June7, 2010 – Mandeville, Jamaica…[Lawrie Henry/NigelCoke/IAD]
Plansfor the reorganization of West Indies Union Conference of Seventh-dayAdventists were presented at a meeting of pastors, workers and church elders heldin the Northern Caribbean University (NCU) gymnatorium on May 31, 2010. PastorIsrael Leito, president of the church in Inter-America was the main presenter.
“Thisreorganization is in recognition of the significant growth and development thathas taken place in West Indies Union over the past few years,” said PastorLeito, as he quieted speculations that the dissolution of West Indies Union isthe beginning of a move to create an English-speaking Division in Inter-America. “This reorganization is not a precursorof an English Division” he explained. “The General Conference has made it clear that it has all the Divisionsit needs and doesn’t need any more”.
TheIAD president noted that the WIU dissolution will bring to four the number ofEnglish-speaking Unions in the IAD, as the Jamaica Union Conference and theAtlantic Caribbean Union Mission are added to the previously existing BelizeUnion of Churches and Caribbean Union Conference.
Thenew configuration will see the formation of the Atlantic Caribbean UnionMission (ACUM), comprising four Fields: the Bahamas Conference, the NorthBahamas Conference, the Cayman Islands Conference, and the Turks and CaicosIslands Mission with approximately 25,000 members. The Jamaica Union Conference(JAMU) will have five Fields, namely: the East, West, Central, North and North-EastJamaica Conferences with membership of approximately 250,000.
Thereorganization will have implications for the current staffing requirements ofthe Union. Pastor Leito stated that the ACUM will begin with 12 employees,while JAMU will be limited to 20. “These caps are put in place to ensure thenew Unions start out financially viable and remain so,” he added.
PastorLeito assured those concerned that “everything will be done to defend andprotect workers who have to be let go from the present West Indies Union staff.The policy says any worker let go as a result of reorganization will enjoy aperiod of remuneration [after the fact]”
PastorDerek Bignall in an earlier comment on the separation said, “We are lookingforward to this change in our ecclesiastical landscape having worked togetherwith the present territories since 1944. This is a sign of maturity and growthwithin our region.”
Other matters announced byPastor Leito at the meeting were:
- The time of initiation for the new unions will be during the WIU session scheduled late in November this year, at which a ceremony of separation will be conducted, then WIU will no longer exist. After the separation ceremony, the first business session of JAMU will be conducted. Because ACUM is a union mission and not yet a union conference, its officers will be appointed by the Executive Committee of the IAD.
- The WIU treasurer will formulate a budget for each Union.
- The separation of finances will become effective Jan. 1, 2011. A special committee, chaired by the treasurer of the Inter-American Division, will meet to discuss and determine the specifics of the separation of assets.
- Northern Caribbean University will be jointly owned and operated by both Unions
- ACUM will be governed by an operating policy given by the IAD Executive Committee instead of by a Constitution.
