Inter-America’s Institutional Boards Reaffirm Their Mission and Vision Moving Forward

May 4, 2022 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

Day two saw more of Inter-America’s institutional boards report on their financial status, pressing challenges and plans for the remainder of this year and years to come.  Dozens of administrators and board members met at the Inter-American Division Office in Miami, Florida, as well as online, to be updated on the church’s theological seminary, Montemorelos University, Mexico’s publishing house, and educational boards.

Inter-American Adventist Theological Seminary (IATS)

“This may be the toughest time for IATS to face right now,” said Dr. Efraín Velázquez, president of the IATS. The seminary is in danger of turning into a machine as it deals with endless requirements, busy in accomplishing objectives and being corporate, he said. “This is a time to self-evaluate and make sure we do not lose sight of the mission and vision of IATS 25 years in.”

IATS is the non-profit, postgraduate theological studies institution established by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and registered under Florida and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. IATS was created to provide fundamental knowledge and values by training people for Christian ministry.

Velázquez thanked board members, current division administrators and former leaders who were instrumental in shaping what has become a great effort to provide academic and continuing education to thousands of pastors throughout the territory. Velázquez reported IATS’s new headquarter office will be inaugurated on May 23, on the campus of the Antillean Adventist University in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

IATS has seen adjustments to their in-person, remote classes and online classes since the pandemic and is upgrading its virtual platform to better serve the hundreds of ministers that are enrolled throughout the year. The seminary concluded the first stage the Lilly Endowment proposal for the implementation of distance education. A group of 500 pastors and 89 teachers will begin their summer term classes for two of the master’s degrees.

Board leaders presented continuing education plans for the rest of the year and shared the ongoing collaboration with unions and partnerships with Adventist universities through reviewing the theology program curriculum at all levels.

Board members voted on academic and financial reports for 2021 as well as the funding of the construction of a new IATS building, among other financial matters.

“It’s important to remember that this effort with the seminary is a continuing education plan that the Inter-American Division offers not only to tell our pastors that they must continue to grow in their academic formation but provide resources that they can use to help us in strengthening our ministerial body across the territory,” said Pastor Elie Henry, president of the church in Inter-American and chairman of the IATS Board.

Montemorelos University

“We want to first acknowledge God’s power in our lives and our institution, for we add and God multiplies,” said Dr. Ismael Castillo, president of Montemorelos University.

As students return to in-person classes during this school year of 2021-2022, university leaders were happy see classrooms, residence halls, laboratories, sports areas, the cafeteria, chapels and all on-campus areas populated once again, board leaders said.

The university continues to ensure that its faculty is trained, know the educational model of the university and are certified to better teach the students, reported Raquel Korniejczuk, academic vice president at Montemorelos University. Some 73 percent of the faculty has a post graduate degree takes part in annual training and certifications, she said.

Although the pandemic brought many financial challenges for the university and its students, God has provided funds for the operation of the institution, said Castillo.

Board members voted on the 2021-2022 school year report with data which evaluates the way the institution fulfills its mission, reviews overall student life and highlights its financial statement.

The university continues to rely on four of its main engines for the development of the universities that will help recruit students, such as research, innovation, service and evangelism, he said. “We must continue to provide an environment of continuous improvement and align with the institutional educational model.”

In its institutional development plans, the university is aiming to increase enrollment on campus by 2 percent over the next four years. The current enrollment stands at 1,600.

Board members voted on institutional objectives and strategic plans, as well as the appointments of faculty and school directors, and career and program coordinators.

GEMA Editors

During its board meeting, GEMA Editors, one of two publishing houses in the Inter-American Division serving the church in Mexico, reported its finances, production activities, and editorial projects from 2021 to this year so far.

“We thank God for the support of the division, unions in Mexico and all of our clients, literature evangelists, associate publishing directors, student literature evangelists, pastors and members for their interest in the publications we share with the church,” said Fernando Quiróz, vice president of finances at GEMA Editors.

There was an 11.6 percent increase in sales in 2021 across its 44 bookstores, and already an increase of 25.48 percent in sales since March 31^st. “We are seeing that we are catching up to the net sales of 2019 which has seen the greatest sales since 2017,” he said. There were some losses in sales from literature evangelists but “GEMA does not exist to make money but to fulfill the mission.”

A total of 216 new publications were printed during 2021, which translates into 4.15 productions every week. GEMA leaders reported on the growing social media outreach through its various online platforms.

Among its bookstores, more than 80 percent of them were positive in their operations and a handful are facing challenges.

Board members voted on making “Evangelism” by Ellen G. White, as the book of the year for 2023. Leaders discussed an upcoming trip to Jerusalem in 2023 for a group of outstanding literature evangelists from throughout the five unions in Mexico.

Board of Education K-12

“We thank God that all of our schools are working to 100 percent and none of our teachers stopped working through the pandemic months, even amid many tough challenges,” said Faye Patterson, education director for the church in Inter-America and secretary of the board.

Board members were briefed on the recent day of prayer across schools and universities in Inter-America on March 9, with 112 baptisms. Patterson praised the work of the chaplains who are making a difference by providing emotional and mental health to pupils and leading them and their family members to the gospel.

Inter-America’s virtual library will see more exposure as more primary and secondary schools utilize the resources among its students and teachers, said Patterson.  A new committee for the virtual library will work on policies, actions and development plans to establish further processes to maximize the use of the resource. Universities have been maximizing the use of the virtual library for years now, she said.

Board of Higher Education 

Board members voted to propose the closing of Inter-America’s Herbert Fletcher University, a higher education institution established in 2007, to provide undergraduate courses as well as two masters degrees to Adventist professionals.

“At some point, it was thought to have an online university with the purpose of helping persons who were working to have access to education, but it did not grow as we had hoped,” said Patterson.  HFU saw a total of 57 students enrolled from 2016 to 2020, with 14 graduating from the institution, she reported.

One of the reasons HFU needs to cease to function includes not being effective and many denominational universities offer graduate and post graduate degrees on campus and/or online. In addition the online institution did not meet the church’s International Board of Education or Adventist Accrediting Association standards, Patterson said.

The Board of Higher Education will submit the proposal to Inter-America’s Executive Committee for a final vote in the coming days.

Board of Ministerial and Theological Education 

The Board of Ministerial and Theological Education, which oversees the theology and ministerial education and training for ministers across universities in Inter-America, voted to endorse theology professors in Colombia Adventist University, Linda Vista University, Central American Adventist University, Venezuela Adventist University, and Northern Caribbean University.

To learn more about Inter-America’s institutions, its initiatives and activities, visit us at interamerica.org