Adventist Pastors in Inter-America Urged To Encounter God Intimately As Ministerial Retreat Begins

More than 2,000 district pastors and church leaders take part in the first of three territory -wide pastoral retreats to take place in September.

September 3, 2024 | Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division

“God has anointed us, has made us capable of accomplishing the different tasks that we perform today, no matter where we are working, regardless of the district we serve, the local field, union, or country where we live,” said Pastor Elie Henry, president of the Inter-American Division, as he addressed the more than 2,000 district pastors and church leaders gathered during the opening day of a ministerial retreats on Sep. 2, 2024, in Cancun, Mexico. “God has placed each one of you as a different and fundamental piece in His work,” he said.

The retreat brought hundreds of pastors and their families from the five unions in Mexico, Belize, the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, as well as  two unions in Colombia. The retreat is an opportunity to remind pastors that their capacity to shepherd their congregations is only possible by the power of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God operating in their lives and not by their own efforts.

Themed “Anointed,” the ministerial retreat will emphasize the need of the Holy Spirit to guide and move in the lives of the pastors as they renew their commitment to their ministerial call, their families, and have a deep connection with God as they continue to fulfill the mission,” said Josney Rodríguez, ministerial association secretary of the IAD.

In his opening message, Pastor Henry challenged attendees to understand their identity in Christ to serve and have faith in the joy of what the Holy Spirit provides. “When we have the Spirit, we know that we are in Christ,” he said. “The Holy Spirit can lead us to have the character of God to obtain the victory, to have peace and to help us do great things. Having the Holy Spirit means that God will complete His work of salvation in us and for us.”

Pastor Henry then posed a series of questions: “Where is the Holy Spirit in your life? Do you really believe that you are saved in Christ? Is there joy in your life, in your ministry? Are you bored with the ministry? Do we believe that God is with us?”

Seeking the Holy Spirit

“We need ask God to grant us the joy of salvation, have the assurance that He is with us as we move forward transformed with his Power,” challenged Pastor Henry as he quoted 2 Corinthians 1: 21-22.

As Pastor Henry urged them to seek out the Holy Spirit, he thanked them for their commitment to serving wholeheartedly in strengthening the mission of the church in their congregations and communities.

“You are part of an historic 10-day celebration where more pastors and their spouses will spend quality time together as a couple, take time to encounter God intimately, rededicate their efforts to the task, focus on a better future for His work, and meet and pray with other pastoral families from different parts of Inter-America,” said Pastor Henry. “This is the reason for being here.”

Renewed commitment

For Pastor Roger Mora from the Buenaventura district in the Pacific Colombia Conference, taking part in the first day of the retreat with his wife of 20 years, has renewed his commitment to leading the 12 churches he oversees back home, some of which are accessible only by boat. He is one of 193 district pastors who came from the South Colombia Union. “The Holy Spirit is the main engine that allows us to fulfill the pastoral ministry successfully each day right where God has placed us,” he said. He and his wife Yanelle minister in communities that are riddled with violence and uncertainty, said Mora.

“We see a lot of poverty and we try to provide needs for them and share the hope of salvation as the Lord guides us in this work for Him,” he said.  To come to the ministerial retreat, they had to leave things in place for church elders and board members to run their respective congregations while during their absence. They also left their 14-year-old son with a family member and plan to enjoy each moment. “We came renew our strength,” said Mora.

Pastor Israel Can and his wife Leidy traveled six hours from Orange Walk in the northern part of Belize. Pastor Can leads six congregations totaling more than 1,000 members and said he had to plan for his absence with his elders one month prior to the retreat. “It wasn’t easy to leave one-and-a-half-year-old daughter back home with family, but we hadn’t taken a trip in two years and I encouraged my wife to take a respite,” he said.

Busy in the work

“We can be so busy working for the work of the Lord but it may be that the Lord of the work is not there,” said Can. A fifth generation Adventist, Pastor Can said that the Holy Spirit is the only one that can help today’s pastors disciple the membership and minister to unbelievers in the challenging and distracting world we live in.

Jorge Santiago Pérez, a 24-year-old pastor from the northern part of northern Quintana Roo in the Southeast Mexican Union, confirmed how crucial it is to rely on the Holy Spirit when sharing the gospel and shepherding the eight congregations he overseas. “I know that if I want to be successful as a pastor, I must have the Holy Spirit active in my life,” said Pérez.  Pastoring takes all his time, even on days off.

Perez said the retreat has reminded Him how the Holy Spirit must lead in every moment of his ministry. “The load is heavy,” he said, “but God is good.” Pérez is thankful that soon his fiancé will join him in the ministry in his pastoral district.

“We are beginning this ministerial retreat ‘Anointed’ by the Spirit,” said Pastor Rodríguez, ministerial association secretary of the IAD and main organizer of the event. “Here you are a human being. God has come here to visit you personally and we want to see the power of God poured on you.”

Pastors and their spouses prayed together, took part in the parade of flags during the opening night, and will take part in seminars, presentations, and recreational activities, and have the opportunity for private family counseling, and more, during the days ahead.

To view a photo gallery of Inter-America’s Ministerial Retreat in Cancun, Mexico, Sep. 2-4, 2024, click HERE