Inter-America: Publishing Association Reports Growing Success At Executive Committee Meetings

Montemorelos, Nuevo Leon, Mexico…[Libna Stevens/IAD]

During day two of the Inter-American Division's (IAD) executive committee meetings held in Montemorelos, Mexico, Adventist leaders made decisions and took action on the strategic plans and events presented by church departments and ministries which will be implemented across the territory throughout the remainder of the current quinquennium.

The day’s agenda included a financial report from the Inter-American Division’s Publishing Association (IADPA). Just nine months shy of celebrating it’s 25th anniversary, the publishing house reported a 95 percent operating capital and 81 percent liquidity for 2006.

During his presentation, Pablo Perla, president of IADPA, said that since starting with only $10,000 in 1983, the growth of the publishing house has come a long way since its humble beginnings.

“I believe that establishing [IAD’s] publishing house was one of the best decisions that the Division ever made,” Perla said as he thanked church leaders and church regional presidents for their support during the years. He said IADPA achieved $10 million in sales last year.

The latest printing project IADPA completed is the Spanish version of Testimonies for the Church, a nine volume set of books by author Ellen G. White. Calling it “our greatest contribution in 25 years to the Spanish Adventist world,” the project was 20 years in the making after many unsuccessful attempts by other Adventist organizations to finish the Spanish translation of the volumes, according to Perla.

He announced the latest book exclusively available from IADPA entitled The Victorious Christian by Adventist author Richard O'Fill. The book is now available in Spanish, English, and French. Other new publications available this year were announced and are available at www.iadpa.org.

The current project IADPA is working on is a new presentation folder that will be available to the more than 2,000 literature evangelists in the IAD territory.

Perla ended his report letting church leaders know of the continued commitment IADPA has to the church in the territory.

“Our passion in IADPA is to sell books and we strive to distribute the largest number of books of the highest quality at the lowest cost possible,” he said.

IADPA is one of two publishing houses belonging to the Inter-Ameican Division. Gema Publishing House is in Mexico.