Adventist Universities in Mexico review present and future of education

Church administrators and educators discuss how to provide more education to the fast growing membership in Mexico, during a meeting at the Inter-American Division Headquarters office in Miami, Florida, May 27, 2013. Images by Libna Stevens

June 20, 2013 – Miami, Florida, United States…Raul Lozano/IAD Staff

Concerned with the current and future education of its three Seventh-day Adventist universities, top church administrators and Mexico’s regional church leaders met recently in Miami, Florida, to study ways to respond to the increasing educational needs of its growing membership.

The issues discussed included the challenges of increasing university extensions from Linda Vista’s University in the city of Merida, Yucatan, and in Tuxtla Gutierrez and from Montemorelos University in Villahermosa, Tabasco. In addition the group analyzed the possibility of a national university system among its three universities: Montemorelos University, Linda Vista University and Navojoa University.

Dr. Gamaliel Florez, education director for the church in Inter-America, says the church has not established universities with the non-dormitory model, but it is something that needs to be discussed more to fulfill the educational needs of the growing membership in Mexico. IAD file photo

According to Dr. Gamaliel Florez, education director for the church in Inter-America, the meeting was important because of the church’s recent reorganization into five major regions throughout the country and interest in establishing universities in various cities without following the dormitory model.

“Until now, the church has not established a model to guide this type of [day] university administration,” explained Dr. Florez.

With a growing membership in Mexico of more than 720,000, additional higher educational institutions promise to better the quality of life and faith of believers, church leaders said. Yet without a defined global plan among institutions in Mexico, leaders agreed that there is a risk of a mutual weakening regarding the academic, physical development and efficiency in the fulfillment of the mission of education.

Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America, chaired the meeting and showed support for the church leaders in Mexico and their concerns.

Pastor Israel Leito (left), president of the church in Inter-America, chairs the discussion meeting with church administrators and educators from Mexico’s three Adventist universities last month.

“Universities should not suffer the consequences of territorial organization,” said Pastor Leito. “We have asked new unions to continue supporting any university that used to belong to their territory and encouraged not to start new institutions. We still think that,” said Pastor Leito. “Yet we have come to the point in which we cannot continue resisting a natural inclination because our existing universities cannot cannot cope with the current membership. We want the work to develop further in Mexico and not hinder that from happening.”

The meetings brought a consensus among education leaders that a system to link higher educational institutions in Mexico – a link which still has to be defined. The three universities are enough to train students, especially in theology degrees. In addition, there was a consensus that there is a need to seriously study opening non-dormitory institutions that could possible be extensions or autonomous universities.

Dr. Ismael Castillo, president of Montemorelos University agrees that it will not be an easy task.

“We will have to define how many students are between the ages of 18 and 24 and what educational offering will be given, that may reduce to a few individuals,” said Castillo. “These two factors will lead us to think that investing in such day universities could be something unaffordable unless it is taken as an evangelistic project.”

A special commission was formed to study the issues and concerns discussed as well as exploring extensions or new institutions in five key cities in Mexico. The results will be presented to the executive committee members later this year.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Mexico has more than 720,000 members worshiping in 4,943 churches and groups across five regional territories. The church also operates three universities, dozens of primary and secondary schools, two hospitals, several clinics and food companies.