November 6, 2011 – Miami, Florida, United States…Raul Lozano/IAD
As the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America continues its push toward improving its educational system, church leaders and educators decided to pursue five main goals. These goals were set forth late last year and discussed further during a two-day meeting held last month at the Inter-American Division (IAD) headquarter office in Miami, Florida, with union directors and university presidents in attendance.
The five areas of emphasis are to reaffirm the philosophy of Adventist education, provide a higher quality of education, increase the schooling of students, strengthen the institutions financially, and involve Adventist educational institutions in community service. Educators also discussed the importance of joining the IAD’s territory-wide spiritual revival and reformation initiative through out the 2011-2012 school year with a week focused on the Bible, a special prayer emphasis day on March 7, and reading of the Bible on April 29.
“These initiatives go hand in hand with the document sent by the General Conference which asks Adventist educators around the world to be conscious of the need to be involved in revival and be part of the objectives of revival, be attuned toward the mission and committed to spiritual reformation,” said Dr. Gamaliel Florez, education director for the church in Inter-America.
During the meetings, reference was made to the policy for each union to vote submit the names of education directors and principals with six or more years of service in education to be commissioned as ministers.
School uniform colors were also voted on for union as gray and white and black and white for local field schools.
Regional education meetings with school principals and teachers will continue to take place during the coming months and years, top educators said.
For more information on Inter-America’s Office of Education, visit www.interamerica.org or call 305.403.4700.
