Adventist Church In Inter-America Launches ‘VividFaith’ to Strengthen Mission Service

Leaders learn new platform to revitalize mission opportunities across IAD’s 25 unions.

Miami, Florida, United States | February 28, 2025 | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Inter-American Division (IAD) took firm steps to revitalize its mission opportunities across its territory’s 25 major regions during an advanced training session held recently in Miami, Florida, United States.  The two-day training sessions brought together union executive leaders and staff to focus on enhancing mission opportunities using the church’s online volunteer recruitment platform called VividFaith.

VividFaith is an online tool designed to connect potential missionaries with mission opportunities worldwide. VividFaith is a key component of the General Conference’s Mission Refocus strategy, which seeks to realign the church’s priorities and mission to better serve its changing membership and communities.

This is the first time that the IAD has partnered with VividFaith on such a large scale during an event called “Mission Recruiting”, said Pastor Samuel Telemaque, Sabbath school and Adventist Mission director of the IAD.  As a direct result of the training, 158 mission assignments were posted on the VividFaith platform, with many responses pouring in immediately.

“With training comes empowerment,” said Telemaque, who was the main organizer of the event. “Our team of new VividFaith coordinators will help grow missions in the IAD, and we look forward to welcoming and equipping missionaries for the many mission fields within our division.”

A Tailored Approach to Global Missions

Preparation for the training event began in late 2024 and involved extensive coordination. According to Fylvia Fowler Kline, VividFaith’s manager, the event’s success was grounded in careful planning. Leaders identified mission opportunities requiring specialized expertise, created detailed job descriptions, and secured the necessary financial support for each position before the event. Kline explained, “What is unique about VividFaith is its ability to customize to an organization’s needs and policies, recruit volunteers, employees, remote workers, freelancers, and more.”

Kline also emphasized the platform’s openness to people of all faiths, which allows Adventists to collaborate alongside individuals from various other faiths. This, she said, fosters an environment where people can build relationships and plant seeds of faith.

Meeting the Growing Demand for Volunteers

The groundbreaking training event underscored the IAD’s commitment to expanding the gospel mission beyond its borders, said Kline. She noted that many individuals are eager to serve, but the demand for mission-focused service opportunities often outpaces the available positions. “IAD’s recent addition of mission opportunities will increase the current mission openings on VividFaith by 15 percent,” Kline explained. With nearly 20,000 registered users, the platform connects skilled individuals with organizations in need.

For years, the IAD had a limited number of volunteer openings on VividFaith, mainly because unions had not played a central role in mission recruitment or had access to the platform, said Kline. The training session aimed to change that by equipping union leaders with the tools to promote VividFaith across conferences and missions.

Expanding Opportunities for Young People

Pastor Telemaque pointed out that the advanced training will have a far-reaching impact, including promoting volunteer opportunities among university students, school events, and churches. “Our young people enrolled in school can take a year off to serve in places like Costa Rica, Panama, or even Haiti,” he said. Current mission opportunities in Haiti alone include teaching roles, such as math and English teachers, both locally and regionally on an online service opportunity.

The goal for the IAD is to recruit 2,000 volunteers by 2030, or at least 400 volunteers per year. This ambitious target highlights the division’s dedication to involving more individuals in mission work.

Broadening the Scope of Mission Work

The training event was also significant for leaders from various regions. Gail Smith-Anthony, of the Caribbean Union, expressed optimism that the event would create more mission opportunities in the Caribbean. “There’s a plethora of young people across the Caribbean ready to get involved in mission activities abroad,” she said. She pointed out that even graduates of the University of Southern Caribbean in Trinidad have the chance to participate in VividFaith’s mission opportunities.

For Jacques Bibrac, executive secretary of the French Antilles Guiana Union, and his assistant Florine Melchior, the training proved to be eye-opening. He believes it will help them engage more volunteers, especially young professionals, for mission opportunities across Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana. “We still need to thoroughly survey the needs in our territory,” Bibrac said, “but we have openings for foreign teachers, church planters, and for others who are willing to serve.”

Misael González, youth ministries director for the Panama Union and a delegate at the training session, was impressed by the user-friendly nature of the platform. He shared that of the five assignments he posted, two people immediately applied to serve in Panama. “This tool is crucial for us because we have areas where missionaries could be a great blessing. It opens a door that connects us here in Panama with those willing to serve from elsewhere,” González explained. He also mentioned that he plans to promote VividFaith’s service opportunities at an upcoming youth leadership congress, where over 1,800 young people will gather at the end of May.

Pastor Leonard Johnson, executive secretary of the IAD, emphasized the importance of identifying mission needs to fulfill the gospel mission across the division. “We cannot keep Jesus to ourselves,” Johnson said. “Our faith leaves no room for exclusivity; we are called to share Him with the world.”

A Unified Church in the Mission

The partnership between the IAD and VividFaith reflects the church’s integrated approach to mission work. Pastor Erton Kohler, executive secretary of the General Conference, expressed that despite administrative and geographical divisions, the church remains unified in its mission. “We may be divided into divisions and attached fields, but we are one church, sharing the same vision and goals,” Kohler said.

Replicating such training events across other divisions will likely lead to a significant increase in mission opportunities, according to Kline. She praised the IAD’s excellent organization and financial support, calling it a “model for the rest of the world divisions.”

At the end of the training, each participant was certified as a VividFaith coordinator, equipped to train others within their union territories and promote mission opportunities across schools, churches, activities, events and more.

Pastor Elie Henry, president of the IAD, reminded attendees of the importance of looking beyond their own resources and needs. “As part of the world church, we must be mindful of the global mission,” he said. “Inter-America must be seen and felt beyond our countries. The world needs to know that our diversity in languages and cultures has a lot to offer in hastening the coming of our Lord.”

To learn more about VividFaith mission opportunities, visit vividfaith.com

Fylvia Fowler Kline contributed information for this article.