In Southeast Mexico, Church inaugurates first model church building

The new El Pedregal Adventist Church in Playa Carmen del Rio in Quintana Roo, Mexico, is set to be inaugurated by church leaders and members, on May 17, 2015. The new church became the first among many planned churches in Southeast Mexico to follow a standard model for the sanctuary section for small, medium and large churches.  Image by Israel Leito/IAD

June 4, 2015 | Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico | IAD Staff

IAD President Pastor Israel Leito (right) gets ready to cut the ribbon of the new church as Pastor Isaias Espinoza, president of the church in Southeast Mexico stands by. Image courtesy of Southeast Mexican Union

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Southeast Mexico, recently inaugurated its first model church in Riviera del Carmen, in the state of Quintana Roo, thanks to the faithful donations of church members, and funds collected by the local conference, union and the Inter-American Division (IAD).

El Pedregal Adventist Church became the first among many planned churches in Southeast Mexico to follow a standard model bearing the corporate logo of the church and that has a set look for the sanctuary section for small, medium and large churches, according to local church leaders.

The church building initiative comes after a strategic plan was voted in 2013 in the region to build new churches that represent the church uniformly across the region, said Pastor Isaias Espinoza, president for the church in Southeast Mexico which overseas the states of Campeche, Quintana Roo, Yucatan and southern portions of the state of Tabasco.

The church has a seating capacity of 140 people.  Image courtesy of Southeast Mexican Union

Inter-American Division President Pastor Israel Leito cut the ribbon when the new church was dedicated on May 17, 2015. Pastor Leito challenged the 47 members of El Pedregal Adventist Church to continue to shine a light in the surrounding community.

“Spread the message of salvation and hope to your community here,” said Pastor Leito. “The message is spreading fast in this part of the country and we are sure that in a few years this church will be filled with believers ready for the second coming of Jesus.”
The church has a seating capacity of 140, a baptistery, a pastor’s office, a deacon’s room, Sabbath school classrooms and restrooms.

Pastor Leito thanked dozens of regional and local church leaders during the inaugural program and shared greetings from IAD staff. IAD staff and their families helped mix and pour cement blocks when the church began construction last summer during a spiritual retreat in the area.

“Today is a day of celebration for all of the members of our church in El Pedregal,” said Pastor López, president of the North Quintana Roo Conference which oversees the new church, during the program. “We are so happy because God has blessed this church abundantly.”

A group of the IAD staff pose with members and workers after working on mixing and pouring cement for the new El Pedregal Adventist Church in Carmen del Rio in Quintana Roo, Mexico, June 2014. Image by Libna Stevens/IAD

More than 15 visitors were brought into the church and three baptisms took place during the inaugural celebration as church leaders and members gathered in the new church.

According to Otoniel López, the new El Pedregal Adventist Church became a reality for the group of 10 church members who began making payments for the property on the Playa del Carmen 2 district. Land in this district is expensive and there were few plots available.

So far, the church has cost about 155,000 US dollars, including the cost of the property said López. The new church will soon have air conditioning units installed.

The Southeast Mexican Union is one of five major church regions in Mexico with 86,507 church members worshiping in 1,096 churches and companies.

For more information on the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Southeast Mexico, visit unionsureste.org.mx