March 26, 2009 – Havana, Cuba…[Libna Stevens/IAD]
Since its beginning in the 1860s, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has relied heavily on literature distribution to spread the gospel. Today, more than 150 years later, there are over 200 countries and territories which have benefitted from Adventist publications throughout the world. In the Inter-American Division (IAD), the printed word continues to be an integral part of evangelizing the church throughout its vast territory.
Just recently the church in Inter-America celebrated its first division-wide event honoring top colporteurs, or canvassers, during a historic event held in Havana, Cuba, Mar. 10-14, 2009.
More than 350 of the top colporteurs throughout the 17 major church regions gathered together during a four-day conference where they were honored and encouraged to continue the task of finishing the work as they go house-to-house, business-to-business, spreading the message of salvation through the sale of books and literature.
Pastor Mirto Presentacion, publishing ministries director for the church in Inter-America and organizer of the event, says the event was long overdue and had a special mission.
“Aside from celebrating our top colporteurs in Inter-America and enabling them to network together, learning of their successful stories, it was important for us to support our brothers and sisters in Cuba,” says Presentacion.
The congress was not just another gathering, it was more a missionary trip to Cuba, Presentacion adds. “The idea was to have each colporteur and publishing ministries director travel to the event to take with them a Bible, a Spirit of Prophecy Book and a hymn book,” he adds.
“It was so exciting to see how everyone participating in the congress brought with them more than one set of books, and suitcases of clothes, shoes and toiletries…it was truly a missionary endeavor,” Presentacion adds.
There were just a few seminars offered. More time was given for each of the top colporteurs of each union to share with their peers and church leaders their strategies and methods in reaching homes and businesses. They also shared success stories of people who joined the church as a result of their efforts.
In addition, the colporteurs were honored for their contribution in selling publications and winning souls.
The title for the champion seller of publications in Inter-America went to Elva Corina Morales, who sold over $80,000 dollars' worth last year in the Inter-Oceanic region of Mexico.
Morales, who is 27 years old, began colporting four years ago. She was thankful to travel to Cuba for the event.
“It has been an excellent experience,” says Morales, who says that she feels she was called to share the truth.
“I know I was born to serve God and was placed in this work. I have seen how doors have opened for me to get to know different people who are thirsty and hungry and in need to know God,” she adds.
As the IAD colporteur champion, Morales was awarded a Pocket Cinema V10 handheld projector to use in her presentations.
Christian Soquet of the French Antilles Union sold more than $60,000 dollars in publications last year, the second highest amount.
Teresa de Jesus Rojas of El Salvador in the Mid-Central American Union was the IAD's colporteur champion in soul-winning. As a result of her work, she brought 125 people into the church in the year 2008. Trailing behind de Jesus Rojas was Saintel Octavius of Haiti, with 104 clients who got baptized last year.
Maria Magdalena Villareal from Chiapas in South Mexico, who is a deaf-and-mute, spoke through a translator during the event on how she was able to form a small group of 54 new members as a result of her colporting work.
For the hundreds who attended the event, the mission of the publishing ministries was clear and held high.
“Our mission has been to do missionary work through the sale of books,” says Pastor Presentacion. “In other words, the philosophy of the Adventist Church is not to sell and wait for the souls, it is to do missionary work through the ministry of the publications, and this is happening in our territory.”
For the 7,800 full-time, part-time and student colporteurs in Inter-America, church leaders strongly believe that their work is relevant and an integral part in evangelism today.
“We believe firmly that the colporteurs are making a major contribution in soul-winning in the division,” says Pastor Leito, president of the church in Inter-America.”Not only directly because of their own involvement but by knocking on doors, they get information and contacts that otherwise we would not have, so that directly and indirectly they bring in hundreds of souls.”
During the opening and closing of the congress, Pastor Leito praised the work of the colporteurs and assured them that they are a vital part in the progress of the church in Inter-America and vowed to work towards ensuring that the church provides the proper financial arrangements in their countries for their retirement.
Pastor Howard Faigao, publishing ministries director for the Adventist World Church, gave a seminar and spoke to colporteurs on their mission and emphasized on their work as fundamental in the gospel ministry.
Pastor Presentacion, who learned about the Adventist truth through a colporteur and became one himself at age 17, is still passionate about the work of the colporteur.
“Going house-to-house to offer the truth still functions today,” says Presentacion. “People are in need to cope with their financial problems, their health problems, marital problems, with children and in need of spirituality so there is still work for the colporteur to do.”
After serving the church for more than 37 years in conference, union and division publishing ministries director, Presentacion says that the basic method of colporting has not changed. He says perhaps different approaches with new technology may vary but it is still relevant and needed today. Just in the last five years, the number of colporteurs in Inter-America grew from 5,000 to 7,800.
Nowadays, colporteurs use mp3 files in their ipods or zunes and present their catalogue of publications as well as project seminars and presentations with hand-held projectors in homes and businesses, says Presentacion.
“The event in Cuba brought a wonderful opportunity for team work among colporteurs and leaders to extend a hand [in Cuba] where colporting has been non-existent for more than 50 years,” says Presentation. “There was a tremendous outpouring of goods for our brethren there.” Union publishing directors and colporteurs handed over the Bible and books during a special ceremony Saturday afternoon before the program ended.
Pastor Daniel Fontaine, president for the church in Cuba, says the event was distinguished by the love and compassion shown by the colporteurs for their work.
“We hope that the circumstances will change so that our colporteurs can do their work on the island once again,” said Fontaine. “The church in Cuba began because of the work of two colporteurs and it must finish with the publishing work.”
Church leaders are already talking about the next division-wide colporteur congress during the next five-year period.
The Publishing Ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church exists to proclaim, through media, the gospel of hope to the whole world in this generation. It aims to uplift and dignify people through better living-physically, socially, and spiritually-thus preparing them for the world to come; to encourage and equip everyone to share the good news of Jesus and His second coming; and to strengthen personal faith through the spiritual nurturing that comes from sharing the light with others.
For more information on the information and presentations featured during the IAD Colporteur's Congress in Cuba, visit www.interamerica.org or go to http://cuba09.interamerica.org/
Abel Marquez contributed to this report.
