July 28, 2011 – San Salvador, El Salvador…Libna Stevens/IAD
Top Seventh-day Adventist leaders from throughout the Inter-American Division (IAD) territory made a public commitment to aggressively promote the study of the Bible throughout the church’s 21 unions or regions during a special spiritual revival program from El Salvador Jul. 23, 2011. The launch program was part of the IAD’s unique three-phase comprehensive revival and reformation initiative which is expected to be on-going for the years to come.
More than 10,000 church members crowded the Centro Internacional de Ferias y Convenciones in San Salvador, the capital city, to witness the three-hour launch program focused on the importance of studying and living by the truths of the Bible and reaching out to a needy world with the Holy Book.
Coined as “Heeding the Word”, the new initiative becomes the second phase of the comprehensive revival initiative which seeks to inspire ministers, laypeople, educators, children, and young people throughout the IAD to deepen their study of the Scriptures, church leaders said. Inter-America’s initiatives follow the Adventist World Church’s recent appeal for revival, reformation, discipleship and evangelism around the globe.
“It is important that we live and share the Word of God,” said Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America, as he addressed the gathering. “We want the world to know that the Adventist Church is a church that believes and shares the Bible.”
Armed with Bibles, banners and posters, scores of children, young people, teachers, women, pastors, lay people, and families from the church in El Salvador took center stage during several segments of the program vowing to commit to studying the Bible and sharing its truths.
“‘Heeding the Word’ is a clarion call to the Inter-American church to spend time with the Bible, listen to what God has to say in His word, understand the significance of His message, and be willing to follow His instructions as they appear in the Bible,” added Pastor Leito.
“We want the Bible to be the center of our lives, the center of our proclamation, because the Adventist Church does not have another guide but the Bible and the Holy Spirit,” explained Pastor Leito.
General Vice President for the Adventist World Church Pastor Armando Miranda delivered the keynote message. He congratulated the church in Inter-America for its aggressive and unique spiritual revival initiative and encouraged the thousands present to the study of the Scriptures.
“Not only are we seeing wonderful revivals of God’s presence in our times, but our pioneers dedicated hours upon hours studying the Bible and the Spirit of God manifested itself,” said Pastor Miranda. “There was such a revival that even the denominations that did not accept, were touched by it.”
“We are here ready to continue with the preparation to make it to heaven. The church is searching and promoting revival and reformation because we want to see Jesus soon and go to heaven with Him. We have a mission to fulfill, we have a great challenge to reach millions more,” added Miranda.
“My dear brethren, it is in the power of the Word of God, the power of Jesus Christ that transform us and makes of this remnant of God be filled with the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel of God,” emphasized Miranda. “Let us make a commitment to study the Word of God every day,” he added as he ended his message with a call to thousands of church leaders and members during the event.
During the program, top church leaders from each of the 21 major church territories of the IAD signed a covenant document committing to be faithful to God in promoting the study, practice and teaching of the Bible in each of their regions.
The event, which was streamed live over the internet, included spiritual messages, up-coming revival-related activities, and was spiced with music and drama performances.
As part of the “Heeding the Word” initiative launch, over 700 top church leaders and ministers from across El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala participated in a two-day Bible Conference which focused on a theological foundation on the Adventist position on the Word of God and Spirit of Prophecy.
Theologians from the Biblical Research Institute (BRI), Dr. Artur Stele, Adventist World Church vice president and BRI director, as well Dr. Angel Manuel Rodriguez, former BRI director, emphasized the importance of the Bible as the foundation for the Adventist Church and the prophetic ministry of Ellen G. White as it leads to the Scriptures.
Pastor Roberto Herrera, coordinator for revival and reformation for the church in Inter-America and organizer of the event, said the initiative brought unity, commitment and a greater level of communication among leaders.
“There is no doubt that revival and reformation in Inter-America is something that has become priority among its church leaders and churches,” said Herrera. “Our goal is for our members to appreciate the Word of God and for our leadership to continue developing the type of environment conducive to the Word of God.”
According to Herrera, the program also sent a clear message that the IAD’s departments and ministries are involved and committed to receive, live and share the Word. “This is simply something wonderful and necessary,” Herrera said.
For Abel Pacheco, president of the church in El Salvador, participating IAD’s prayer initiative and partnering to host the launch event has brought excitement to the newly organized church region of nearly 207,000 members.
“Our church is motivated to be passionate about studying, living and sharing the Word of God through our congregations and small groups,” said Pacheco. It’s a motivation which has been visible in the increase of members added to the church in just the last few months, he said. “Some 4,053 new members were added in July by the hard work of pastors and laypeople and a membership praying for spiritual revival.”
The live event was carried through the church’s two radio stations, and the program was rebroadcast hours later on El Salvador’s national television Channel 33.
“This event has been a true blessing for our church and has brought us more energy to continue with the call for spiritual revival,” said Pacheco. Pacheco said he is in dialogue with his sister union’s leader Pastor Julio Palacio, president of the church in the Venezuela Antilles Union, for a new on-going partnership that will promote prayer-partnerships as well as unique projects and activities among the two church regions.
“Our members will get a chance to learn directly of the church there in Venezuela,” he said.
The South Mexican and Puerto Rican unions have already started praying for each region’s need and are working towards printing a booklet that will describe the particular needs for each starting the next month, according to David Javier, president of the church in South Mexico. “We are looking forward to working with an evangelism partnership as well to learn from each other’s way of doing things,” said Jose Alberto Rodriguez, president of the church in Puerto Rico.
According to Dr. Leonard Johnson, president of the Atlantic Caribbean Union, which covers The Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos, the partnership with the Dominican Republic is sure to be beneficial.
“Both unions have commenced the process of praying for one another. However, we want to take it to another level of exploring ways for both unions to exchange ideas, use of personnel between both unions and enhance the ministry of each union,” said Dr. Johnson. He will be traveling to the Dominican Republic in the coming days to sit with Pastor Cesario Acevedo, president of the church in the Dominican Republic to strategize activities for the new partnership.
“We know that the sister unions in prayer partnerships will be a way to further our Constant in Prayer first phase revival initiative,” said Herrera. “Unions have been paired up and the idea is for them to develop their own prayer journeys together, share evangelistic initiatives and develop a closer relationship together with their institutions and churches in their regions.”
Earlier this year, the church in Inter-America embarked on a 160-day prayer journey coined as “Constant in Prayer” promoting a prayer revival for children and young people, students and teachers across its schools and university campuses, as well as the church’s pastoral workforce. In addition, some 100,000 families throughout the territory opened their homes to worship, praise and prayer for their neighbors and friends in need.
Pastor Marcos Gamaliel Herrera is a district pastor in the Central region in El Salvador. He oversees nine congregations and two groups. At 26 years of age, he is excited about how his church will engage in the type of revival that can see powerful results. “This initiative launch has made me recommit to studying more diligently the Word of God and motivate my members to seek a spiritual revival through prayer, the Bible and the study of the prophetic books of Ellen G. White,” said Herrera.
IAD Leaders will continue to push towards the type of spiritual revival that will further prepare leaders, pastors, and laypeople to work together in creating an environment that can aid members and in preparing them for eternal life, according to Pastor Leito.
“When we speak of revival, it must be clear that the knowledge of God’s Word is a very important element. Revival is a change of relationship with the Lord, and only the study of His Word can give guidance in that effect,” said Pastor Leito.
As the church in Inter-America moves into its second phase of spiritual revival initiative during the next six months, activities are already in place to blend in all three phases for the next launch in February 2012. The third phase initiative, will be called “So the World may Know,”-an initiative that will seek to motive church members active in spiritual revival to share the good news of salvation to the world.
Upcoming activities on Inter-America’s “Heeding the World” revival initiative include a virtual ministerial council, a Bible boom competition among young people in churches and institutions, a special week focused on the Bible in schools and institutions, study of the Adventist doctrines throughout churches, massive distribution of the Great Controversy Book by Ellen G. White and disciple training of one million members to fulfill the gospel commission through Vision One Million evangelism plan, among others.
For more news on Inter-America’s Spiritual Revival and Reformation initiative, visit us at www.interamerica.org
To view a photo gallery of the Heeding the Word revival initiative launch, visit us at www.flickr.com/photos/interamerica
Resources:
Vision One Million: http://visiononemillion.interamerica.org/
Revival and Reformation webpage: http://praying4revival.org
In Spanish: http://estamosorando.org
French: http://praying4revival.org
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English: http://www.facebook.com/praying4revival
Spanish: http://www.facebook.com/estamosorando
