ASi Convention in Inter-America Encourages Adventist Business Owners Amid Pandemic Impact

August 25, 2021 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

Seventh-day Adventist business owners and professionals throughout the Spanish-speaking countries of the Inter-American Division (IAD) territory took part in this year’s virtual Adventist-Laymen’s Services and Industries (ASi) Annual Convention, Aug. 20-22, 2021. The virtual event was an opportunity to strengthen the commitment of hundreds of Adventist professionals to continue as key players in sharing Christ through their businesses, during a time when the lingering effects of the pandemic continue to affect the economic impact.

“As ASi-ers, we exist to love through actions, we exist to concretely support those who are in need,” said Pastor Ricardo Marin, president of the church in South Central American Union. It’s about practical actions and acts of kindness that can assist so many who are suffering today. His message was a clear reminder that amid the economic crisis through the time of the pandemic, God still needs His people to take care of those in need.

Themed “Despite the Crisis, I Will Go,” the three-day event sought to inspire leaders and business owners with spiritual support, empower them to model Christ in their business and professional lives, and affirm the gifts of Adventist professionals, business persons and artisans to provide growth through seminars, lectures and workshops, said Pastor James Daniel, assistant to the IAD president and secretary of ASi Inter-America.

“It’s important for ASi to focus its members on the mission of the church, utilizing their spiritual, human, and financial resources—individually and collectively—for the proclamation of the gospel as they minister in the marketplace,” said Daniel.

Since the pandemic hit last year, conventions have been held online in the territory’s three major languages: English, Spanish and French separately, said Marston Thomas, president of ASi Inter-America. “We want chapter members to be equipped and inspired to proclaim the good news of salvation,” Thomas said. Just last month, the ASi Inter-America convention for the French territory held its convention July 23-25, 2021.

Pastor Arnaldo Cruz, communication and digital evangelism director for the Southeastern Conference in Florida, United States, during his keynote message on Sabbath morning, reminded viewers during the convention that amid the crisis they may be facing, God can help them overcome the challenges.  “You can still impact the world because all that we have belongs to Jehovah,” said Cruz. “The pandemic crisis should not stop you because God is looking for you to go in his name, because He is with you,” he said.

“Everything that we have, that we have received and will have, we owe it to God, and He continues to look for persons who can take hope, freedom from sin and joy to those who are discouraged,” Cruz said.

The online ASi event featured music, spiritual messages, prayer, and seminars on business management, emotional intelligence, health and wellness, how to organize a successful local ASi chapter, regional chapter reports, and more.

In the 23 years since ASi Inter-America was organized in the territory, chapters have grown regionally and locally to 22 chapters, organizers said. “We want to move ahead with strengthening chapters, growing more of them in the Spanish and French territories of the Division territory, so that more ministries in support of the mission can grow throughout business and communities,” said Daniel.

One such chapter that has been growing is found in the Inter-Oceanic Mexican Union. During recent years it has established 11 local ASi chapters in its 11 conferences and missions. “Even though we were a bit slowed during the beginning of the pandemic, it drove us to come up with special training to help so many of our ASi members to learn strategies to face the crisis,” said Benjamin Camacho, secretary of ASi chapter in the Inter-Oceanic Mexican Union. Projects implemented recently included engaging business families sharing the gospel with another business family, providing tools to strengthen the business, and creating business opportunities with partnership with Mexico-based Alimentos Colpac, one of the church’s food companies, as well as distributing food to needy families.

In addition, the ASi chapter in the Inter-Oceanic Mexican Union is soon launching a new application for Android and iOS phones so that businessowners and professionals can use the app to register their business, connect and network not only throughout the union but across Mexico, Camacho reported.

This year’s special offering collected will be used for disaster relief for victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti and victims of flooding in other places throughout the IAD, organizers said.

The next ASi Inter-America Convention for English territory is scheduled to take place online Oct. 20-24, 2021.

Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries, known as ASI, is an organization of Seventh-day Adventist lay people involved in professions, industry, education, and/or services and exists to challenge, nurture, and provide experience in sharing Christ in the marketplace as well as supporting the global mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

To find out more about this year’s ASi Inter-America Annual Conventions, visit us at interamerica.org

To view the online segments of this year’s ASi Inter-America Convention Spanish edition,

Click as follow:

HERE, for Friday, Aug. 20

HERE, for Sabbath morning, Aug. 21

HERE, for Sabbath afternoon, Aug. 22