In Inter-America, Top Church Leadership Continues to Navigate the ‘New Normal’

August 7, 2020 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

Navigating the “new normal” during the pandemic crisis has top Seventh-day Adventist leaders still focusing on the spiritual life of the church, accounting for members who with a COVID-19 illness, cutting costs and making key decisions that will impact the church in the weeks and months ahead.

“We are in God’s hands looking for His direction, praising Him for what He has done for us and the church so far, and bringing before Him our petitions during this period that we are in,” said Pastor Elie Henry, president of the church in Inter-America as he met with top administrators of the church’s 24 major regions during an online meeting yesterday. “We need to continue navigating this ‘new normal’ across the territory.”

The meeting was part of a monthly online extensive session where top leaders monitor the critical situation of the church and its institutions across the Inter-American Division (IAD) territory, study some of the pressing concerns facing the church, and keep drawing plans to move forward together as a church during and after the coronavirus pandemic.

Finances

Pastor Filiberto Verduzco, treasurer for the church in Inter-America, reported that at the end of July tithe and offering income is down across the territory and that income projection for operations is being estimated to be 48 percent, which represents a 9.4 percent increase since the first quarter.

“Still today, we cannot pinpoint what the income will be for 2021, so the budget for operations cannot be defined until later in the year as we study the real numbers coming in regularly,” said Verduzco. “We have had the pandemic for five months already and looking at if this trend is prolonged for five or ten more months, our working capital apart from the adjustment to our expenses, is going to be absorbed.”

Verduzco encouraged the leadership to continue taking the proper measures and adjustments to their operating budgets across conferences and missions, the union administrations oversee. “We must seek the Lord’s guidance and make consistent decisions to benefit the church and its operations.”

Membership statistics down

In presenting membership statistics, Pastor Leonard Johnson, executive secretary for the church in Inter-America, pointed out the challenges the pandemic has brought when it comes to accounting for members and adjustments to church membership.

Membership statistics show that at the beginning of the first quarter there were 3,708,308, and at the end of the second quarter it dropped to 3,680,635. This is a difference of more than 27,000 after factoring in the baptisms, profession of faith and dropped members due to deaths, missing and other adjustments.

“When you compare the number of baptisms in the first quarter with more than 28,000, and losses or drops in membership of more 45,000 for the first quarter, when you do the math, there is not a net gain here,” said Johnson. Much of the numbers drops during the second quarter is a result of some conferences and missions not being able to report properly because some churches are closed and because of the challenges of assessing numbers accurately, he said.

Pastor Johnson also reminded leaders that baptism numbers are not just about new believers joining the church through evangelistic efforts but when they are received and accounted for in local congregations. “Newly baptized members must be accepted into the church and that means, those who were accepted and voted into the church.”

Just like members are voted in, dropped members must have a vote from the church board followed by a church business meeting to be counted as dropped, or missing, letters of transfer, and the like, he said. “Let’s try to do a better job in caring for the flock entrusted to our care even in the context of what is happening through this COVID-19 era,” said Johnson.

Church leaders also took time to pray for Adventist families in Inter-America who are mourning the loss of loved ones and have lost employment due to the pandemic, for the victims of the Beirut explosion and for the future of the church throughout the territory.

Reports from unions

In Southeast Mexico, Pastor Isaias Espinoza, president of the church in the region, reported that in the four states comprising the union territory, 145 members have died of COVID-19, and 1,338 have been infected with the virus. “We are still a red light in this area and continue with strict social distancing measures here, keeping our church services online,” said Espinoza. Despite reducing expenses, and with 70 percent of tithe income coming in, local fields are growing financially he said.

In the South Central American Union, Pastor Wilfredo Ruiz, president of the church overseeing Costa Rica and Nicaragua, reported that 67 members have died of the coronavirus, 625 are still ailing with COVID-19, and 2,500 families are unemployed at this time. “Even through their loss church members continue to turn in their offerings as pastors go house-to-house collecting funds to be registered,” said Ruiz. So far 75 to 80 percent of the monthly income in tithes is being collected.

Pastor Jorge Atalido, president of the church in East Venezuela, reported that five members have died of the coronavirus and 18 pastors are affected by COVID-19, as well as 20 who are in health and education institutions. The church is not sure how many of its members are infected throughout the local congregations, but leaders are scrambling to provide vitamins and natural remedies to boost their leaders and members to fight against the coronavirus. “We are hanging on to God and His promises and we see miracles each day here,” said Atalido.

In Jamaica, Pastor Everett Brown, president of the church on the island, reported 12 deaths among its membership, and 928 positive cases of members with COVID-19. “Most of the churches are functioning online, with a few churches reopened following the proper social distancing regulations,” said Brown. “Our schools are affected and the church continues to address the social needs of the members.”

Division Institutions

IAD’s Montemorelos Unitersity President Ismael Castillo reported that the campus is unable to accommodate students at this time and that the school year would begin next week entirely online. “The state of Nuevo Leon is still under red light for the pandemic and we cannot house any students in the dormitories or in classrooms,” said Castillo. “We have zero income coming in at this time and are in the middle of registration for the school year this week.” Castillo said several Zoom meetings have taken place with students, parents and faculty as the school is about to transition into at-home study.

On average the university sees close to 2,000 students every school year, and employs hundreds of teachers and staff on campus. University leaders are meeting to come up with a plan to assist students who still owe for their studies, a way to clear their school year debt in the coming months and years.

Saul Ortiz, president of the Inter-American Division Publishing Association (IADPA), reported that the publishing house has made 15 percent less in sales so far this year but that from April to June there has been 44 percent less coming in for operations. “We continue to send Sabbath school materials and literature evangelism resources, but we are struggling with payments that are due so that we can be able to run this publishing house,” said Ortiz. “For the type of [publishing] business that we are running, this pandemic situation is hitting us very hard.”

GEMA Editors publishing house, based in Mexico City, has been dealing with the pandemic crisis for the past five months, reported its president Pastor David Javier.   “We are receiving 20 percent less in our publishing house since April and our staff comes in about five hours every day, following government restrictions,” said Javier. The publishing house is providing 15-20 percent discounts to literature evangelists and extending their credit so they can have more time to pay off the books they buy to resell. “We have seen our sales as of June drop to 31 percent compared to sales in June of 2019.”

Administrators were also reminded to ensure they have a statement in their union territory in place as well as initiatives to highlight the position of the church on its stand against violence toward women and children according to the Enditnow initiative. In addition, church administrators will continue to align their initiatives and activities under the I Will Go initiative led by the Adventist World Church to impact their church territories and communities during the current quinquennium.

“We thank you for your support in carrying the mission of the church throughout the Inter-American Division,” said Pastor Henry. “We need your leadership to continue this movement forward.”

To learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America, its initiatives, activities and resources, visit us at interamerica.org