IAD Leaders Begin 2026 with Prayer, Reflection, and Mission Focus
Church leaders bow in prayer at the start of a New Year worship service at the Inter-American Division headquarters on Jan. 6, 2026, as leaders and staff gathered to seek God’s guidance for the year ahead. [Photo: Libna Stevens/IAD]
January 6, 2026 | Miami, Florida, United States | Inter-American Division News
Seventh-day Adventist leaders and staff at the Inter-American Division (IAD) headquarters in Miami, Florida, began 2026 with prayer, worship, and personal testimonies on Jan. 6, reflecting on God’s providence during a season marked by both gratitude and loss across the territory in 2025. More than 45 administrators and employees gathered to give thanks, share reflections, and align their work with the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
IAD President Pastor Abner De los Santos reflected on several tragic events that deeply impacted the church family in recent weeks, including the sudden passing of a well-known pastor in Mexico, the death of a 21-year-old son of a pastor in El Salvador, and the loss of Sabine Honore, a worker at the IAD Publishing Association and longtime children’s ministries leader and faithful member of the Miami Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Pastor Abner De los Santos, president of the Inter-American Division, reflects during a time of worship as church leaders and staff begin the year with prayer at IAD headquarters in Miami on Jan. 6, 2026. [Photo: Libna Stevens/IAD]
He added that the Christian hope of resurrection and Christ’s soon return offers assurance that loss is not the end.
Pressing Forward with Purpose
Drawing from Philippians 3:13–16, Pastor De los Santos challenged church employees and leaders to begin the year with renewed focus, urging them to let go of the past and press forward with spiritual maturity. He underscored the Adventist hope and the urgent call to live out the church’s mission with purpose.
“The Christian life is about advancing—advancing in Christ, advancing toward the blessed hope,” he said. “Do not allow past failures or past successes to control your future. The best for each of us is still ahead.”
Magda Salinas, professional assistant at the IAD office, shares a testimony during worship on Jan. 6, 2026, highlighting God’s providence in restoring her mother’s health. [Photo: Abel Márquez/IAD]
The Race Set Before Us
To illustrate perseverance, De Los Santos shared a personal story from 2022, when he ran a half marathon alongside his son. Despite physical pain and exhaustion near the end of the race, he said encouragement from a fellow runner helped him keep his eyes fixed on the finish line.
“That experience reminded me of the Christian journey,” he said. “We must keep our eyes on the goal. No matter how difficult the path becomes, we press forward.”
He likened the finish line to the church’s ultimate hope–the return of Christ. “That is our goal,” he said. “And those who have gone to rest will awaken as if from a brief sleep, to meet the Lord.”
José Ronero, infrastructure and cybersecurity director at the IAD, reflects on God’s healing and grace during a time of reflection on Jan. 6, 2026. [Photo: Libna Stevens/IAD]
Pastor De los Santos, underscored the Adventist hope and the urgent call to live out the church’s mission with purpose.
Looking ahead, he expressed confidence in God’s guidance of the Inter-American Division, particularly in the recently approved strategic plan. Pastor De los Santos said he has been encouraged to see unions across the territory embracing the vision.
“I am convinced that God has placed the circumstances to not only approve this plan, but to advance it,” he said. “God still has greater things ahead for us.”
He stressed that every individual, whether serving in administration, finance, technology, communications, or departmental leadership, plays a vital role in fulfilling the church’s mission.
Roberto Brown, assistant treasurer, plays the saxophone during a musical segment of the worship service on Jan. 6, 2026. [Photo: Libna Stevens/IAD]
Living the Mission Together
Pastor De Los Santos closed with a call to unity, spiritual discipline, and mission-centered living in 2026. He encouraged church workers to remain grounded in Scripture, faithful in prayer, and united in service.
“It is time to live the mission,” he said. “Not just to talk about it, but to live for the Owner of the mission.”
As the Inter-American Division moves forward into a new year, Pastor De los Santos reminded leaders and staff that hope remains certain, purpose remains clear, and God continues to lead His people—step by step—toward the finish line.
IAD staff members unite in prayer during the closing moments of worship on Jan. 6, 2026. [Photo: Libna Stevens/IAD]
During the gathering, church leaders united in prayer and praise for the church and its members across the Inter-American Division, while also remembering in prayer the families of workers and former employees who have recently died.
In the days ahead, IAD administrators and department leaders will review strategies and initiatives as they plan for a mission-focused year and quinquennium.
The Inter-American Division oversees the work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and French Antilles, as well as Colombia and Venezuela. Through its organizations, the IAD supports thousands of churches, hundreds of schools, universities, hospitals, and clinics throughout the territory.
For more on the church in the Inter-American Division, visit us at interamerica.org