Structure Must Serve Mission, IAD Leaders Affirm

Group discussions highlight role clarity, facilitation, and stronger support for the local church.

March 2, 2026 | Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo, Mexico | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

Top Seventh-day Adventist administrators from across the Inter-American Division’s (IAD) unions and local fields gathered in small discussion groups on March 2 to examine how the church’s structure can better serve its prophetic mission.

Through 64 small-group discussions and real-time survey results, nearly 600 administrators evaluated the biblical and practical roles of the local church, conferences/missions, unions and division.

“The Seventh-day Adventist Church was not organized to create layers of administration,” said IAD President Pastor Abner De los Santos. “It was organized to advance a prophetic mission.”

From its earliest days, he explained, organization was not about control but about preserving doctrinal unity, protecting mission and enabling the global proclamation of the Three Angels’ Messages of Revelation 14.

“Our pioneers initially resisted formal organization,” he said. “But without structure, ministers could not be credentialed properly, churches could not be protected from false teaching, resources could not be stewarded faithfully, and mission could not expand sustainably.”

Quoting 1 Corinthians 14:40 — “Let all things be done decently and in order,” De los Santos emphasized that order reflects God’s character.

“Order is not bureaucracy,” he said. “It is faithfulness to a God of clarity and purpose.”

Roles Designed for Mission

De los Santos explained that the church’s structure is designed so the local church remains the center of disciple-making; the conference or mission strengthens and supervises frontline ministry; the union provides regional coordination and leadership development; and the division connects regions to the global movement while safeguarding doctrinal unity under the General Conference.

“Each level exists not for itself,” he said, “but for the mission.”

He warned that when roles blur, tension grows.

“When structure becomes unclear, conferences feel constrained, churches feel over-directed, unions feel caught in the middle and divisions feel responsible for everything,” he said. “But when roles are clear, authority becomes service, oversight becomes protection, unity strengthens witnessing and mission accelerates.”

Findings From Groups

During the exercise, leaders identified friction between local churches and conferences, and between conferences and unions. The discussions allowed administrators to name tensions candidly without assigning blame.

Responses showed that strategic planning and policy direction belong primarily at the division level; unions are called to facilitate and accompany the fields; conferences lead implementation and pastoral supervision; and the local church executes mission through discipleship.

Participants also acknowledged duplication in areas such as strategic planning, calendar coordination and oversight. Many noted excessive control at the union level, while fragmentation was most evident at the local church level.

In addressing structural tensions, leaders leaned toward preserving authority for doctrinal unity while favoring contextualization and empowerment in mission practice, signaling a desire for alignment that is biblically grounded and mission focused.

Recurring themes included role clarity, simplification, evaluation and stronger alignment with the local church.

Strengthening Each Church Level

Reviewing the discussion questions, Hiram Ruiz, assistant to the IAD president, said the summit was designed to align a shared vision of work across all organizational levels.

“Both the strategic plan and the administration of policies and regulations correspond to the Inter-American Division,” Ruiz said. “That clarity helps establish a unified plan that flows from the division to the local church in implementation.”

He said the analysis also clarified the union’s role.

“The union exists to facilitate the ministerial task,” Ruiz explained. “An essential element is accompaniment,” supporting and guiding conference and church leaders so initiatives remain aligned and mission driven.

The findings reinforced a central conviction said Ruiz:  “every level must strengthen the one closest to members and communities.”

A Shared Working Document

Pastor De los Santos emphasized that the discussions are shaping a working draft, not a final document.

“This document is not final,” he said, inviting concise and thoughtful feedback to ensure shared ownership.

“We want it to be our document,” he said, “one that clarifies roles, strengthens collaboration and facilitates mission at every level.”

The draft will undergo further refinement before presentation to the executive committee.

“Our purpose is to facilitate the mission,” De los Santos said. “Helping one another. Working together. Integrated, grounded in the Bible and focused on the mission.”

Reflections From the Field

Pastor David Maldonado, president of the Gulf Mexican Conference, described the group dynamic as enriching.

“Sharing with leaders from different countries and functions strengthened the dialogue,” Maldonado said. “Without careful analysis, unclear roles create friction and unnecessary burdens for district pastors and local churches.”

Reviewing the compiled responses affirmed for him that “in the multitude of counselors there is wisdom.”

“It’s not what I think the church needs,” he said. “It’s what the church collectively recognizes it needs.”

Pastor Glen Samuels, president of the Jamaica Union, called the process innovative and inclusive.

“It gives the local church a voice,” Samuels said. “When leaders feel heard, participation strengthens, even without full agreement.”

He stressed the importance of documenting role clarity for future leaders. “Leaders come and go,” he said. “Clarity must remain.”

Gilberto Delgadillo, executive secretary of the West Mexican Conference, welcomed efforts to streamline expectations.

“Local churches often feel overloaded,” he said. “Sometimes the question is not what we will do, but what we will fail to accomplish.”

He added that when local churches help shape plans, they engage more fully in execution.

Kay White, executive secretary of the South Leeward Conference, said the discussions reflected real church realities.

“The results confirmed what many of us were already sensing,” White said.

She noted that discussion around annual calendars underscored the need for flexibility and cultural sensitivity.

“I now have a clearer understanding of my role as an administrator,” White said, “and I am committed to making the necessary adjustments to better advance the mission of my conference.”

White’s reflections echoed the broader purpose of the summit.

“We are not here to defend territory,” De los Santos said. “We are here to ask: What structure best serves the prophetic mission God has entrusted to this church?”

“Organization is not the goal,” he concluded. “Mission is the goal.”