ASI Inter-America seeks to boost chapter growth across the territory
Some 45 Adventist-laymen’s Services and Insdustries leaders and chapter members from across the church in Inter-America gathered for the first ASI leadership training to strengthen chapters in sharing Christ through business and communities, in Miami, Florida, Mar. 26-27, 2014. Images by Libna Stevens/IAD
April 6, 2014 – Miami, Florida, United States…Libna Stevens/IAD
A special ASI Leadership Training workshop took place at the Inter-American Division Headquarters in Miami, Florida, March 26-27, 2014. The event was held to strengthen the Adventist-laymen and Services Industries (ASI) organization chapters across the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Inter-American Division (IAD).
Dr. Marston Thomas, president of ASI Inter-America, says the ASI training was necessary to make the leadership more effective in mission and contributing to the development of ASI in the IAD.
Dozens of ASI chapter leaders and members met to learn the basics of ASI and its role in partnering with the church, review the ASI constitution, maintain chapters and develop sustainable projects, identify needy projects in the community, report on funded projects, fuel their leadership skills, and focus on ASI’s mission to share Christ in the marketplace.
“This training was necessary to make the leadership more effective in mission and contributing to the development of ASI in the Division,” said Dr. Marston Thomas, ASI Inter-America president.
The leadership training workshop was designed to focus on ASI’s mission “to provide spiritual nurture, foster professional growth and commercial networking and to cooperate with church leadership while creating unique ways to proclaim the everlasting Gospel,” emphasized Thomas.
Three ASI leaders of a seven-member panel discuss methods and activities to boost membership growth in existing chapters, during the two-day leadership training workshop.
A panel of ASI chapter leaders discussed methods and initiatives to boost membership growth in existing chapters and shared various approaches to maintain a close partnership with church leadership.
The workshop was the first of its kind to be held in Inter-America since the ASI Inter-America organization was established in 1997.
With 21 ASI chapters functioning in 12 of the 22 IAD unions, plus an initial presence in two other regions, the challenge is to establish a presence in the 10 remaining unions of the IAD and to revive some chapters that have faded, according to Thomas.
Pastor Leon B. Wellington, vice president of the IAD and secretary of ASI Inter-America, said that although much of the ASI growth depends on local professionals and local church leadership partnering to seek to reach mutual goals and objectives, ASI Inter-America leaders have traveled extensively during the last four years to promote and train for a better understanding of ASI and its role.
Pastor Leon B. Wellington, secretary of ASI Inter-America, says “the level of interest is increasing as people come to see the value that can be added to their ministry and mission through the work of ASI.”
Last year, projects to fund the launch of Esperanza TV in Costa Rica and the support of funding young people in mission service called ASI Mission and Beyond from the Caribbean have boosted more interest in local and territory-wide support, said Pastor Wellington.
“The level of interest is increasing as people come to see the value that can be added to their ministry and mission through the work of ASI,” added Wellington.
ASI Inter-America leaders are gearing up to support the local chapter in Puebla, Mexico, where this year’s annual convention will be held from Aug. 13-16.
Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries is an organization of Seventh-day Adventist lay people involved in professions, industry, education, and/or services and exists to challenge, nurture, and provide experience in sharing Christ in the marketplace as well as supporting the global mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
For more on ASI Inter-America, visit asi.interamerica.org
To view photo gallery of the ASI Inter-America leadership training, click HERE