In Inter-America, ASi Convention Celebrates Impact After 20 Years
Ian Greene from ASi Bahamas presents a report of the community impact chapter members have been able to accomplish during the past year. Greene was accompanied by dozens of chapter members on Aug. 10, 2018, as they challenged business owners and health professionals to get involved in the mission of sharing the gospel in the market place during the four-day annual convention held in Cancun, Mexico.
August 13, 2018 | Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico | Libna Stevens/IAD
Seventh-day Adventist business owners and health professionals from throughout the Inter-American Division (IAD) were charged with reaching out to their peers and communities with the message of hope and salvation as this year’s Adventist-Laymen’s Services and Industries (ASi) annual convention concluded in Cancun, Mexico, Aug. 11, 2018.
Nearly 300 Adventist professionals networked together and displayed their passion for the mission of the church in their respective countries as they stood in commitment to continue being key players in reaching more with the gospel.
“ASi exists for one reason and that is to preach the living gospel that Jesus is coming soon,” said Pastor Omar Grieves, director of La Voz de la Esperanza, during the Sabbath keynote address. It’s about being an influence in the work place and in all spheres of life, surrendering every day to Jesus, he said.
Omar Grieve of La Voz de la Esperanza speaks to the ASi Inter-America delegation during the Sabbath morning service Aug. 11, 2018. Photo by Libna Stevens/IAD
Grieve recounted key dates in the history of the Adventist Church, pointed to significant events taking place in the world today and reflected on the end-time prophecy found in Revelation 13.
“Be a beacon to the world as you testify what God has done through you and bring souls to the foot of the cross understanding that your mission day in and day out be the preaching of the gospel and the salvation of those that are dying in this sinful world,” Grieve said.
Reaching influential people
Reaching others is not only about communities in need but those in influential positions, said Dr. Ganoune Diop, director of public affairs and religious liberty for the Adventist world church, as he addressed attendees at the end of the four-day convention.
ASi Panel of speakers from left to right: Gustavo Menéndez (translator), Dr. Ganoune Diop, Steve Dickman, Clare Henry, Zukisani Mxoli, Heidi Schultz, and Jeff Tartarchuk. Photo by Germán Rodríguez/IAD
“The most neglected people on planet earth are influential people, decision makers,” said Diop. “Our church has been promoting very significantly to have centers of influence, but let’s not forget people of influence because this is where the Lord is counting on you.”
Diop charged the assembly to share hope that it is within them and be sure to be relevant to the world. “God sends you to reach so many influential people with the most beautiful message. Ellen G. White says the last message that we will be preaching is the message of love and justice, so pray for God to teach you how to simply share your truth to every person you meet,” Diop said.
Witnessing everywhere
Every person Eugene Benjamin meets in his home island of Antigua, whether a business owner, a client, or anyone on the streets, is one more person to whom he can testify of God’s goodness in his life and the message of the gospel.
For more than 20 years, Benjamin has been a lay preacher in the Caribbean region, Inter-America, and the United Kingdom. He has held nearly 100 evangelistic campaigns during that time with a team composed of bible workers, a song leader, prayer warrior and a technician, who travel with him for two to three weeks every quarter to witness to others. The campaigns are all funded by earnings from his electrical power and distribution service company and hardware stores he owns in Antigua.
Dr. Ganoune Diop of the Adventist World Church and Steve Dickman of ASi North America hand an ASI award to Eugene Benjamin (center) of Antigua for his evangelism work in Cancun previous to the convention. Photo by Libna Stevens/IAD
“God saved my life when I was electrocuted while on the job and lay dying in the intensive care unit many years ago,” said Benjamin. “I vowed on that bed for the Lord to use me as a tool for his Kingdom, and I have seen that partnership with Him grown in amazing ways,” he said. Benjamin accounts for more than 10,000 new believers who have joined the church through his lay evangelism ministry.
Benjamin joined the ASi chapter in Antigua some four years ago and has seen it revived and moving forward to challenge other Adventist business owners to take part in ministering to others through their place of work, partner in a community project, assist in upgrading Adventist schools, or upgrade churches with better sound systems, among others.
ASi evangelism impact in Cancun
As part of ASi Inter-America coordinating evangelism and projects, Benjamin met with local pastors at the 20 Adventist Churches in Cancun to strategize on the evangelism work to be done for evangelistic campaigns 20 ASi members from Guatemala and the Caribbean would lead one week before the convention.
Benjamin reported that 50 people were baptized as a result of the evangelistic campaigns and a dozen more will be joining the church in the coming weeks as the result of the ASi and local ministry partnership.
Adventist Justice Clare Henry (right) of Antigua and Barbuda speaks during a plenary session. Suzanne Babshaw (left) translates during the presentation. Photo by Libna Stevens/IAD
It’s as simple as partnering with God, said Benjamin, “fulfilling the mission that He has for you in your place of business and the community.”
Danilo Roque, a cattle rancher in Guatemala has seen first hand that partnership to fulfill the mission of the church. He was part of the team of 12 business owners who travelled to Cancun to lead a one-week evangelism campaign prior to the convention. An ASi-er for three years now, the campaign in Cancun was one of 10 he usually holds every year. Roque has led evangelistic campaigns in Mexico, his home country, plus Colombia and other countries in South America.
“This ASi market ministry is not about what you can gain as a business owner but what you can give, how you can support and advance the mission while you’re able before the Lord comes,” Roque said.
Roque’s outlook is at the core of what the ASi convention is all about, said Pastor James Daniel, secretary of ASi Inter-America and main organizer of the event. “ASi seeks to inspire and reaffirm local chapters, members and attendees of their commitment to sharing Christ in their businesses and communities in support of the mission of the church,” said Daniel.
more than 300 ASi members and church members met during the Sabbath service at the Crown Paradise Plaza Hotel in Cancun, Mexico, Aug. 11, 2018. Photo by Libna Stevens/IAD
Daniel reported that there are 16 ASi chapters throughout the IAD territory and 9 more are in the process of requesting to get organized across Central America and the Caribbean Union.
20 years celebrating ASi Inter-America
Themed “20 Years Transforming Lives in the Marketplace,” the convention highlighted the growth of the ASi Inter-America main chapter since it was organized in 1998, featured 20 seminars, six plenary sessions, several devotionals, a panel discussion, ASi ministry reports, awards sessions, and more.
This year’s special offering collected during the convention will be used to assist with the rebuilding of Adventist Churches in the hurricane affected island of Dominica and the construction of an Adventist Church where a group of business owners and professionals have been meeting every Sabbath for more than six months.
A group of professionals set out from the Central Adventist Church in Cancun to reach out to other professionals in a structure that will need a wall structure. Part of the offering collected during the convention will help in the construction of this church. Photo courtesy of Maritza López
New ASi Officers for the 2018-2020 term were voted to include:
Marson Thomas, president
Verna Clarke, First Vice President
James Daniel, Secretary
Ivelisse Herrera, Treasurer
Regional Vice presidents
Fidel Villarreal, Mexico region
Carlos Brown, Central American region
Dany Roa, South American region (Colombia and Venezuela)
Jean Holder, French region
Johan Riley, English Caribbean region
David Martínez, Public Relations Officer
Eugene Benjamin, Evangelism and Project Coordinator
ASi Inter-America convention speakers included:
Ganoune Diop of the Adventist World Church, Steve Dickman of ASi North American Division; Carlos Fayard of Loma Linda University; Zukisani Mxoli of South Africa; Balvin Braham of the Inter-American Division; Omar Grieve of La Voz de la Esperanza, Ralph S. Watts Jr. of Quiet Hour Ministries, Justice Clare Henry of Antingua and Barbuda; Heidi Schulz of Germany, Jeff Tartarchuk of Fruition Lab, David Martinez of Guatemala; Eugene Benjamin of Antigua; Jose Manuel Martinez of Colombia; and Cesar Ponce of Deippa Law Firm in Miami, Florida.
Next year’s ASi Inter-America Convention is Scheduled to take place in The Bahamas, August 21-24, 2019.
To view a photo gallery of ASi Inter-America Convention click HERE