In Inter-America, educators and administrators commit to strengthening Adventist education
More than 140 church administrators and teachers from university, secondary and primary schools across Inter-America met during the church’s 2nd Online Education Congress on Mar. 28, 2015, in Miami, Florida, United States, in commitment to strengthening education for the next five years. Images by Libna Stevens/IAD
March. 30, 2015 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens/IAD
Seventh-day Adventist Church administrators and teachers from across the Inter-American Division (IAD) publicly committed to continuing to strengthen Adventist education. They made that commitment during a special online education congress held in Miami, Florida, this weekend.
Dr. Gamaliel Florez, IAD education director, encouraged teachers to carry out the mission of Adventist Education.
The event gathered more than 100 primary and secondary school teachers at the IAD headquarter office and hundreds more met in homes, schools and auditoriums across Inter-America for the eight-hour program.
“We are the ones who will determine the quality of our schools and institutions,” said Dr. Gamaliel Florez, education director for the church Inter-America as he challenged teachers in to continue ministering in their classrooms every day.
“We set the spiritual tone, and we will be the determinant factor in carrying out this mission of Adventist education, as every student is led to become a disciple of Jesus,” said Florez.
The challenge is one that has been ongoing during the past five years as top church leaders and administrators have set in motion new policies and dedicated special funds to promote and improve Adventist education. Leaders are also committed to adequately remunerate thousands of teachers across the 910 schools and universities in Inter-America.
Administrators from each of Inter-America’s 24 church regions who oversee the management of Adventist schools outlined their strategies and plans to preserve the legacy of Adventist Christian education for the more than 154,000 students enrolled in their classrooms.
Hundreds of teachers from Chiapas Mexican region, view the online program from the church’s headquarters office. Image courtesy of Chiapas Mexican Union
Challenges like retaining teachers, marketing schools and increasing enrollment among church members, and institutional development, should not prevent the church from moving ahead and ensuring the future of Adventist education can be carried through, said Dr. Florez. Church administrators and financial officers were reminded to jump on board with the new policies during a day of meetings on Mar. 27.
“We continue to encourage our unions to continue identifying their particular problems and take administrative actions that can help the institutions that require solutions and not leave those policies voted just on paper,” Dr. Florez said.
Already, church regions such as North Mexico, Guatemala, and Dominican Republic have put in place a comprehensive Adventist education model which oversees curriculum design, continuing education for teachers, organizational infrastructure, finances and retirement benefits for teachers.
Other church regions are following in their footsteps to upgrade their current challenging educational system.
Pastor Josney Rodriguez, president of the church in East Venezuela, presents the five-year strategic plan for Adventist education in the 13 Adventist schools in the region.
In Venezuela, the Adventist school system has been critically affected during the past six years, said David Poloche, treasurer of the church in West Venezuela where the church operates 39 primary and secondary schools. Just this year, they have been able to double the salaries of their more than 500 teachers thanks to the green light by the government, according to Poloche.
“Now the teachers salaries match the salaries of teachers in public schools and we have been blessed because most of our schools have a waiting list because they are full to the max,” explained Poloche. Part of their strategic plans for the next five years includes improving the quality of education and increasing the certification program for teachers and school chaplains.
President of the Church in East Venezuela Pastor Josney Rodriguez is also excited now that the 360 teachers are being paid fairly in the 13 schools the church operates in Caracas and the surrounding eastern cities.
One of the plans the church has in East Venezuela to boost and upgrade their Adventist Education is collecting their annual offering of gratitude at the end of the year among the membership of nearly 144,000. Church employees and members at large are encouraged to donate one month of their salary to Adventist education.
“I’m already setting aside funds every month to contribute,” said Pastor Rodriguez, and many more are donating more than just a salary, he added. “Our membership strongly believes in Adventist education and we are thankful for God’s blessings in our country.”
Teachers from the metropolitan region in Panama wave during online congress. Image courtesy of Panama Union.
Plans to improve education in East Venezuela include additional certification program for teachers, better school grounds and classrooms, and strengthening the discipleship among students.
Both church administrations in Venezuela are still waiting on the government to approve eight career programs at Venezuela Adventist University in Nirgua, Venezuela. The institution has only been able to offer three degree programs including theology, business administration and computer science during the past few years, and their student enrollment has dropped to 350 from 800 students in previous years.
Enrollment at Adventist schools has been dwindling among the church membership, Dr. Florez said. Recent statistics show that only 30 percent of Adventist students are enrolled in the Adventist school system. It’s a concerning issue that was raised again during the online congress.
Pastor Shane Anderson author of How to Kill Adventist Education and How to Give it a Fighting Chance, spoke on the preserving Adventist education in schools.
Guest Speaker Shane Anderson, senior pastor of the Shenandoah Valley Academy in New Market, Virginia, the United States, and author of best-selling book, How to Kill Adventist Education and How to Give it a Fighting Chance, spoke on the importance of preserving Adventist education in schools and reminded teachers of their mission to transform the lives of their students.
“Many of you listening have mostly non-Adventist students in your classrooms,” said Anderson. “I want you to know how grateful we are for your contribution because you have an incredibly difficult job.”
Anderson went on to state that “it is more important to be faithful to the Adventist message [as you teach] than it is to make non-Adventists comfortable in our schools.”
Administrators were reminded of the importance of increasing financial resources for schools by recognizing that pastors are guardians of Adventist education.
“Let us be clear: pastors will have great influence over the future of Adventist education,” pointed out Anderson. “It is the single greatest influence on the enrollment in our schools.”
Anderson appealed to union, conference and mission administrators that instead of ignoring pastors as part of the solution, to require pastors to strongly support Adventist education, because they are the key to turning it around.
Two dozen teachers from the Ignacio Lopez Rayon Adventist school in Quintana Roo, Mexico, wave to the camera during the program.
For Kathya Villegas, principal at the Adventist Primary School in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, the congress reasserted her passion for transforming lives. Villegas oversees 11 teachers and 246 students. In her first year as principal in Nicaragua after being elementary school teacher for 22 years in Costa Rica and in the United States, she understands the challenges teachers and administrators face in improving Adventist education.
“It’s not an easy task,” said Villegas. “Schools here need new desks, school materials, and better teaching tools. There are very little funds and parents struggle to afford Adventist education.”
Villegas has a plan to promote the church school starting with the surrounding churches in Matagalpa. “Pastors are key to helping us promote Adventist education and church members to help us upgrade computers, new desks and safe playgrounds.”
Just this year, she began to implement teaching English to preschool, kindergarten, and first grade students at the church school. Villegas’ office is a church pew in the sanctuary. She meets with parents for conferences and teachers every week. Her passion for transforming lives has not dwindled in spite of the scarce resources.
IAD President Pastor Israel Leito reminded teachers to gain strength by putting everything in God’s hands.
“I know of teachers in nearby areas that earn less than $100 dollars every month, some even $50, per month” said Villegas. They teach because they have a passion and commitment to serve and prepare children for heaven, she added.
That passion and that commitment is what top church leaders want to recognize and ensure teachers are cared for so they can continue transforming lives.
“Do not feel discouraged if you feel your work is not significant,” said Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America. “Do not feel like your work is not valuable and you are restricted by this and by that challenge, and do not let anyone let you feel that you cannot do better because Jesus is there to help us,” he said.
Pastor Leito reminded teachers to put aside all legitimate excuses and place everything in God’s hands. “Look at every student as a child of God so when they leave your presence, they can feel they were in the presence of the Lord.”
At the end of the program, church administrators stood together with signed certificates in commitment to strengthening Adventist Education in their territories through the next five years.
A special offering was collected to go towards an Adventist school in Malpaisillo, Leon, Nicaragua. The school suffered damages in a recent earthquake and still has many needs in its infrastructure, church leaders said.
To watch Inter-America’s 2nd Online Education Congress, click HERE
View a photo gallery, HERE