Adventist Church in Puerto Rico Elects New President and Treasurer

November 23, 2020 | Mayaguez, Puerto Rico | David Sebastian and Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Puerto Rico elected Pastor Luis Rivera to head as president during its year-end executive committee meetings held last week at Antillean Adventist University in Mayaguez. He was voted in by church leaders following the retirement announcement of Pastor  Jose Alberto Rodríguez, who served as president of the church in Puerto Rico since 2006.

Pastor Rivera, 46, becomes the youngest union president for the church in Puerto Rico. He was treasurer of the Puerto Rican Union for 10 years. Prior to that he served as director for various departments and three years as general manager of Bella Vista Hospital. In total, he has 27 years of denominational service, including working as a conference secretary-treasurer, ADRA regional director, and administrator of various schools.  Rivera is married to Camille Ayala and has two children, Kamilah and Luis Alberto.

“I feel apprehensive,” said Rivera to the executive committee. “But I know God will equip me and sustain me.”

As Rivera accepted his new position, the nominating committee recommended Misael Jiménez as the new union treasurer. Jiménez, who has been working as vice president of financial affairs at Antillean Adventist University for 18 years, was voted in by the committee.

Jiménez has 30 years of experience working for the church, having served as publishing ministries director, mission secretary-treasurer, and administrator of the Natural Food Center.

Inter-American Division President Pastor Elie Henry, who officiated during the nominating committee process in Puerto Rico, welcomed Pastors Rivera and Jiménez to their new posts and thanked Pastor Rodríguez for his dedication to the church.

“You are coming at the office of president at a time of great challenges in the Puerto Rican Union and globally,” said Pastor Henry, “but you have an advantage for having worked with Pastor Rodriguez for several years as the treasurer of the union, and for knowing some characteristics of the church in Puerto Rico.”

Pastor Henry encouraged Rivera to listen to the constituency with love and care, to be courageous and strong, always looking for ways to inspire and motivate them to be disciples of Jesus–preaching, teaching and serving the community. “Follow your heart and keep working only for the One who called you in ministry and to leadership.”

Speaking on his decision to surprise the executive committee with the announcement of retirement, Rodríguez said: “I had expressed my wishes to retire in 2017, but Hurricane Maria came. I had been wanting to retire but the natural events postponed my wishes,” he said. “Three times I tried and was not able to. I saw that it was the opportunity to retire.”

Pastor Rodríguez has more than 38 of service in the church, 18 of those years in the union headquarter office as president and youth ministries director. In addition, he served 12 years as youth ministries director and personal ministries director at conference level, and became the first president of the south mission in Puerto Rico, which is now a conference.

Also, Rodríguez has stood out in community service as ADRA Puerto Rico director working to assist thousands of needy families, working on various projects in the Caribbean, Central America, Asia and South America.

“We praise the Lord for the 38 years of ministry of Pastor Jose Alberto Rodriguez in Puerto Rico, where he imprinted a Christian spirit and a service of love and compassion,” said Pastor Henry. Not only did Pastor Rodríguez serve with passion to grow the church on the island but leaves a steady progress at Antillean Adventist University, schools and others institutions, and a turnaround at Bella Vista Hospital, said Pastor Henry.

“The Seventh-day Adventist Church is recognized in Puerto Rico for its compassion and action on behalf of the disadvantaged, because Pastor Rodríguez has been able to motivate the entire community of believers and non-believers to reach out and provide relief,” added Pastor Henry.

In lieu of a farewell party, Pastor Rodríguez requested that church-operated radio stations on the island carry fundraising events to raise money to help victims of the recent hurricanes that struck Central America.

Pastor Rodríguez retirement went into effect on Nov. 17. He has been married to Maria C. Rivera for nearly 46 years. They both have two adult children and two grandchildren.