Inter-America’s annual business meetings highlight spiritual growth and evangelism

October 28, 2012 – Tegucigalpa, Honduras….Libna Stevens/IAD

Top Seventh-day Adventist leaders from throughout the 22 church regions in Inter-America reported today on the impact of spiritual revival, evangelistic growth and community impact carried out in their respective territories during the year. The reports came in as dozens of executive committee members gathered for the second annual church business meetings to continue during the next two days in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Pastor Ignacio Navarro, president of the newly established Adventist Church headquarters in Chiapas, South Mexico, shares his report of the growth among the 724 churches in the region during Inter-America’s Executive Committee, on Oct. 28, 2012. Image by Libna Stevens.

“It’s beautiful to see the wonderful things taking place throughout our territory,” said Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America, after watching various reports. “The church continues to grow in our Division and it’s clear to see how even in our culturally rich multi-language territory, the church continues to be unified in vision and purpose.”

Pastor Ignacio Navarro, president of the church in the newly organized South Mexican Union in Chiapas, reported that the more than 214,300 church members attending 843 temples are involved in the worldwide spiritual revival and reformation by daily prayer, reading God’s Word, and witnessing activities. The church’s headquarter office is expected to be built in the coming years to better reach the more than 4.7 million people living in the region.

In North Mexico, the health program “I Want to Live Healthy” has been adopted in church-operated schools as well as hundreds of public schools, youth events, churches and community centers.

President of the church in the reorganized Southeast Mexican Union Isaias Espinoza (center) shares the church growth and financial stability in his territory alongside fellow top administrators David Celis (left) and Pedro Leon (right), on Oct. 28, 2012. Image by Libna Stevens

Throughout Central America, laypeople have been trained as active disciples while the church continues its pursue of one million active members division-wide to further spread the gospel.

In Guatemala, leaders reported that more than six million people have been reached through radio, television and print media. The church is in negotiations with hundreds of cable companies to carry Esperanza TV channel and in initiatives to involve more church members in social media evangelism.

Church leaders in Cuba reported that for the first time, the membership reached the 33,000 mark.

“We are working to reach every municipal district with the gospel,” said Aldo Perez, president of the church in Cuba. With more than 300 congregations, the church continues its three-part strategy this year in evangelism, the family and education. Plans are to continue reaching the two largest cities on the island like Havana and Santiago de los Caballeros, with a combined population of three million, in the coming year.

In the French Antilles Guiana region, the church is working on initiatives to reach the post-modern generation prevalent there.

Inter-America’s Executive Committee members listen to the progress of the church throughout the 22 church regions in territory, on Oct. 28, 2012, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Image by Libna Stevens.

Jamaica reported that this year, the church celebrated the impact and contribution of the church on the island over the past 50 years. The report included their main strategies for growth and consolidation, education and community outreach through the 724 churches and among its more than 267,000 church members.

Inter-America’s Executive Committee will vote on policies, upcoming division-wide initiatives and events, and financial strategies, among others, through October 30, 2012.

For more information on decisions taken during IAD’s 2012 Year-End Executive Committee meetings, visit us at https://recursing-golick.147-182-135-0.plesk.page

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