Less large events and more regional activities will take place in Inter-America

Inter-American Division’s top three administrators (left to right) Pastors Filiberto Verduzco, treasurer, Israel Leito, president, and Elie Henry, go over the authorized meetings for 2016 and the calendar of events with committee members on Nov. 3, 2015, in Miami, Florida. Image by Libna Stevens/IAD

November 4, 2015 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens/IAD

In the interest of reducing costs and focusing on events and activities in local areas, top executive leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America voted to a approve several division-wide activities in 2016 that will set the tone for the next five years.

Some 140 members of the Inter-American Division’s (IAD) Year-End Committee agreed to travel less, videoconference more and organize more regional activities to accomplish the strategic and evangelism plans in the territory.

“We need to hold most of our bi-annual executive committee meetings online, and only discuss budget, policies and major issues face-to-face during one or two days maximum,” said Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America as he addressed top church administrators.

Graphic image by Abel Marquez/IAD

Videoconferences will include all interview sessions with all IAD boards and executive committee meetings.

Inter-America will also shy away from departmental advisories throughout the quinquennium and large congresses, with the exception of one division-wide advisory in 2016, and the annual division-wide evangelistic campaign event, Pastor Leito said. The territory-wide pathfinder camporee scheduled for 2017 remains on schedule, he added.

“We must make these adjustments for the good of the church, to keep the mission of the church unaffected and moving forward,” Pastor Leito added.

Scheduled IAD voted events for 2016 are as follows:

Worship, Faithfulness and Evangelism Meeting – January 6-10, 2016
A special stewardship advisory of worship, faithfulness, and evangelism focused on union and local field leaders will be held January 6-10, 2016, in Cancun Mexico. Participants include union administrators and union stewardship directors as well as local conference/mission presidents.

Departmental Advisories – April 18-21, 2016
Advisories to establish strategic focus and provide training for all of the church’s departments and ministries directors will be held April 18-21, 2016, in Miami, Florida. Regular invitees include all union departmental directors and union departmental associates.

“Lord Transform Me” Division-wide Evangelism Launch – April 16, 2016
Inter-America’s new evangelism initiative “Lord Transform Me” will be launched during a division-wide event held via satellite from Caracas, Venezuela on Apr. 16, 2016. The initiative will represent the culmination of aggressive evangelism campaigns being held across Inter-America Apr. 9-15.

“Lord Transform Me” Regional Summits – May-June 2016
Four regional summits across Inter-America will be held to equip laypersons, or active church members, with knowledge and skills to effectively participate in the evangelism initiative to fulfill the mission of the church. Each regional meeting will have more than 1,100 attending in different countries:

• May 23-24 – Medellin, Colombia. The event will include attendees from North and South Colombia, as well as East and West Venezuela Unions and the Caribbean Union.
• May 30-31 – Nicaragua. The event will include attendees from Belize Union of Churches, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and South Central American Unions.
• June 6-7, 2016 – Cancun, Mexico. The event will include attendees from the Central, Chiapas, Inter-Oceanic, North and Southeast Mexican Unions as well as Jamaica Union and Puerto Rican Union.
• June 27-28, 2016 – Dominican Republic. The event will include attendees from Atlantic Caribbean, Cuban, Dominican, Dutch Caribbean, and French Antilles Guiana Union.

Training of new union committee members on organizational governance like role and function of committees and boards, and the duties and expectations of members will take place right after the “Lord Transform Me” regional summits as follows:

• May 25, 2016 – Medellin, Colombia
• June 1 – Nicaragua
• June 8, 2016 – Cancun, Mexico
• June 29 – Dominican Republic

Adventist-layperson’s Services and Industries Convention – August 17-20, 2016
ASi members from across the territory will have the opportunity to network and participate in Inter-America’s ASi Convention which is scheduled to take place Aug. 17-20, 2016, in Medellin, Colombia. For more information visit asi.interamerica.org

For information and updates on Inter-America’s events, visit us at interamerica.org