Inter-America begins its executive committee meetings via video conference for the first time
Inter-American Division church leaders hold its first Mid-Year Executive Committee Meetings via video conference on May 3, 2016, in Miami, Florida, United States. Administrators in regional offices across the IAD territory joined the historic meetings. Image by Libna Stevens/IAD
May 4, 2016 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens/IAD
Top Seventh-day Adventist administrators and board members of the Inter-American Division’s (IAD) Executive Committee held the first day of mid-year business meetings via video conference this week at the IAD Headquarters Office in Miami, Florida, United States. The May 3 meeting became the first of its kind where top level administrators from its 24 major church regions, or unions, were connected on video conference system to take actions regarding plans, upcoming initiatives and events across the territory.
IAD leaders gather at the Maranatha Board Room during the video conference on May 3, 2016. Image by Keila Trejo/IAD
“This is indeed a historic committee meeting moment for us and the first division executive committee held through video conference around the world church I believe,” said Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America. Pastor Leito explained that technology has been a major strategic issue the church has invested in during the past four years, one that is helping move the church forward across the 42 countries and islands in the IAD territory.
The Division stands to save some US$400,000 by holding its two annual executive committee meetings through video conference instead of hosting them in Miami and at other locations every year, said Filiberto Verduzco, treasurer for the church in Inter-America.
Investing in technology at the division and union levels to enhance the work of the church has been the goal for nearly five years now, explained Verduzco. “Our intent is to optimize resources and invest in other evangelistic areas which take priority right now such as our new venture with Hope Channel Inter-America an its three television channels,” said Verduzco.
Saving is also trickling down to the unions and their fields as well, explained Verduzco. “I’ve been present during a video conference committee meeting of the South Colombia Union administrators and its local field administrators, so this video conference technology is saving us money at all levels,” Verduzco added.
Nearly 100 church administrators connected from their regional headquarter offices to go over evangelism plans and vote online on 45 items on the agenda.
A few items were voted through the IAD’s intranet system where committee members were logged in and had to check in to the session meeting to vote documents listed on the system. The IAD Net or meeting session system allows committee members to ask questions or make comments on a queuing system. A few glitches occurred as committee members tried to vote for items so members switched to raising their hands to vote during the video conference.
Pastor Gerson Santos, associate secretary for the Adventist World Church, commended IAD officers for the technological advance in holding such a meeting without using traveling budgets. “Your spouses should be very happy because such a meeting like this allows a lot of families to be together later today,” said Pastor Santos. “Family time is more important than saving money.”
Committee members were able to log in and check into a online session meeting to view agenda items and queue in for questions and comments. Image by Keila Trejo/IAD
Santos spoke to the leadership during the devotional session on referencing 2 Kings 22. He pointed to church leaders to be obedient to God and His Word, delegate and share their responsibilities with others, trust those sharing responsibilities and follow through, remain humble, be bold in taking action and seek God’s guidance daily.
“The Word of God needs to be part of our daily life and personal life ministry,” said Pastor Santos. “It’s part of your call, part of your ministry, part of your responsibility as leaders in this church to take care of yourself, your family and then the church.”
“Christ in us and the Word of God with us will make the difference as you serve the church.” Santos said.
Santos message resonated as IAD leaders have already begun engaging their constituents in pursuing a daily transformation that can only come from the Holy Spirit, daily study of the Scriptures and time spent in prayer, through the church’s “Lord Transform Me” initiative.
Voted initiatives to engage members in pursuing a transformation in Christ in witnessing and proclaiming the gospel in their communities, included:
Points for preaching in 2017
The committee voted to establish 33,215 locations or spots for preaching the message of salvation across the IAD territory in 2017. These include involving members in different activities in pursuit of reaching total member involvement in serving the church and their communities. Visit IAD’s personal ministries website here https://grupospequenos.interamerica.org/
Advent Connect Online Platform Project
A new online platform called Adventist Connect will provide church members, friends, and guests to explore the Word of God and learn how to develop and live an intimate relationship with Him. In addition, resources will be provided to train on pursuing a transforming in their physical, spiritual, social and mental faculties as well as interactive. The online platform will be carried by Inter-America’s online institution Herbert Fletcher University (HFU), effective June 2016.
Faye Patterson, associate education director, gets to testing the intranet system during the meetings. Image by Keila Trejo/IAD
Healthy churches
A strategy consisting of the four focus elements of health is planned to take place at the more than 20,000 congregations in the IAD. The initiative will include motivating the church to follow an organized program for praying for the sick, promoting principles geared toward a healthy lifestyle to prevent diseases, put into practice those principles and proclaiming the health message within the community.
Online Sabbath school Teachers Certification
An online certification program for Sabbath School teachers across the IAD territory will be available through Inter-America’s Sabbath School department and HFU starting August. The certification will be provided to thousands of Sabbath School teachers who will be processed through local fields and unions for online course registration at HFU. For more information, visit hfuniversity.org
Online Communication Sessions
The IAD Communication Department will seek to enhance organizational communication in the church through various training sessions and exchange ideas with leaders at levels through online communication sessions beginning July 5, 2016 and later on November 3, 2016. The sessions will be transmitted online through the IAD web channel and will include practical short talks, every four months. The sessions will be directed to church leaders at all levels, including administrators, union and local field departmental directors and district pastors, as well as Adventist communicators.
Hope Channel Inter-America Launch
Inter-America’s official launch of its three new television channels will take place on September 15, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. (Miami Time).
Bible Boom Grand Finale Competition
The Bible Boom competition for youth across the territory will be held on Dec. 9-11 in the Dominican Republic. Finalists will be tested on:
Books of the Bible: Joshua, Judges, and Ruth,
Ellen G. White’s Patriarchs and Prophets, Chapters 1-12
IAD Pathfinder Camporee
Inter-America’s territory-wide pathfinder camporee will take place April 11-16, 2017, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. More than 15,000 pathfinders from across the IAD are expected to attend. For more information visit here
8th World IRLA Congress
The Adventist world church will hold its 8th World IRLA Congress August 22-24, 2017, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, United States. Attendees from the IAD territory will include delegates and special invitees. For more information visit irla.org
Online Meeting for Pastor’s Children
An online meeting for children of pastors across the IAD will be held on September 20, 2017, from Miami, Florida. The event will seek to encourage them to participate in mission projects.
Online Deaconesses Event
The first online deaconess meeting will be held November 21, 2016, from the IAD Office in Miami, Florida. The event aims to promote and provide resources to train deaconesses for optimum ministries in their churches, exchange ideas and initiatives for future programs and evaluate current programs implemented.
IAD Boards and union interviews took place earlier this week and last week. Union Administrators will travel to meet this weekend in South Florida for leadership training and one more day of meetings next week.
Inter-America’s Mid-Year Committee Meetings will resume on May 9, at the IAD Office in Miami, Florida, where committee members will be present to vote on additional initiatives, policies, reorganization of local fields calendar of special days and events, executive secretary’s report and treasurer’s report.
“This has been a wonderful experience and one of great value to the church today,” said Pastor Leito. “Our technical staff did many testing sessions and those glitches that we faced today will be taken care of during our year-end meetings in October.”
To view pictures of the Inter-America’s Mid-Year Committee Meetings during the video conference, click HERE