Adventist Church Honors Long-Serving Educators During Annual Teacher’s Day Celebration

October 5, 2022 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division

Thousands of primary and secondary school teachers from across the Seventh-day Adventist education system throughout the Inter-American Division were honored for their dedication and commitment during a special online program on Oct. 1, 2022, from Panama City, Panama. The event celebrated the important work of the thousands of teachers in more than 700 Adventist primary and secondary schools throughout the territory.

“The world honors athletes and artists but we want to honor one of the most important groups in the Adventist Church, and that is those who are forming future church leaders,” said Dr. Faye Patterson, education director for the church in the IAD. Patterson, along with IAD and local church leaders, thanked the teachers watching online throughout the 24 unions or church regions, for accepting the call year after year to prepare children and young people for the future in the world and eternal life in heaven.

Celebrating Teacher’s Day

The program was held during the IAD’s annual Teacher’s Day.

Teachers with the longest tenure from each union were honored with a special medal and certificate during the online worship service. In addition, each union gathered its teachers and honored them with certificates and gifts.

“You are doing an important work day by day in the classroom, on campuses, and represent a select group of missionary workers who represent Christ and we want to thank you for your efforts in fulfilling the mission of the church where you are,” said Pastor Elie Henry, president of the church in the IAD.  “You take part in advancing the church, in preparing young people in their physical, mental, and spiritual factors and God has given you influence over them and the community.”

Pastor Henry encouraged teachers to practice biblical values and to take opportunities to grow in what the church in Inter-America has been emphasizing in the “Path to Knowledge” program in its Adventist educational system.

“Your work for the Lord is not in vain. We thank you for dedicating your efforts and energy to advance the work of God,” Pastor Henry said.

The 25 educators that were honored included Elma Bruce-Frederick from the Caribbean Union with 53 years of service, Deidy Chirinos from the West Venezuela Union with 45 years of service, and Sonia Villeneuve of the French Antilles Guiana Union with 44 years of service.

During the online program held from the Metropolitan Adventist School in Panama City, leaders celebrated the work of Yojany Esther Chavanz Cea for the almost 40 years of teaching in the Adventist Educational System.

“We recognize that you have placed your life in the business of Adventist Education and we thank you with this token of a medal,” said Patterson. “Many of you have spent more than half your life educating children.” Honored teachers at each of the IAD unions also handed the medals to their teachers.

Division-level competition

The Teacher’s Day Celebration concluded with the final online competition. Fourteen primary and secondary teachers representing the Spanish-speaking unions in the IAD were tested on their knowledge of the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They answered 50 questions from two books by George R. Knight, “A Brief History of Seventh-day Adventists” and “A Search for Identity: The Development of Seventh-day Adventist Beliefs.”

The idea of the competition event was born after an activity during a meeting with teachers revealed that many of them did not know many of the details about the history and development of the Adventist Church, said Patterson. Soon after, the Adventist Heritage competition event began earlier this year and included teachers competing at local schools, then regional conferences and missions, until competing at the union level before reaching the IAD for final competition.

Javier A. Marin Vargas of the North Colombia Union took the top score of 335 points after answering 47 questions correctly. He has been a 9^th – 11^th grade teacher for three years teaching for three years at the Libertad del Sur Adventist School in Bucaramanga, Colombia. “It’s been a great adventure to rediscover bible, historic and prophetic roots that are part of my own life,” said Marin. “I say that because my life I consider it as an extension of the world church.”

Marin will join Melissa García from the Belize Union and a teacher from the French Antilles Guiana Union as top winners representing the Spanish, English and French speaking unions, on an all-expenses paid trip to the Dominican Republic in December. There they will take part in decision-making meetings with Inter-American educators and church leaders.

“The Seventh-day Adventist Church has a very rich history and I’m sure that after studying these books you are not the same, you understand better who we are and where we are going as Seventh-day Adventists,” said Patterson.  “The [Adventist] church hast its identity and we have learned from our mistakes and continue to fulfill the mission.”

To view the special online Teacher’s Day celebration from Panama, click HERE

To watch the online Adventist Heritage competition, click HERE