Haiti: Seventh-day Adventists speak out for changes during Facing the Issues dialogue program

July 30, 2009 – Port-au-Prince, Haiti…[Libna Stevens/IAD]

A select group of Seventh-day Adventists representing the four church regions in Haiti sat down with Inter-American Division President Pastor Israel Leito to voice their concerns, exchange ideas and ask tough questions during Inter-America's unscripted and unedited Facing the Issues dialogue program last week. The program was streamed live on the internet from Haiti's Adventist University in Port-au-Prince on July 25, 2009.

The dialogue program brought 16 youth and laypeople together representing Haiti's fast growing membership of more than 335,000 to speak on social and economic issues, youth initiatives, Christian education, and church technology, as well as the structure of the church organization.

Nearly 900 people attended the two-and-a-half hour program. Hundreds more viewed it online. Accompanying the Adventist president during the program were top administrators and departmental leaders from the IAD.

The first questions had to do with dissension among church members. “How should we treat dissidence among the church?”

“People come to church with certain expectations and when they don't find those expectations met, they take off on their own branch of Adventistm, they start fighting with their local congregations,” said Pastor Leito. “Dissidence happens when people don't know the truth and someone else tells them something different. How can we prevent [dissidence]? We have to teach the church what the church is all about. We have to instruct the church about our doctrines, our structure, how the church operates.”

Another question dealt with church and technology and its benefit in connecting the network of Adventist organizations globally.

Pastor Leito explained the division's plan to provide websites through the netAdventist. netAdventist is an online network designed to connect local congregations with the rest of the global church by offering a free website to the local churches throughout the territory.

“More and more people are becoming isolated by technology,” said Pastor Leito. “They don't care to come to meetings, but they can sit for hours and look at their computer. You can reach people where they are and still get them the message.”

“What can the church do to prevent our young members from being affected by the use and abuse of technology?” a panelists asked while on the subject.

Pastor Leito answered, “The greatest danger of young people and children today is the internet because of corrupted people using that to reach our young people. And so as parents we have to be watchful. Technology tends to separate us but we must fight against that tendency and as church we must come together and praise in communion.”

One panelist urged the church organization to consider not moving pastors from one region to the next. The panelist explained that it is a financial hardship because spouses are forced to seek employment outside of the church organization.

A number of questions were raised on what plan the church leadership had to assist members in the difficult economic situation facing Haiti today. Specifically, panelists wanted to hear about initiatives to assist families generate income, making Christian education affordable, and assistance in completing temples throughout the country.

“How can the division president help the church [in Haiti] in establishing health centers, university branches, extra curricular activities profitable to assist families in general, pastor's families in this very threatening financial instability situation?” someone asked.

Pastor Leito responded, “This question tells me that there is great suffering out there. This is a focus group and we don't have all the answers. Your questions will help us formulate our strategies so that we can help families in Haiti and structure programs to strengthen families,” said Pastor Leito, acknowledging that financial issues are affecting families. This was met with applause throughout the auditorium.

Concerns about affordable Christian education for every Adventist family were brought up, as well as equipping the Adventist university in Haiti with additional career programs so that students will not have to travel outside the country for their chosen subject.

“What can be done to assist the schools in disrepair and make education available to each Seventh-day Adventist child?” asked a panelist.

“Your questions are exactly the questions we are asking ourselves,” said Pastor Leito. “We realize it is a major challenge and we are looking at education in the Adventist Church, the infrastructure of education and the availability of education.”

One major concern Pastor Leito mentioned to the panel and the audience was the issue of unfinished church buildings throughout Haiti.

“Haiti has more unfinished buildings than anywhere else,” said Pastor Leito. “I see many half-started churches in Haiti and the question is why?”

“The reality is that the majority of the people are unemployed,” replied a panelist. “If we don't have money, churches won't be completed.”

To that Pastor Leito replied, “We want to keep this in mind in our strategic planning to see how we can help you so that the churches can get the means to finish the buildings.”

Also mentioned was the work of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency [ADRA] in Haiti and it's impact.

“Starting four years ago, our leaders understood the necessity of helping our members socio-economically,” said Wally Amundson, ADRA director for Inter-America. “A small fund was put together to help families with micro credit in starting small businesses. That means 5,000 members have already been involved in this program and we found this to be very effective tithe has grown and we hope to extend this to other churches and members, but not only have we have been helping our own members but the community.”

Other questions dealt with youth initiatives to strengthen young people and children to prepare them to be leaders in the church and the community.

Among the questions Pastor Leito asked the focus group included, “What do you think we can do as the division to help you keep the members in church?”

“Church needs to be more than just a place we come to pray, that the church comes up with social activities, where we meet and participate in financial activities that will increase the well-being of families,” a panelist responded.

“What I am understanding is that you would like to see the division generate some programs that will guide in the social-economic directions and if we do that we believe we can help you retain members in the church,” said Pastor Leito.

“We have listened to you and we will take good notice in our future planning,” he added.

Listening to the church has been the main purpose of these Facing the Issues dialogue program, according to Pastor Balvin Braham, organizer of the event and assistant to the IAD president.

“By going to Haiti and being able to understand a little more how we can be more effective as leaders in the Division and serve our members and the community at large in Haiti, will help in our planning strategically in the implementation of programs and activities,” Braham said.

For Gadith Cantave, an attorney and active church member from the Northwest region of Haiti, voicing her concerns in the program was a good opportunity.

“This program was very good because it allowed an exchange in dialogue with the Division leaders as to the challenges we are facing here in Haiti,” Cantave said. She hopes to see the unfinished church buildings and schools be completed soon.

With over 61,726 hits to website and more than 900 visitors watching the live dialogue program, church leaders are optimistic of the positive impact of Facing the Issues to its constituency.

The seventh and last unscripted Facing the Issues dialogue will take place in Venezuela, where the Venezuela and Colombia church regions will be represented on Sep. 19, 2009. The dialogue program will be webcast in Spanish.

For more information and photo gallery on previous Facing the Issues programs, go to http://facingtheissues.interamerica.org