February 27, 2009 – Merida, Yucatan, Mexico…[Libna Stevens/IAD]
Seventh-day Adventists from all across the churches in Mexico traveled far and near to express their concerns and questions to Inter-America's Adventist Church President Israel Leito during a special webcast on Feb. 21, 2009, from Merida, Yucatan in Mexico.
The program, called Facing the Issues, brought young Adventists and laypeople together for the third in a series of unedited and unscripted conversations between top church leaders and members.
“This is a modern dynamic survey system where focus groups representing the people speak so that ideas can be taken of what is the feel of the people [church],” said Pastor Leito as he spoke to the focus groups present. “You have been chosen by your unions and you have come up with your own questions so here I am to answer your questions.”
The 42 church members which made up the focus group asked questions on the structure and administration of the church organization, initiatives in place, financial concerns and the mission and vision of the church for today and the future. There were also questions about music and its place in the church to improve the worship experience.
Pastor Leito responded, “The church needs to worship together, particularly sing together and sometimes the coming together in singing is not emphasized enough. If your question has to do with the quality of music, the church leaves that for every congregation to decide what type of music it will accept, because what may be good for one congregation may not be acceptable to another.”
The question of creating a music department also was heard.
“The General Conference took an action for every local organization to define this matter because every culture is different and every congregation knows their environment and chooses the music that will elevate the hearts of those who come to the church to worship,” added Pastor Leito.
The economic crisis affecting the world today and the church was brought up.
“How has the church in Inter-America reacted amidst the economic crisis and has the church considered lowering its operation costs by moving the office from Miami to a country inside the Inter-American Division territory?” asked Francisco Javier Gonzalez of the Central Church in North Mexican Union.
Pastor Leito asked Pastor Filiberto Verduzco, treasurer of the church in Inter-America, to respond.
“When we look at the behavior of giving of the Inter-American church member, the only thing we can say is thank you Lord for the commitment that we have for the fulfilment of the mission,” said Verduzco. “The church in the Inter-American territory has been richly blessed by the generosity of its church members.”
Verduzco went on to say that the church administration has taken measures to reduce costs by postponing major church events, carefully managing finances and advising the union territories to be cautious with their spending as well.
Regarding a question on the location of the IAD headquarter office in Miami, Pastor Leito said that Miami was the best point of communication and travel base between all Inter-American countries.
Other questions dealt with the large number of initiatives sent to the churches, additional administrative responsibilities given to already exhausted pastors, the need for more emphasis on the health message and the increased need for more spirit of prophecy focus in churches today.
On the challenge of ministering to big cities, Raul Johnatan Montiel from Mexico City, asked what the church leadership was doing to rescue those who have fallen into drug addiction, alcoholism, and sexual immorality.
“Does the church have a professional program that can help bring them to Christ?” asked Montiel.
“I must confess that we are not channeling the necessary funds to this area but because of the magnitude of this crisis that is present in our world today, I think that we can give more attention to this challenge and focus on a professional program to help,” assured Pastor Leito.
Another question came up on the prevalence of persons of different sexual preferences against biblical beliefs which is increasing every day in the community.
“Does the [Inter-American] Division have a program to help us assist those who need their lives restored from this [homosexuality] and evangelize them into the church?” asked Yanely Sarate from the Inter-Oceanic Mexican region.
“It is a very important question in the times we are living,” responded Pastor Leito.
“Unfortunately, we do not have a program addressing these people but in our general evangelism efforts we open the doors for them as we do for the thief and the adulterer so that all can know and accept Jesus.”
Additional questions dealt with programs available for retaining new members, training new members and laypeople for further service in the church, more support for the children in evangelistic work and additional programs to help the youth face the challenges of today.
Suggestions to the Adventist leader included the need for a singles online network in Spanish, community centers to aid not only with physical but emotional needs, as well as the need for better tools for communication technology for churches and church organizations.
Others expressed concern for programs that can strengthen children and adolescents, a program to support children of pastors, and the need to teach and empower young people to become pillars of the truth in the future.
Raul Johnatan Montiel, who has a degree in industrial administration and works in Mexico City, said he was very pleased for the opportunity to participate in Facing the Issues.
“I am happy that church leaders are willing to open up in dialogue to progress. I believe that these are important times, decision times and it is time for all of us to listen to each other so that we can find a better way to fulfil the mission,” he said.
Similarly, Epitacio Dominguez from Veracruz said he was impressed with the church's initiative for the dialog program.
“I think many good things will come out of this meeting,” he said “The church has good leaders with a vision towards the future and I feel happy to belong to this church organization.”
Creating a better church organization is a major purpose for this dialogue between church leaders and members, according to Pastor Balvin Braham, organizer and assistant to the IAD president.
“I see some clear patterns that have emerged from these last three dialogue programs we've had so far,” said Braham. “We intend to gather all of these concerns and needs and present to the board and the Division departments for study and action by the end of the year.”
Upcoming Facing the Issues program will be a little different, said Pastor Leito.
“After having gone through three unscripted programs, we are convinced that we have to change the format to make it more of a dialog instead of an interview style,” said Pastor Leito. “So far it has been more like they are interviewing the president and I would like get more dialogue with them, get a little more feedback from them on issues that are also of our interest so that we can gather information for our future planning and to measure the extent or the impact of our strategic planning.”
Facing the Issues already webcast programs are scheduled to be broadcast on Adventist channel Esperanza TV at a later date.
The next unscripted Facing the Issues dialogue will take place in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Mar. 7, 2009.
For more information on Inter-America's Facing the Issues dialogue program and to view the next webcast, visit www.interamerica.org
