Church leaders look at membership audits and declining baptisms, vote new plans and activities
Pastor Abel Pacheco, president of the church in El Salvador, listens in on the treasurer’s report during Inter-America’s last day of business meetings held in Miami, Florida, May 22, 2014. More than 150 executive committee members gathered from throughout the IAD territory to vote on evangelism strategies, new policies, events and to look over membership and financial progress last week. Images by Libna Stevens/IAD.
May 25, 2014 – Miami, Florida, United States…Libna Stevens/IAD
Seventh-day Adventist leaders from across the Inter-American Division (IAD) met to approve evangelism strategies, new policies, and events, as well as look over the membership and financial progress during the church’s Mid-Year Executive Committee meetings held last week at the IAD headquarter office in Miami, Florida.
Their attention turned to the latest membership audits and overall declining baptism figures since 2010.
IAD Executive Secretary Dr. Elie Henry reports the decline in baptisms recorded from 2010 to 2013 throughout Inter-America, during his membership growth report to committee members held May 21, 2014.
According to the latest figures available as of December 31, 2013, the church has more than 3,686,255 million members on the books in more than 19,000 churches and congregations throughout IAD’s 22 unions, or church regions, and two attached fields, reported IAD Executive Secretary Dr. Elie Henry.
In 2013, there were 178,401 new members who joined the church through baptism, while some 77,171 members were subtracted from the books.
“The dropped or subtracted numbers have to do with members who have died or are unaccounted members as we continue our membership auditing efforts across the territory,” said Dr. Henry. “Our figures show that we are baptizing less, that we are shrinking in numbers because we are cleaning the books, and that we must take a serious look at our declining baptism numbers since 2010.”
Those declining numbers were displayed as Dr. Henry reported that there were 191,146 baptisms in 2010; 189,641 in 2011; and 186,614 in 2012, compared to the 178,401 in 2013.
The decline in baptisms has been a concern for some time now, expressed Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America, as he addressed the church executive committee. “We have reviewed our objectives for this [current] quinquennium and have met practically all of them before 2015 except our goal of baptizing one million new members into the church,” he said.
According to the numbers, leaders expect to reach more than 800,000 baptisms – about 180,000 short of the goal. “It’s not a bad record,” said Pastor Leito. “I want to call on the church in Inter-America to not look at this as a defeat” he added.
“We have worked hard at revitalizing our educational system, focused on further training our laypeople, establishing work in the cities, and have worked at revitalizing our publishing ministries,” explained Pastor Leito. “Perhaps the church needs a new challenge so the church can resume its momentum in winning more souls.”
Church leaders discussed keeping territory-wide events to a minimum, focus more on missionary work activities throughout its churches and schools, continue its spiritual revival and reformation activities and study ways to further fulfill the mission of the church.
Filiberto Verduzco (left), IAD treasurer, reports the financial stability of the IAD during 2013, as IAD President Pastor Israel Leito (center) and IAD Secretary Dr. Elie Henry (right) look on. “Our church members in Inter-America are some of the most generous members throughout the world church,” he said.
In his report, IAD Treasurer Filiberto Verduzco showed the increase in tithes and offerings coming from its church membership during the past 32 years. “The IAD has had an average tithe increase of 7 percent from 1981-2013,” explained Verduzco.
“Our church members in Inter-America are some of the most generous members throughout the world church,” said Verduzco. “They understand and embrace the global evangelism needed to reach others.”
The faithfulness and generosity of the church membership is most visible in their mission offerings, said Verduzco. More than half the membership gives more than 7 percent of their income as offering.
One such example is the membership in the Dominican Republic, which gives an average of 10.6 percent offering, and Haiti with an average of 10.1, reported Verduzco. “This is extraordinary evidence that our members have such maturity with regards to their commitment in fulfilling the mission of the church.”
It is a great example that every entity of the church should see itself as part of a global church working together to share the gospel, added Verduzco, considering the fact that 72 percent of the currencies throughout the territory are weak.
Verduzco also reported that for 2013, the IAD had an operating capital of 220 percent and a liquidity of 220 percent as well.
During the four-day business meetings, leaders also reported on initiatives reached, upgraded missions to conference status, approved resources and voted on activities and initiatives to take place in 2015 during the Year of the Pastor.
For information on Inter-America’s programs and initiatives, visit us at interamerica.org
To view photos of the IAD Mid-Year Meetings, click HERE