Adventist Leaders in Inter-America Are Called to Unite for OneVoice27

Abner De los Santos urges church leaders across Inter-America to keep Christ at the center and move forward together in mission.

May 13, 2026 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

“United, integrated in one voice, to fulfill the mission.”

With that appeal, Pastor Abner De los Santos, president of the Inter-American Division (IAD), delivered a spiritual message calling church leaders from across the territory to unite around Christ and the upcoming OneVoice27 Mission for All initiative of the Seventh-day Adventist Church during the closing session of the division’s Spring Meeting in Miami, Florida, on May 7, 2026.

Opening his Bible to John 1:19–27, De los Santos reflected on the testimony of John the Baptist and challenged executive committee members to embrace a clear spiritual identity centered entirely on Jesus Christ.

Pastor Abner De los Santos, president of the Inter-American Division, reminds church leaders that “the message is Christ” during his appeal for unity and mission at the launch of the OneVoice27 initiative on May 7, 2026, in Miami, Florida, United States. [Photo: Daniel Gallardo/IAD]

Referring to the moment religious leaders questioned John the Baptist asking, “Who are you?” De los Santos explained that the question was deeper than identity.

“It was really a question of authority, influence, and mission,” he said.

Identity and Mission

He emphasized that John’s response revealed humility, clarity, and complete alignment with Christ.

“In a world of competing voices, John chose clarity,” De los Santos said. “In a culture of self-promotion, John chose humility.”

According to Pastor De los Santos, the foundation of OneVoice27 begins with understanding who the church is—and who it is not.

“John declared clearly, ‘I am not the Christ,’” he said. “It is important to know who we are not in order to know who we are.”

Pastor De los Santos warned leaders against allowing personalities, leadership positions, or ministries to overshadow Christ in the church’s mission.

“The influencers are not the center of the message,” he said. “Departmental leaders and administrators are not the center of the message. Even the division board is not the center of the message. The message is Jesus Christ.”

One Voice Across Inter-America

He explained that confusion and division arise when the church loses sight of its identity in Christ, but unity strengthens when Jesus remains at the center.

“When identity is not clear, voices compete,” De los Santos said. “But when identity is clear, voices integrate.”

Throughout the message, he connected the biblical passage to the vision behind OneVoice27, the world church’s upcoming evangelistic emphasis leading into 2027.

“John said, ‘I am the voice,’” De los Santos continued. “We need one voice. We are one voice.”

He described the initiative as a call for intentional spiritual and organizational unity across the IAD’s vast territory.

“In Inter-America we are many territories, many unions, many local fields, many languages, many cultures,” he said. “But we are one voice.”

De los Santos noted that the division includes 25 unions, 157 local fields, and nearly 25,000 churches, all called to move together with one mission and one message

“There are many ministries, but one mission,” he said.

Keeping Christ at the Center

He urged leaders to work intentionally and spiritually together so the church’s message can be proclaimed with greater power and clarity.

“If every department speaks differently, the message weakens,” De los Santos warned. “But when we integrate intentionally and spiritually, the message gains power.”

But Pastor De los Santos stressed that unity alone would not be enough. The church, he said, must remain fully focused on Christ and His mission.

“We need a clear focus,” he said. “Not only do we need to be grounded in the Bible, we need to be focused on the mission.”

Returning to John the Baptist’s testimony, De los Santos highlighted how John redirected attention away from himself and toward Jesus.

“Although people were attracted to him, he redirected them,” De los Santos said. “Although he had influence, he surrendered it.”

The success of OneVoice27 will not be measured by visibility, influence, or recognition, but by how many people are led to follow Christ, he explained.

“Our objective with OneVoice27 is not visibility,” he said. “It is revelation.”

A Movement of Unity and Evangelism

He emphasized that every sermon, initiative, ministry, and activity must point people to Jesus.

“When Christ is the center, unity arises naturally,” De los Santos said. “When He becomes secondary, fragmentation is inevitable.”

To illustrate his point, De los Santos compared the church to an orchestra preparing to perform.

“Every musician may be highly trained and have a different instrument,” he explained, “but before playing, they all tune themselves to the same note.”

“If one instrument is out of tune, the entire performance is affected—not because of lack of talent, but because of lack of integration and unity,” he added. “OneVoice27 is our moment of tuning.”

De los Santos said the initiative is intended to become a lasting movement of mission across the territory.

“OneVoice27 in Inter-America is more than an event,” he said. “It is an invitation to continue impacting Inter-America until we see Jesus coming in glory and majesty.”

Commitment to the Initiative

Quoting Ellen G. White, co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, De los Santos reminded leaders of the importance of moving together in unity.

“Again and again the angel has said to me, ‘Press together, press together, be of one mind, of one judgment.’ Christ is the leader, and you are brethren; follow Him,” he quoted from Christian Leadership, p. 11.

“That is the spirit of OneVoice27,” he said.

As the message concluded, De los Santos invited leaders to commit themselves personally to the initiative and the mission of the church.

“I want to invite you to have clarity about who we are,” he said. “I want to invite you to speak with one voice, and I want to invite you to make sure that everything points to Christ Jesus.”

Following the appeal, executive committee members, administrators, pastors, and departmental leaders came forward and stood together on stage in a public act of commitment to the initiative and the mission of the church across Inter-America. Special prayer was offered for unity, spiritual revival, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit as the territory prepares for the upcoming evangelistic emphasis.

Executive committee members also voted in support of the OneVoice27 initiative, which will include evangelistic campaigns across the Inter-American Division in September 2027 under the theme, “All Things New, Jesus Forever.”

“OneVoice27 has a purpose,” Pastor De los Santos concluded. “OneVoice27 is the beginning of a movement in Inter-America.”