was the need to develop leaflets describing the duties of the numerous areas covered by the Sabbath School and Personal Ministries departments, from the duties of the Sabbath school superintendent, investment secretary duties, manuals and the like which for years it has not been reproduced.
In addition, it was recommended to intensify efforts for greater outreach in the community, develop a system to better track small groups and Sabbath school groups, as well as increase the number of resources available in Spanish, English and French.
For Samuel Telemaque, who serves as personal ministries, Sabbath School and community services director for the church in the Caribbean, the council benefitted him.
“The meeting had the benefit of interacting with my colleagues, hearing their strengths and challenges and it gave me a wider perspective on what needs to be accomplished,” says Pastor Telemaque.
Plans are underway to have the council meet again next year to ensure that all objectives are met and programs are on course to be fulfilled, according to Pastor Bayne.
For more information on plans and programs for Sabbath School and Personal Ministries, visit www.interamerica.org
