Nomination expected during Division Executive Committee meetings in May.
March 10, 2026 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News
Leaders of the Inter-American Division (IAD) continue the process of identifying the next president of Montemorelos University, the only university directly overseen by the division.
A special search committee, voted during the division’s Executive Committee meetings in November, has been reviewing names submitted for the position and is expected to present a recommendation during the upcoming business meetings scheduled for May 2026.
The search follows the planned leadership transition of current university president Ismael Castillo, who has been invited to serve as a field secretary of the IAD as advisor to the division president on university-level education across the territory.
According to Pastor Abner De los Santos, the process is being conducted with careful study and prayer as leaders seek the right person to guide the institution into its next phase of mission.
“The special search committee has been studying names that have come forward for the presidency of Montemorelos University,” De los Santos said. “We want to take the necessary time to evaluate the candidates carefully and prayerfully.”
Because of its unique role within the division, Montemorelos University carries significant influence across the territory, he added.
“Once the name is submitted by the special search committee at our upcoming meetings and voted, we can begin a healthy transition in leadership,” De los Santos explained. “The idea is to allow enough time for the current president to pass the leadership responsibilities to the new rector in an orderly way.”
The committee has received several names and continues reviewing potential candidates, De los Santos said. “We are keeping the process open to study all the possibilities.”
Prayer and discernment remain central throughout the process.
“We believe God is in control of this process,” De los Santos said. “Often we imagine different possibilities, but God knows the end from the beginning, so the committee is approaching this process prayerfully.”
The upcoming transition will also highlight the decades-long leadership of the university’s current president.
“The legacy of Ismael Castillo has been very significant,” De los Santos said. “Many of the leaders serving in Mexico today were influenced by his leadership during his years at Montemorelos University.”
Division leaders say the transition offers an opportunity to further strengthen Adventist higher education across the region.
“We believe this is an appropriate time to begin a transition that can strengthen Adventist higher education in our territory,” De los Santos said.