Inter-American Division Leaders Celebrate ‘Mission Refocus’

Leaders from across the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Inter-American Division (IAD) recently hosted a Festival of Mission Refocus to highlight mission efforts underway in 18 countries around the world.

The celebration, held on November 9 at the Adventist church on Montemorelos University’s campus in Montemorelos, Nuevo León, Mexico, featured vibrant flags and colorful folkloric outfits worn by church leaders, students, and local members.

One by one, administrators from each of the 24 unions in the IAD shared a report of their efforts in support of Mission Refocus, a strategic initiative led by the church’s General Conference to renew and enhance mission work, better aligning global and local needs and more effectively carrying out evangelistic missions.

Mission Support

Mission support has been ongoing this year in collaboration with leaders from eight world church divisions, with resources dedicated to supporting local workers in evangelism, sponsoring missionary couples, funding church planting teams, building churches, providing Bibles and literature, supporting school infrastructure, and offering student stipends, according to Samuel Telemaque, IAD Sabbath School director and head of Adventist Mission for the division.

“The twenty-four unions have already contributed [US]$500,000 this year,” Telemaque reported. “In the next five years, we expect to double this amount in support of mission and evangelism initiatives.” He went on to highlight the importance of the Mission Refocus initiative, calling it a transformative effort that positions the IAD as a global leader in mission work.

Funded Initiatives

Luis Rivera, president of the Puerto Rican Union Conference, shared a personal story. “As a young boy, I remember my mother reading me mission stories that fascinated me about the spread of the gospel in distant lands,” he said. “Now, as a church leader, I am thrilled to support a missionary family being sent to Poland for the next four to five years.”

Pierre Caporal, president of the Haitian Union Mission, reported on support for mission initiatives in the African country of Mali. “We have sent funds for educational, health, and community service projects to support the church’s growth there,” he said.

Caribbean Union Conference president Kern Tobias highlighted that union’s support for mission work in Vietnam. “We are excited to help spread the gospel to Adventist families in Vietnam,” Tobias said. Additionally, the Caribbean Union has supported a music education initiative in an undisclosed country.

Mission Outreach

Other union leaders shared updates on projects in countries within the 10/40 window, which includes regions of the world with the greatest need for missionary outreach. Initiatives range from supporting music schools and centers of influence to funding health clinics, English language classes, and a new university planned for the region.

Montemorelos University president Ismael Castillo emphasized the university’s ongoing commitment to global mission efforts. “In recent years, we’ve sent missionaries to countries such as Austria, Denmark, Italy, England, Spain, and more,” he said. “We’ve also brought 19 young people from the 10/40 window to study on scholarships, some of whom will return to serve as missionaries themselves.”

During the celebration, leaders from various divisions offered video reports, expressing gratitude for the IAD and its partnering unions for their support of mission efforts this year.

IAD administrators also shared an ongoing mission project in the 10/40 window and thanked union leaders for their global support.

Call for Mission Support

“It is so worth it to be involved in missions, helping and supporting efforts far beyond our territory,” IAD president Elie Henry said. “God continues to call us to become workers for His mission and to get involved in projects around the world.” He encouraged young people to seize mission opportunities and urged adult members to continue supporting global evangelism through prayer and resources.

Henry also expressed gratitude to each union president for their commitment and dedication to the global Mission Refocus initiative.

Karen Porter, associate secretary of the General Conference, praised the IAD’s Mission Refocus initiatives. “We need to continue focusing our budgets on unreached areas in the 10/40 window and on reaching urban centers,” Porter said. “It’s inspiring to hear about missionaries going to different countries, but we also know it’s not easy for them. They face many challenges, including health risks.”

Porter called on church leaders to continue supporting missionary families through prayer, resources, and practical assistance. “Mission comes with a cost. There are many sacrifices our missionaries make,” she said.

The original version of this story was posted on the Inter-American Division news site.