Secretary’s Report Highlights the Need for Greater Member Retention

October 31, 2022 | Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

Seventh-day Adventist leaders from the Inter-American Division (IAD) gathered to start the annual year-end business meetings in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, this week, on the heels of centennial celebrations this year concluded on Oct. 29, 2022.

“This year marks the first time that the Executive Committee meets in person since 2019, with full leadership in in-person attendance,” said Pastor Leonard Johnson, executive secretary of the IAD as he opened the three-day business meetings on Oct. 30, 2022.

More than 160 union administrators, institution presidents, and lay and youth representatives from the 24 major church regions came together to dive into the business of the church in all its forms including membership and institutional growth, financial reports, initiatives and programs effectiveness to vote and more.

Statistics are more than numbers

Headlining the meetings was Pastor Johnson, who presented his bi-annual Executive Secretary’s Report. “Statistics are more than just numbers,” he said. “It tells a story of what we have accomplished, what we need to do to move forward.”

At the end of the second quarter, the membership in the IAD stands at 3,677,901, with the Haitian Union leading with more than 494,385 members; then the Jamaica Union with 334,983; Dominican Union with 317,581; and Chiapas Mexican Union with 284,548. 129 New congregations formed this year which represents an average of 22 congregations each month. That brings a total of 24,071 churches and companies so far in the IAD.

There are 3,480 of which most are local church pastors. The figures tell us that the average pastor today oversees 1,056 members, and leads an average of 4.9 churches, and average church and company ratio per pastor is 6.9, noted Johnson.

When it comes to the ratio of population in the IAD territory and church members, said Johnson, with an estimated 304 million people in the territory, that means there is one Seventh-day Adventist for every 83 persons. “This helps us appreciate what has been done so far,” he said. “As we go ahead, we need to reduce this so that we have one member representing fewer people.”

A concerning problem

There were 119,045 new members added during the first two quarters of the year, according to his report. That amount represents some 86,278 baptisms, and profession of faith, former members baptized and letters of transfer.

Where it gets concerning is the number of adjustments pertaining to missing members, deaths, dropped and letters granted with 102,565 adjustment or loss, said Johnson. “This is a problem we have underscored before. We are bringing people in, advancing the mission of God but perhaps we are not doing enough whether in retention, keeping the books up-to-date, or nurturing members.” The figures show a net gain of 16,480 members at the end of the second quarter of the year. “The intent of the report is not to discourage but to share data because we are required by policy to do so.”

Looking at the membership pattern from 2010 to 2021 with additions and losses, 2016 and 2017 were the best years, added Johnson. “While much has been done to improve membership audits, there’s a slight incline from 2020 to 2021, we hope will move in the upward direction.”

There are strategic plans set in motion to address that issue of member losses with what has been coined as the redemptive membership review, more training and evaluation, and application of the working policy, noted Johnson.

Pastor Johnson reported that all 24 unions are utilizing the Adventist Church Membership System.

In his report, Johnson pointed out that 32 volunteers were in service around the world, 14 serving in the IAD territory through the Adventist Volunteer Services and four in service around the world through VividFaith.  In addition, the report included service requests fulfilled across the territory and zoom hours logged in this year.

Women in leadership

Johnson ended his report with a focus on the contributions of women in the development of the church in the IAD in various administrative positions at the division and union levels. From Ethel Edmed, the first woman appointed as secretary-treasurer and auditor of the East Caribbean Conference in 1927; Paula García as assistant treasurer in the Central American Union in 1971; Myrna Costa, first woman appointed as vice president of the IAD in 2011, among others.

Pastor Johnson thanked the executive committee for electing him and his family for another term as he concluded his report. “This report was more than numbers, statistics, and figures. Every number represents a soul for Christ, every member represents the mission.”

Pastor Thomas Lemon, vice president of the General Conference, praised the secretary for the integrity of the report presented. “When it comes to numbers, sometimes you don’t like the picture but when it’s real is better affirmation and education for what we can do to better,” he said.

Comments on the floor

Pastor Josney Rodriguez, ministerial secretary of the IAD, also thanked the executive secretary for the clear issue of loss of members across the territory. “This reality that the secretary presented to us let us know that we need to strengthen our ministry [as pastors], we are losing and gaining almost the same amount each year and we are doing the best to change the situation,” said Rodriguez.

“We have a responsibility to retain the new generation of members, said Ismael Castillo, president of Montemorelos University in Mexico.

“We need to care for the persons who are getting baptized, not only before and during their baptism but as they serve and get involved in the life of the church,” said Luis Aguillón, executive secretary of El Salvador Union said.

Echoing the concerns on the floor about members leaving the church, Dr. Lincoln Edwards, president of the Northern Caribbean University in Jamaica, said that educational institutions need to play a greater role in retention.  “In the report the secretary mentioned this is a relatively young church with fast growing members from 13 to 45 years of age and it’s precisely the age they are in many of our schools, so we need to seriously look in our schools for member retention.”

There’s got to be balance, said Pastor Samuel Telemaque, Sabbath school director of the IAD. “What we have observed is that we need to find balance between evangelism and retention, we need to work together to find balance, loyal to Christ and the community,” he said.

Committee members voted the Secretary’s report, and also reviewed a report of the various centennial celebrations and activities held during the past 12 months.

To learn more about decisions during Inter-American Division’s Year-End Executive Committee Meetings, visit us at interamerica.org