Inter-America: Church focuses on strengthening pastoral families

IAD President Pastor Israel Leito speaks to the more than 2,300 pastoral families across the IAD on strengthening their home while shepherding congregations to the foot of the Cross from during Inter-America’s online pastoral family week of prayer concluding program in Miami, Florida, Feb. 8, 2014.Images by Libna Stevens/IAD

February 12, 2014 – Miami, Florida, United States…Libna Stevens/IAD

Stronger pastoral families make stronger, healthier churches.

IAD President Pastor Israel Leito speaks to the more than 2,300 pastoral families across the IAD on strengthening their home while shepherding congregations to the foot of the Cross.

That was the core message which resonated during a special online week of prayer aimed at the more than 3,200 pastoral homes across the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America last week.

During the special live program on Feb. 8, 2014, top church leaders boasted about the dedication and commitment of thousands of pastors and their families who, day by day and week by week, work tirelessly to shepherd a flock of 3.6 million members in some 19,000 churches and congregations.

“The Inter-American Division is rich because of the ministerial body we have,” said Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America as he addressed pastors and their families. “We are a Division with a future because pastoral families generate more pastors and more workers through the children of ministerial homes.”

Pastor Pedro Iglesias, IAD family ministries director, and wife Cecilia open the online program encouraging families to take time to seek the Lord together as a family weekly during the year.

Pastoral families across the IAD were able to view one-hour pre-recorded programs produced by various regional offices for six days straight highlighting the importance of keeping a strong marriage, the pastor as a husband, the crucial role of the pastor’s wife in the home, the guidance and nurturing of children, devotional habits for the pastoral families, and more.

“We wanted to begin the year focused on encouraging our pastors and their families to pause, to be inspired, and be motivated to continue to seek the Lord together during the year,” said Pastor Pedro Iglesias, IAD family ministries director for Inter-America and organizer of the program.

A group of IAD pastors and their wives sat together on stage to reflect on the week of prayer, and share experiences of how their marriage and home were strengthened during their ministry. The also spoke about how God blessed their pastoral ministry and counseled viewers on nurturing and guiding children while managing the demands of leading congregations.

Leticia De Los Santos, IAD shepherdess coordinator, speaks before special prayer is made for hundreds of prayer requests placed by pastoral families in a treasure box, while Pastor Hector Sanchez IAD ministerial secretary looks on before praying.

“Sometimes we forget that the pastor and his family live in a crystal house where everyone sees them, everyone points at them, everyone finds something about them and they are fighting day and night to shepherd,” said Pastor Leito. “We want our pastoral families to know that they are not alone, Christ is by their side and we appreciate them.”

During a video message, Pastor Willie Oliver, family ministries director for the Adventist World Church, encouraged pastoral families to cling to God’s Word and His power to strengthen their home and the church further.

This recent online week of prayer was meant to highlight the work of the pastoral family and point to next year’s emphasis which will focus on the pastor and the mission, said Pastor Hector Sanchez, ministerial secretary for the IAD.

“We value our pastoral families and want to ensure that their children understand that the church cares for and loves them,” said Pastor Sanchez.

Mision Divina from the Miami area sings during the online pastoral family week of prayer closing program, Feb. 8, 2014.

At the close of the program, Pastor Leito urged pastors to continue guiding the people of God to the foot of the cross.

The one-hour program also featured special prayer sessions and music.

Plans are underway to add a week of prayer for pastoral families to the church’s yearly calendar.

To view online pastoral week of prayer programs in English, Spanish and French, click HERE

Visit our photo gallery to view photos of the live program HERE