Inter-America prepares for historic baptisms by church elders

Image by Abel Marquez/IAD

September 20, 2013 – Miami, Florida, United States…Libna Stevens/IAD

Thousands of ordained church elders from throughout the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America will have the opportunity to baptize new believers into the church throughout thousands of congregations on Saturday, Sep. 28, 2013. This historic event is part of dozens of activities the church has carried out in the last nine months to highlight the work of its active members during Inter-America’s Year of the Laity.

“This is a momentous date in the history of our church in the Inter-American Division and around the world,” says Pastor Hector Sanchez, Ministerial Secretary for the church in Inter-America. “I believe this is the first time that a world church division has asks presidents of local conferences and missions to authorize ordained church elders who are currently appointed as such in their congregations to baptize in their congregations.”

There are more than 50,000 active elders in the Inter-American Division (IAD) territory. They are responsible for assisting the pastor and ministering to church members. There are currently 3,200 pastors and 3.6 million church members in the IAD.

“We are thankful for the men and women church elders who faithfully work alongside our pastors every week,” says Sanchez. “We want the world to know that they are important to the Lord and our church and their work is not only of filling out forms, and preaching, but they take souls to the feet of Jesus,” he adds.

According to Pastor Sanchez, the more than 118 conferences and missions throughout the IAD have been busy authorizing church elders and planning ahead for the special day of celebration leaders are calling the day of “The Great Victory.”

Pastor Sanchez said there are four requirements that the church is following for elders to baptize on Sep. 28, in keeping with the guidelines set out by the church manual: the elder must be appointed by the church, ordained, authorized to baptize by the conference or mission president, and have a baptismal candidate or candidates that he or she has brought in through Bible studies.

“We are excited to celebrate with the church the work of our church elders, who are really our laypeople or active church members committed to fulfilling the mission of the church through service,” says Sanchez.

Churches across Inter-America are planning local and regional baptismal ceremonies and special recognition programs for laypeople on Saturday, Sep. 28.

For more on Inter-America’s Year of the Laity, visit 2013.interamerica.org