January 13, 2012 – Miami, Florida, United States…Libna Stevens/IAD
“You must come to the Lord to build a relationship with Him for His mercies are good every morning,” said Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America, as he addressed church leaders and staff of the Inter-American Division (IAD) in Miami, Florida, Jan. 12, 2012.
Pastor Leito referenced God as He provided for His people, the kind of measured life that Jesus lived while on earth, and the grace available to the church and His chosen today. “Make it your purpose to come to Him to feel His grace,” he said.
It was a message which resounded across the two-story headquarter office this week as church employees gathered each morning and mid-day to praise God for the blessings upon the church in 2011, and pray for guidance as the new year of initiatives, events and activities are set in motion.
It’s that motion drawn from the Holy Spirit that must continue to propel church leaders and laypeople to shepherd the 3.5 million-member church across Inter-America, top administrators said. It’s the passion visible in church members across communities, cities and borders to share the gospel that keeps the church expanding is what leaders are sure to see this year.
In just a matter of weeks, the church in Inter-America will continue with a third launch of its spiritual revival and reformation initiative across its 37 countries and islands to further motivate members to sharing the gospel to a needy world.
“That the World May Know,” is the third component in a comprehensive initiative began in Inter-America last year in February, following the Adventist world church’s appeal for revival, reformation, discipleship and evangelism around the globe.
The initiative features a special discipleship program among one million church members to share the good news of salvation with at least one person. Coined as Vision One Million, the program promises to be one evangelism strategy that consists of members to pursue their communities and reach the unreached in the major urban areas and isolated people groups as well as the rural areas in Inter-America. The program is schedule featured during a live satellite program through The Hope Channel on Feb. 4, 2012, from Mandeville, Jamaica.
Days later hundreds of evangelistic efforts will take place throughout Inter-America where ministers and evangelists will hold a week-long reaping evangelistic campaign.
In addition, plans are underway to hold a territory-wide Vision One Million evangelism activity as one million visitors are expected to set foot on thousands of Seventh-day Adventist churches across the IAD while a special satellite program is set to go live from Guatemala City on Mar. 31.
Initiatives and programs like these had IAD leaders in several strategic committees this week to ensure the church is on course to a fruitful year.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America is comprised of Mexico, Central America, The Caribbean, the French Antilles as well as Colombia and Venezuela, and has some 3.5 million members worshipping in more than 10,000 churches and congregations.
To learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist church in Inter-America and its initiatives for 2012, visit us at www.interamerica.org
