Institutional Boards Report Growth and Ongoing Development Plans

May 3, 2022 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

Seventh-day Adventist leaders throughout Inter-America began listening to progress reports and voting on development plans from several of the church’s institutional boards this week. Dozens of administrators and board members met online to review the state of three institutions, its lingering challenges, and current financial status during day one of full board meetings on May 2, 2022.

IADPA

Administrators of the Inter-American Division Publishing Association (IADPA) began their report to board members on how, after emerging from the effects of the pandemic that affected its sales for the two years, it saw an increase of 4.2 percent in sales in 2021.  The publishing association saw 11 million dollars in sales last year, of which 45 percent represents sales of books, Sabbath school resources and more.  Compared to the first quarter in 2022, the sales are beginning to level more evenly since before the pandemic, IADPA officials said.

“In spite of the crisis that we have seen, the Lord continues to provide resources for our publishing association to continue supporting our bookstores which are keeping strong,” said Saúl Ortíz, president of IADPA. Fourteen out of the 19 bookstores across the territory have seen a substantial increase in sales.

IADPA administrators reported that it will subsidize three months of salary for associate publishing directors overseeing literature evangelists at the union level, according to the policy in place in existence by the Inter-American Division, said Ortíz.

Ortíz reviewed the plan to join the Adventist world church’s initiative to distribute one billion copies of the Great Controversy book by Ellen G. White, as a missionary book during 2023-2024.  Church members in Inter-America are expected to begin massive distribution on Mar. 18, 2023, in hard copy format and additionally in digital format in English, Spanish, French, Papiamento, Creole and Dutch. “This is the first time that a missionary book will be translated into six languages for our Division territory,” Ortiz said.

The distribution plan will see more than 6 million of the 600-page book in hardcopy and 94 million digital copies distributed in Inter-America. The initiative will provide complementing evangelistic messages for each chapter, accompanying videos, radio programs, and more.

More than 250 new book titles have been released in the past five years, IADPA leaders reported.  The most printed book by IADPA has remained “Steps to Christ” by Ellen G. White during the past five years, with more than 70,000 copies printed every year. There are additional  resources and presentations from children to adult age to complement it.

New resources were introduced to board members from a cook book with children, a nutritional recipe book, a parenting book, bible study book for women, emotional health and mental health books and resources, among others. Upcoming publications were also presented.

Board members voted on constitutional amendments, reviewed a financial report which saw a profit increase of half of a percent, while some expenses decreased since last year. As of March 31, 2022, the monthly working capital is 23.62 percent and liquidity 2.62 percent.

AHSIA

Members of the Adventist Healthcare Services – Inter-America Board were briefed on the statistics that keep growing throughout the hospitals and clinics that continue to provide medical and health services during the 2021 period.

At the end of 2021 more than 20,000 people were admitted at the 14 Adventist hospitals across Inter-America and 246,251 persons were seen by the 21 clinics operated by the church, reported Franck Géneus, M.D., president of AHSIA.

The hospital system combined has 2,016 beds, employs 2,482 staff members, and sees an average of 3,500 patients daily, he said. Among the 767 physicians, 154 are employed medical staff, and 613 are non-regularly employed staff. “We have an inclusive system but we believe that we need to work on developing capacities to impart the Adventist philosophy on an ongoing basis.”

Dr. Géneus reported that there were 19,584 COVID cases reported last year throughout the hospital system but thankfully none of those cases resulted in deaths.

One thing to consider is for church members to undertake the actions of health ministries at four levels including personal health improvement and development, health promotion in the community, personal or corporate ministry, building healthy communities.

“Our health services must be mission focused, utilizing Christ’s method approach, excellence driven with the highest quality of care, as well as value-based management of all Adventist health service entities and programs,” said Géneus.

Board members were briefed on the financial stability of AHSIA and voted on amendments to its constitution.

IAHFC

Inter-American Health Food Company leaders reported on 2021 as one emerging from the  challenges of the pandemic, but the mission of supporting the church throughout its 11 food factories and branches continues to be a priority.

IAHFC still saw an increase in earnings of 4 percent for 2021, still not as high as in previous years but still a positive one, said José Flóres, director of IAHFC. Some branches saw lower earnings for several months, had to deal with 90 positive Covid cases among its 499 employees, but thankfully with no deaths among them. Four employees died from Covid in 2020, he said.

An administrative evaluation this year saw three branches with excellent scores, six with average and above average scores, as well as two with very low scores and struggling, reported Flóres.

An assessment of the branches showed that that much of its machinery was obsolete, in some cases with equipment older than 30 years.

“We want to improve all this equipment in a significant way in order to also develop new products like more cereals in Venezuela, liquid drinks in Mexico, and powdered drinks in Central America but this requires money,” said Flóres.

A request to the board was made for authorization to seek the most appropriate financial resources of funding to address the pressing equipment needs.

A vote was taken to appoint Saul Márquez as the new accountant for IAHFC, as well as Luis Enrique Meza to become general manager of Alimentos Colpac in Mexico, and David Huamán Céspedes (finances), and Enrique Garcia Portillo (sales) as IAHFC assistant directors.

To learn more about Inter-America’s Institutions, its initiatives and activities, visit us at interamerica.org