July15, 2010 – Medellin, Colombia…[SaraiFierro/IAD Staff]
The Seventh-dayAdventist Church in Colombia officially split into two unions, or regions,during a special ceremony held July 12-13 at Colombia Adventist Universitychurch in Medellin, Colombia.
The Colombian UnionConference, which was established in 1989, was divided into the South ColombiaUnion Mission and the North Colombian Union Conference. Top administrators ofthe Inter-American Division (IAD), based in Miami, Florida, were present at theceremony.
“The reorganization[of these unions] should be done with the strong purpose of facilitating thegospel throughout the territory” said Pastor Israel Leito, president of thechurch in Inter-America. “This is not to create another position for someone tobe president, it is to facilitate the work, so that God’s people can movefurther.”
Nearly 200 localchurch leaders and delegates gathered to witness the ceremony and to elect newchurch leaders.
The split came afterplans were drawn more than three years ago to organize another region thatcould cater to the fast-growing capital city of Bogota. Bogota is the mostpopulated city in the country with 7 million.
Pastor Leito saidthat while there were many challenges for the split, everything was led by theLord. “If it had not been for divine intervention this would have beenpossible,” he said.
Leaders also took amoment to express gratitude to the ministers representing each region inColombia as well as jointly committed to continue service to God in the missionof the church.
“God wants to do muchmore than to divide a union and He is willing to give us the latter rain,” saidDr. Elie Henry, executive secretary of the church in Inter-America. “What weneed is the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Newly elected leadersfor the South Colombia Union Mission, headquartered in Bogota, Colombia wereEliseo Bustamante as president, and German Perez as secretary/treasurer.Department leaders included: Juan Caicedo Solis, family ministries director andevangelist, Hector Julio Arias as education director and ministerial secretary;Roberto Carvajal as youth ministries and stewardship director; Aicardo Arias,personal ministries director.
The South ColombiaUnion Mission has more than 122,000 church members and 460 churches andcongregations.
Newly elected leadersfor the North Colombia Union Conference, headquartered in Medellin, Colombia,included Edgar Redondo as president, Mario Villegas as secretary, and DubielQuintero as treasurer. Department leaders elected included: Diego Doria,stewarship director; Gustavo Perez, personal ministries, family life andSabbath school director; Gamaliel Florez education, youth ministries andcommunication director; Mario Villegas, health ministries director; and AlvaroNino, religious liberty director.
The North ColombiaUnion Conference has more than 143,000 church members and some 706 churches andcongregations.
Other church leaderswere elected to serve in several of the local conferences and mission fields.
