July 25, 2008 – Miami, Florida, United States…[Libna Stevens/IAD]
One of the heaviest of responsibilities among the church leadership lies on the shoulders of the financial administrators. This team of number crunchers must balance all the monies which come into the church to help fund the numerous congregations, institutions and ministries around the world. For Inter-America, the fastest growing Division in the world church, running the vast territory in a rapidly changing, fast-paced world is a huge task requiring the constant improvement of skills and methods.
Earlier this month, financial administrators from throughout the 17 major church regions of the Inter-American Division gathered to gain better electronic tools, go over new financial procedures for the influx of tithes, offerings and management of numerous funds that run the church and its institutions throughout the territory. The meetings took place at the IAD Headquarters office in Miami, Florida, July 1-3, 2008.
“The whole intention of the meetings was to share with them [financial administrators] the need to better manage the resources of the church, the tithes and offerings more efficiently and with all their mind, hand and heart,” said Filiberto Verduzco, treasurer for the church in Inter-America and organizer of the meetings. “What we are trying to do is to make a more efficient use of the church resources not only in terms of the tools to better manage the treasury office but be more careful of the resources that we currently manage.”
Treasurers and financial administrators of Adventist universities were also reminded of the new accounting manual that the world church has published and which will take effect in January.
“The treasury of the division is on schedule to adhere to the new manual,” said Verduzco. Sandra Thomas of the Caribbean Union and Benjamin Lazaro of Montemorelos University, who will serve as special assistants to Verduzco in the project to train financial administrators throughout the Division on the new accounting manual.
“We are trying to prepare the foundation so that when we begin using the new accounting system, the Division will be prepared,” said Verduzco.
Another important tool presented at the meetings was the importance of managing the database of current church employees who will be eligible for retirement benefits. This up-to-date database will provide a clearer picture of how each union needs to manage and make the necessary provisions for their retirement funds as an actuarial study is done annually. Verduzco also presented the results of the most recent actuarial study of the retirement fund done which helps administrators take better decisions for the management of such funds.
Financial administrators also received electronic tools to better manage and transfer the remittances of the church funds from the church level to the union level and the division. Also, additional tools included programs to manage retirement applications faster and make all accounting documents and transactions paperless between unions and the division.
In addition, the meetings included special training for university financial vice presidents on operation costs, planing and development.
Verduzco, who has been treasurer of the church in Inter-America since 2000, said that he has been amazed to see the commitment of church members through their giving of tithes and offerings year by year, in spite of a slowing world economy.
“The church in Inter-America continues to tithe, this is still normal,” Verduzco said. In fact, the expectations in the behavior of tithes and offerings until the month of June, shows no evidence that the economy in Inter-America’s countries has debilitated, on the contrary, according to Verduzco.
“At this moment, we have not felt the impact of the behavior of the finances of the United States. However, we believe that sooner or later, we will feel the impact,” said Verduzco, who admitted that the potential impact on the church of a recession in the United States economy keeps him up at night sometimes.
“There’s a saying that goes that if United States has a cold, our territory gets pneumonia,” said Verduzco. “I know things are serious out there but God is still keeping His church running.”
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America has more than 3 million members spread out in its 17 church regions, and operates more than 9,600 churches, dozens of universities and schools, as well as health institutions.
