Inter-America: Pastors trained online to mobilize their church members for witnessing

Seventh-day Adventist top leaders connected with nearly 3,000 of its ministers spread across the Inter-American Division territory during a virtual pastoral evangelism council on Apr. 16, 2013, from Miami, Florida, United States. Images by Libna Stevens/IAD

April 19, 2013 – Miami, Florida, United States…Libna Stevens/IAD

Seventh-day Adventist ministers from across the church in the Inter-American Division (IAD) were encouraged to keep mobilizing the 3.7 million membership to reach their communities with the gospel during a virtual evangelism comprehensive training held on Apr. 16, 2013.

The six-hour training connected some 3,000 Adventist ministers from throughout the church’s 22 major church regions via the internet from the IAD Headquarters in Miami, Florida.

Pastor Israel Leito, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America, encouraged ministers during the online council to focus on organizing their lay member force for greater impact in their communities.

“Organize your churches comprehensively,” said Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America as the virtual evangelism training began. “You are not alone,” he said. “Don’t kill yourself because you cannot do everything. Get the church involved more in evangelism through all of its departments and ministries.”

Pastor Leito’s words came after statistics on the church population in Inter-America were revealed during the webcast. The statistics revealed that there is one pastor per 83,436 inhabitants, and one Seventh-day Adventist per 74 persons among the 272 million population in the IAD region.

“We know that as pastors you are overburdened and your work is not just preaching a powerful sermon, but as church leaders your work is also to organize God’s church, to work together and prepare members for greater impact,” said Pastor Leito.

Pastor Balvin Braham, associate ministerial director for the church in Inter-America, speaks to ministers on the on-going Vision One Million initiative of discipleship training, during the online event.

Greater impact is the intended result as the church in Inter-America moves along with its on-going discipleship training initiative coined as Vision One Million, according to Pastor Balvin Braham, associate ministerial director for the church in Inter-America and main organizer of the virtual evangelism training.

According to Braham, the online training was part of the church’s Vision One Million initiative begun in 2011 to empower members in becoming true followers and witnesses of Jesus. The series marks the fourth in a series of activities scheduled during Inter-America’s Year of the Laity this year.

During the virtual training, ministers were reminded to spiritually nurture themselves, their families, their flock and their communities with the Word of God.

“We must do everything in our power to keep every member in church,” proclaimed Pastor Leito. “It’s not just about organizing to reach out, but to keep the members, keep the flock, let elders, let the laypeople help, let the church help the church.”

Ways of helping and supporting for evangelism outreach is what the church departments and ministries directors shared during the online training.

Dozens of ministers in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico, watch the virtual pastoral evangelism council on screen on Apr. 16, 2013.

Departmental directors shared initiatives, resources and answered dozens of online questions ranging from the role of small groups ministries, managing multiple churches, incentives for member retention, greater administrative support, and more.

Leaders are happy that hundreds of ministers across Inter-America were able to gather at homes, districts, and mission and conference sites numbering 220 to view and participate in the online training program.

“The council was not about presenting a new paradigm for evangelism,” explained Braham, “Instead it is about deepening our focus on supporting our local leaders and active membership to empower them in planning, organizing, strategizing and executing initiatives to continue with greater efficiency and effectiveness the proclamation of the Everlasting Gospel.”

For a photo gallery of Inter-America’s Virtual Pastoral Evangelism Council, click here