Inter-American Leadership To Elect Department Heads and Regional Leaders

January 26, 2021 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

Top Seventh-day Adventist leaders from across the church in the Inter-American Division (IAD) voted today to hold elections of its department heads this April during the mid-year business meetings of its executive committee. Department heads are normally elected during each General Conference Session, but the unusual move was made because, due to the pandemic, the Session, rescheduled for May of this year, was postponed until June 2022.

The vote to move the elections up was held during a virtual conference and was nearly unanimous.

The General Conference Executive Committee in view of the Article XI of its bylaws gave authorization for divisions to appoint associate officers, field secretaries, department directors and associates before session for the term that ends in 2025, church administrators said.

“We have talked to you union leaders and our departmental directors recently and we believe that this vote can help us move forward as a church focused on the comprehensive strategic plan to continue preaching the Word of God with the ‘I Will Go’ initiative this quinquennium,” said Pastor Elie Henry, president of the church in Inter-America. “We must be bold in doing the Lord’s work.”

The procedure to elect or appoint officers will be the usual one, added Pastor Henry.  According to the Working Policy B 05 15: The General Conference has delegated to the Division Executive Committee the authority to appoint associate officers, field secretaries and departmental directors/secretaries and associates to serve within its territory. The Division Executive Committee may appoint its own nominating committee to operate under the chairmanship of the Division president for this purpose.”

Things are changing, he said. “We are seeing how things are getting really tough, and it is time for us to be alert,” he said. “We must be putting more light onto the path we are on.”

“This is an important vote we took to go ahead this year to choose personnel rather than wait until 2022, for we must move forward with the mission plan,” said Pastor Leonard Johnson, executive secretary for the church in Inter-America.

Executive committee members will also move ahead with electing top administrators of the 13 IAD union missions and division institutions during the Apr. 26-29, 2021, online business meetings.

Committee leaders also voted on some recommendations regarding procedures designed to assist in holding conference sessions via the virtual platform due to the pandemic restrictions, and voted in favor of a moratorium on travel for Division leaders that will be in effect until May.

Also, during today’s meeting, executive committee members were briefed on the success of mission session administrations held this month in the Central Mexico, Guatemala and South Central American unions.

In addition, church administrators were notified of their important enrollment as administrators of hospitals and clinics under the Adventist Healthcare Services Inter-America, for a certification governance training by Loma Linda University to begin on Feb. 28. Training sessions will be carried out every month this year.

Also, church leaders were informed of opportunities available to highlight their organizations and institutions through  this year’s Adventist Virtual Global Campmeeting scheduled to take place May 19-23, 2021, previous to the General Conference Session June 6-11, 2022, in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.

Prayer for the families of church leaders and members who have suffered loss because of the coronavirus pandemic were offered during the online committee meeting.

To learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Inter-American Division, it’s mission initiative and events, visit us at interamerica.org