In Inter-America, Church Leadership Meets to Jump-Start the New Decade

January 6, 2020 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens/IAD

Seventh-day Adventist leaders at the Inter-American Division (IAD) headquarter office in Miami, Florida, United States, welcomed the start of the year by worshiping together in song and praise earlier today.

The dozens of administrators, department heads and staff took time during a special devotional program to reflect on the collective growth of the membership, its finances, and the community impact that will jump-start the new decade across the vast territory.

Pastor Elie Henry, president of the church in Inter-America, thanked the leadership team for their dedication to the mission of the church in everything they do and challenged them to imitate the early apostles in their united efforts of spreading the Gospel as found in Acts chapter 5. “We learned from the disciples on the constancy and fullness of dedication to the mission,” said Pastor Henry. “They did not seize to do the mission they received, at the temple, they went from house-to-house, and everywhere they went.”

The New Testament Christians were in and out of homes, witnessing, growing, worshiping and studying, said Pastor Henry. “[Being a Christian] is not an optional extra, a pastime or a hobby. Christianity is all or nothing…just like discipleship is an ongoing commitment to Jesus.”

As the Adventist World Church is set to launch it’s I Will Go strategic plan for 2020-2025, so are initiatives in place across the Inter-America for leaders and church members to answer the call to become disciples of Jesus, proclaim the gospel embraced in the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14, and prepare the world for Christ’s return.

The I Will Go strategic plan, which the Inter-American Division leadership has adopted to include three key pillars or core issues on evangelism, education and community impact, is ready to be set ablaze across the territory as the 3.8 million membership is set to celebrate 100 years of Adventism within the next two years.

The worship program featured musical segments by guests and IAD employees. Leaders also reviewed membership and financial statistics, maintenance projects for the headquarter office as well as human resources procedures, among others.

“We must continue to stress our passion for the mission, seeking the Lord’s will, and continue to live it as a corporate body, as a community that is really taking heart, preaching with determination that Jesus is the Lord and is coming soon, seeking,” Pastor Henry said.

IAD leaders will meet later this week to polish initiatives, events and activities to take place in the coming months.

The Inter-American Division oversees the work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Mexico, Central America, The Caribbean, French Antilles, as well as Colombia and Venezuela. The IAD and its organizations look after thousands of churches, hundreds of schools, universities, hospitals and clinics.

For more on the church in Inter-America, visit us at interamerica.org