Public Campus Ministries Strengthens Across Mexico and Central America

More than 1,600 Adventist students gathered at the Colegio Adventista Metropolitano during a Public Campus Ministries (PCM) Congress, held in Panama City, Panama, last month. PCM leaders traveled to Mexico, Guatemala and Panama, July 9-28, 2017, to train Adventist students to establish centers of influence in the campuses where they study. Image from Facebook

August 15, 2017 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens/IAD

Hundreds of Seventh-day Adventists studying in non-Adventist universities in parts of Mexico and Central America recommitted to sharing hope on their campuses and communities recently, thanks to an initiative put in place by the church’s Public Campus Ministries. The initiative is designed to establish centers of Christian influence in universities not operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The three-week multi-city tour inspired nearly 3,000 students and young professionals in North Mexico, Chiapas, Guatemala and Panama to become active disciples of Jesus by fulfilling a mission to make a difference in their communities under the theme: “Follow Jesus, Embrace His Mission, Change the World.”

Students were inspired, trained, and challenged to take on the world and commit to being faithful amid secular influences, become involved in missionary work on campus, find ways to bless others and extend the service into the community around them.

“It’s important that each [Adventist] university student is clear about his or her identity, that they take on that sense of mission and missionary purpose on campus,” said Hiram Ruiz, public campus ministries director for the church in Inter-America. The key is for every student to become a missionary on campus by witnessing to at least one friend to follow Jesus, and becoming part of a supportive Christian network, he added.

In order to be successful in missionary service on campus, students must maintain a close, daily relationship with Jesus, emphasized Pastor Jiwan Moon, public campus ministries director for the Adventist world church. Pastor Moon travelled to campuses and auditoriums last month with Ruiz.

Moon marvels at how quickly students and Adventist professionals are joining public campus ministries. He said that public campus ministries is the fastest growing ministry across all [13] divisions around the world church since it was established in 2014.

To find out more about Inter-America’s Public Campus Ministries and its available resources, visit pcm.interamerica.org