Inter-America launches comprehensive initiatives for 2013 during historic online event

Top Seventh-day Adventist leaders in Inter-America participate a special launch of the church’s 2013 Year of the Laity initiatives and activities during a live webcast held in Comayaguela Adventist Church in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on Oct. 27, 2012. The online event connected thousands of local church boards across the territory during the two-hour program. Images by Libna Stevens.

October 31, 2012 – Tegucigalpa, Honduras…Libna Stevens/IAD

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America officially launched its comprehensive initiatives for its 2013 Year of the Laity during a live online program at the Comayaguela Adventist Church in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on Oct. 27, 2012. Dozens of top executive committee members joined the historic event while thousands of church board members across the territory connected via the internet to witness and adopt the initiatives and activities.

Pastor Israel Leito, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America, addresses top executive church leaders and online viewers on 2013 Year of the Laity initiatives, Oct. 27, 2012.

“The church has been enriched by the hard work of our ministers and laypersons, and other active members in spreading the gospel in Inter-America and this is why we have designated 2013 as the Year of the Laity to let work of the church be felt more throughout the community,” said Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America.

“Our online event was about directly involving our church boards in seeing, joining, partnering and adopting the initiatives that will continue to propel our church toward sharing Christ more during 2013,” added Pastor Leito.

It was an orchestrated event which set the tone for the two-hour opening of the bi-annual Executive Committee Meetings in an effort to solicit the support of local church board members to unite in carrying out evangelism efforts throughout their communities while celebrating the work of the laity.

Scheduled events and activities such as spiritual celebrations, virtual councils, gatherings, special baptisms, evangelistic efforts and community impact events are planned as the church and its various ministries endeavor together for united efforts in 2013, said Pastor Melchor Ferreyra, personal ministries director for the church in Inter-America.

Pastor Melchor Ferreyra, personal ministries director for the church in Inter-America explains activities for the Year of the Laity and shares available resources during the online program on Oct. 27.

“We are excited to gain full participation from our laity which includes professionals, men, women, young people and children in the preaching of the gospel,” added Ferreyra.

Already nearly one million laypeople have been specially trained during an initiative which the church in Inter-America has coined as Vision One Mission. The initiative seeks to train or one million disciples in any of five areas: preaching, Bible instruction, witnessing, small group leadership and global mission pioneering.

More than 8,000 connections were registered to watch the webcast and hundreds of comments were logged on the event website as it happened.

Division-wide initiatives highlighting the Year of the Laity include revival convocation, day of fasting and prayer, virtual council for church elders, evangelism deployment throughout the territory, Vision One Million celebration, baptismal ceremony by church elders and community impact through health activities.

Ana Aceituno Ortiz of the Tepeyac Adventist Church in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, was among the 30 church boards gathered at the live event in the Comayaguela Adventist Church. Her church board voted to adopt the initiatives presented during the program.

Inter-American Division’s regional presidents hold plaques and banners in commitment to participating in the church’s activities and events in 2013 Year of the Laity.

As the children’s ministries director in her church, Ortiz was excited to hear of the special activities especially those connecting with the community.

“This program was such an inspiration because it outlined how all the ministries can work together to have a greater impact,” said Ortiz. “We need to continue working for Christ and share with those who still don’t know a thing about Jesus.”

Already Ortiz has organized activities with the 65 children in her church in music festivals, health brigades, activities in orphanages and nursing homes in her community. “Next year will inspire us to do more and reach more,” Ortiz added.

For Ricardo Barrantes, a church elder and stewardship director at the 250-member Kennedy Adventist Church in Tegucigalpa, watching and listening to the eight major events presented for 2013 scheduled was exciting. “These are wonderful plans and activities which means we have to work harder and faster to continue serving God and preparing others to meet Jesus,” said Barrantes.

Children’s Ministries Director for the church in Inter-America Dinorah Rivera (third from left) shares activities planned for children during the coming year during the program. Pastor Benjamin Carballo (center) youth ministries director and Cecilia Iglesias (right), women’s ministries director wait their turn to share during the online event.

Preparing and training others is what has been taking place in the Chiapas Mexican Union and across Inter-America.

Pastor Ignacio Navarro, president for the church in Chiapas, Mexico, stood next to fellow top administrators from Inter-America’s church regions in commitment to joining efforts planned for the Year of the Laity.

So far nearly 67,000 laypersons have been trained to witness more in the southern part of Mexico, said Navarro. “This online program helped bring about renewed efforts for the lay forces in our territory,” he added. The church is planning to hold a massive baptismal ceremony in a 35,000-seat stadium in February as a result of the work of the laity there.

It’s about mobilizing laypersons to witness, preach, distribute literature and many more activities to reach lost souls during the special Year of the Laity, said Edgar Redondo, president of the church in North Colombia, who added that more than 50,000 passionate laypeople have been trained for greater impact.

“These initiatives will only enrich the church, help individual church members to discover their gifts and talents better and focus on sharing about God’s love and grace,” said Redondo.

Already church members in North Colombia have been active in holding health expos, distributing 200,000 copies of “The Great Controversy” book to the authorities, government officials and entire communities, according to Redondo. “

Elsewhere in Inter-America the church prepares to have a historic Year of the Laity and celebrate the victories reached, leaders said.

“Without the laity, the church has no reason for being, so we are certain that God will continue blessing,” said Pastor Leito.

For more on initiatives and resources for the 2013 Year of the Laity initiatives, visit 2013.interamerica.org

To view the video of the webcast of  the Oct. 27 program, click here

To view photos of the online launch on Oct. 27, visit our flickr account here