January 4, 2010 – Miami, Florida, United States…[Libna Stevens/IAD]
Top Seventh-day Adventist leaders and staff at the Inter-American Division headquarters office began the new year today in praise for God’s blessings in the year passed and in prayer seeking God’s guidance for the challenges ahead during a special worship service in its headquarters office in Miami, Florida.
Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America, welcomed everyone and reflected briefly on how the Lord blessed the church in Inter-America in 2009. “We are happy with what God has done for us, but we are not satisfied, we know that we can do more for the Lord,” he said.
Special guest speaker of the morning was Pastor Orville Parchment, personal assistant to Adventist World Church President Jan Paulsen. Pastor Parchment encouraged the more than 50 church employees to press on firm in Christ this year just as Joshua led the people of Israel to cross the Jordan River.
“The year 2010 is going to be another challenging year for Seventh-day Adventist workers throughout the world. There are rivers to cross, there are battles to be fought, there are cities to be conquered and God is waiting to do marvelous things for the church in 2010,” said Pastor Parchment.
Pastor Parchment went on to challenge those gathered to consecrate their lives, move forward in faith, and stand firm in the promises of God amid the troubles of this world. “We must continue being firmly fixed in principle truth and sanctified living,” he added.
The worship program also featured a concert by pianist Josias De Trinidad, who traveled from Guatemala. De Trinidad, a physician who wishes to specialize in cardiology, shared with the audience his passion for music through hymns of praise.
The program also included a prayer session for God’s guidance and blessings upon the church throughout the fast growing membership.
The top three officers reflected on the successes and challenges that the year 2009 brought.
“We must realize that everything that has happened in this office in the territory is all due to what God has wrought and to Him we give all the glory,” said Pastor Leito. So far the growth of the church in various areas keeps rising, church leaders said.
According to Pastor Juan Perla, executive secretary of the church in Inter-America, the growth in the territory has been extraordinary during the past few years. As of Sep. 2009, more than 172,000 people were added to the church, bringing the total to more than 3.266 million members worshiping in 18,375 congregations.
Pastor Perla also reported that today some 1,086,716 Sabbath School quarterlies are printed every quarter where just a few years ago only 300,000 were consumed by the membership.
Leaders were happy to report that the programs in place throughout the thousands of churches are revealing that there is low apostasy among its members.
“We can see that programs in place keep members in church, we are losing less and less members, so our growth is sustainable–we are winning more and losing less,” said Pastor Leito.
Growth has been evident in the tithe and offering giving. According to the statistics reported by Pastor Filiberto Verduzco, treasurer for the church in Inter-America, tithe has increased 212 percent and mission offering has increased to 236 percent during the last ten years. This represents an unprecedented financial growth for the church, he said.
Although there were some financial uncertainties during last year with persistent devaluation of currency throughout most of the countries in the territory, the year 2009 showed the loyalty of the church membership, leaders said.
“Our church members are not afraid of the raging winds of the storms of this world,” said Verduzco. “They are loyal members committed to the cause.”
“We begin 2010 with the assurance that God is at the helm,” Verduzco added.
As the year began, leaders will continue to strategize to improve the Adventist educational system throughout the territory in the coming days, plan on a special spiritual emphasis program for church leaders, among other initiatives and projects.
The Inter-American Division Headquarters oversees the work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the 17 regions of the territory, which boasts of thousands of churches, hundreds of schools and universities, and dozens of hospitals and clinics.
To learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-American Division America, visit https://recursing-golick.147-182-135-0.plesk.page/
