In North Mexico, Adventist leaders and students have the first opportunity to meet in public university

More than 50 Adventist leaders, professionals and students gathered for the first Public Campus Ministries launch at the Antonoma University of Tamaulipas in North Mexico, May 21, 2016. The event represented the first time a public university in Mexico opens its auditorium for a religious organization to use on campus. Image by Abdiel Moreno.

June 20, 2016 | Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico | IAD Staff

Seventh-day Adventist leaders in North Mexico are rejoicing for the first opportunity the church had to gather Adventist students enrolled at Antonoma University of Tamaulipas, a public institution, for a special program last month.

Dr. Antonio Cremades, Geoscience and Creationism Institute of Montemorelos University, during his speech at the Autonoma University of Tamaulipas. Image by Abdiel Moreno

The four-hour gathering at the university’s auditorium brought the church’s public campus ministries leaders, professionals and students together for the historic meeting which officially launched the beginning of the ministries on the campus.

“This was very significant because it’s the first time a public university opened its auditorium doors so that we can let our young people know that their church is interested in them and are committed to supporting them right where they are,” said Pastor Israel Medrano, executive secretary of the church in North Tamaulipas.

“We wanted the students to network together, and provide them solid tools to defend their faith in the midst of a secular environment and encourage them to form action and prayer groups on their university campus,” said Medrano.

Geoscience Institute director at Montemorelos University Dr. Antonio Cremades held two presentations on the “Origin and Distant Past of Humanity.”

More than 50 Adventist professionals took the time to meet up with dozens of students during the event to form professional support networks as part of the mentoring aspect of public campus ministries.

Inter-American Division’s Public Campus Ministries Director Hiram Ruiz, who greeted those gathered during a live online connection, said that the event was significant for Mexico and the IAD as well.

“This is a very positive opportunity we have been waiting for,” said Ruiz, who is a native of Mexico. “There has not been any available opening in public universities in Mexico for our Adventist students to be able to meet on campus being identified as a religious denomination,” said Ruiz.

Image by Abdiel Moreno

Other public universities in Mexico are slowly opening their doors to what the church is calling “centers of influence” on campus, said Ruiz. Ruiz said that church leaders are working on negotiating with the government of Mexico to allow Adventist students to head the government’s initiative called Healthy University. “If they approve our students to be part of this initiative, they would be able to share spiritual health as well,” said Ruiz.

“We are currently training our young people to give them the proper tools on how to organize these centers of influence in their universities,” added Ruiz. It’s not going to be easy to form these centers, said Ruiz, but “we trust that the university students will come up with creative ways to implement them.”

Church leaders in Tamaulipas are planning to hold a special graduation celebration later this month for the more than 30 students enrolled at the university, as well as a follow-up public campus ministries congress later this month.