“To fulfill the mission, we need two things: consecration and money,” said Ivelisse Herrera, treasurer of the Inter-American Division (IAD), while opening the division's Treasury Report during IAD's Annual Council in Bogota, Colombia, on November 3. Addressing more than 200 members of the IAD Executive Committee and almost 60 others online, Herrera thanked church members for their faithfulness and called everyone to careful, transparent management of resources to support the mission.
Referencing the experience of ancient Israel and the building of the sanctuary in the desert, where “The people [brought] much more than enough for the service of the work” (Exodus 36:5), Herrera discussed what triggered such extraordinary showing of generosity.
First, she explained, “the people knew why they were giving. There was a spiritual motivation, and that promise that God would dwell among them.”
At the same time, Herrera reminded church leaders that the people’s motivation stemmed from the fact that “they were able to witness the work moving forward.”
And finally, there was trust in the leadership and the administration, she said. “The people trusted the managers of those resources,” Herrera explained. “This is what I wish for the finances across our region."
Connecting generosity with the mission
In that regard, Herrera emphasized that the team she leads is committed to connecting everything they do “in a platform connecting generosity with the mission.”
She explained what this adopted theme means: “The faithfulness of our brethren doesn’t end in a bank account or in a financial statement. It ends in transformed lives, in new congregations being born, in young people following studies, in communities that get to know Jesus as the result of a church that is mission-driven and committed to mission.”
Herrera explained that her November 3 report would not be just about sharing financial figures but “a story of what God has done through the faithfulness and the generosity of His church in 2026.”
Focus on generosity
Before sharing some key figures, Herrera called members of the Executive Committee to remember that “behind every tithe cent, there’s a brother who, before paying his bills, put aside what he understood belonged to the Lord. And behind every cent in offerings there’s a family that, when planning for their finances, put something aside for God’s work.”
Herrera was happy to report that as of October 31, tithes in 2026 have increased 6.8 per cent. “We praise God’s name for it,” Herrera said. Likewise, offerings show a 9.5 per cent increase. In comparison with October 2025, net tithe shows a 9.5 per cent increase and offerings a 14 per cent increase.
Other figures that depend on external factors are in the red, Herrera reported, as investment returns are down 60 per cent and exchange fluctuations resulted in a 136 per cent decrease in returns in comparison with a year before. But the increase in tithes and offerings has helped offset these figures. Operating expenses have been kept under budget, she shared.
“God keeps guiding His work in Inter-America,” Herrera emphasized. “He keeps providing the resources so that His work can move forward.”
The IAD, Herrera said, now contributes 18 per cent of the resources of the General Conference, even though most of the IAD countries have weak currencies. Only two of the 13 total divisions contribute more, she reported.
These increases have positively impacted the financial indices, which are well above the levels established by policy, Herrera reported. “The financial position of the Inter-American Division is strong,” she concluded. “All the glory and honor be to God!”
What the money was used for
In a second segment, Herrera reported on how those funds are applied. She emphasized that they did not stay at division level. “A sizable part of those funds was sent to unions and local fields for mission,” she said. They were also used to support church institutions across the territory, advance evangelistic initiatives, provide relief funds when natural disasters struck, and enable the planting of new congregations.
“What God’s people give is transformed into mission,” Herrera said.
A brief video then highlighted some of the initiatives that took place during 2026 thanks to the ongoing support of the IAD. They included a church meeting place for 2,000 people at a camp in the Inter-Oceanic Mexican Union Conference and a new church building in Providenciales, in Turks and Caicos Islands. “This is not just a building project,” said Steve Cornwall, president of the Turks and Caicos Conference. “It is mission in action.”
The video also featured some of the 13 new churches planted in Costa Rica, the free health brigades at Valle de Ángeles Hospital in Honduras, a secondary school for 199 students in the French Guiana, and the impact of Adventist radio stations in the South Colombia Union Conference.
“This is the fruit of a church that works united and that shares its resources,” Herrera concluded after the video.
A connected system
In a final segment, Herrera highlighted tools and processes that help the regional and world church connect for mission. These include the official IAD tithe and offering app, Ecclesia7 Giving; a Financial Inspection Oversight Service; a centralized accounting system; and a tool to help with the members’ rolls, among others.
“All of this does not happen automatically,” Herrera emphasized. “It requires to first build bridges and to keep focused on sound management, transparency, and accountability.” She quoted the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 8:21, where he wrote, “For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man” (NIV).
In that regard, Herrera said she valued church members who show they trust in this church and in this organization. “They trust leaders, despite what is going around on the Internet,” she said. “I think that such trust is the greatest treasure we can have.”
Strategic allocations
In closing, Herrera shared in addition to the General Conference allocation to the territory, regional church leaders have earmarked extra funds for 2027 for evangelism initiatives connected to OneVoice27. At the same time, the IAD will allocate additional funds to support the unions' and local fields' evangelism efforts “through digital platforms and social media.” Those funds will be distributed equitably across the territory, she reported.
An approach based on generosity for mission produces something extraordinary, Herrera said, as she read Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians: “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” (9:21, NIV).
“Every financial report in an organization such as this one must end this way: with thanks and praise to the Lord,” she said.
Board members reactions
More than a dozen Executive Committee members went to the microphones to react to Herrera’s report.
“I want to give glory to God for the extraordinary report,” said Filiberto Verduzco, former treasurer of the IAD. “I’ll keep praying for God to keep bestowing His blessings.”
General Conference associate treasurer Richard Stephenson also voiced his “strong support” for the report and what he called “the extraordinary treasury team” in the IAD. “The Lord is doing incredible things here, [and] I want to recognize that much of the work that happens around the world is being funded because of the faithfulness and stewardship of God’s people here.”
Congratulations and questions
Luis Rivera, president of the Puerto Rican Union Conference, thanked the treasury team for sending their financial reports faithfully to the fields. At the same time, he questioned if the regional focus on reserves is the best approach when there are so many evangelistic needs.
Rayanndal Fecunda, lay representative from the Dutch Caribbean Union Mission, also asked about the management of funds. “What happens when additional funds are received?” he asked the treasurer.
Herrera explained that while reserve funds have existed for years in preparation for extraordinary situations, “the funds in tithes and offerings that the IAD receives are entered into the budget and sent across the territory.” At the same time, “we must be prudent in the way we administer those funds,” she said.
Winston Hiciano, treasurer of the Dominican Union Conference, agreed, highlighting the importance of reserves to face unexpected situations such as the pandemic in 2020. “It’s encouraging to know that our financial status is sound and strong,” he said.
A spiritual foundation
Several Executive Committee members approached the microphones to thank Herrera for her spiritual approach. “Even when talking about figures, I can see that the basis of everything is spiritual,” said Jose Smith, president of the Panama Union Mission, in acknowledging Herrera’s approach. “I’d like to acknowledge that.”
Teofilo Silvestre, president of the Dominican Union Conference, agreed. “We usually equate treasury with figures, but this report was heavily focused on mission, . . . And when we invest in mission, our investment returns multiplied,” Silvestre said.
Additional comments
Other Executive Committee members, such as Leslie Moses, an appointed member from the Caribbean Union Conference, congratulated the team on the implementation of Ecclesia7. “This is cutting edge!” he said.
Fernando Meza, treasurer of the Chiapas Mexican Union Conference, on the other hand, highlighted the increase in offerings. “Offerings reach local churches, so it’s exciting to see that local churches are being taken care [of] through [the] church’s financial resources,” he said.
For Miguel Cabañas, a lay member from the Southeast Mexican Union Mission, it’s all about trust and mission. “This presentation has reinforced the fact that we are a well-organized and well-managed church,” he said. “I encourage [the treasury team] to always keep focused on mission and stay humble.”
Belize Union Mission treasurer Maxine Boden de Valiente thanked the IAD for its ongoing support of her field. At the same time, she called on pastors to remember that they are “the face of the church” and, as such, can influence the level of trust between local churches and the administration.
Likewise, Gladys Bermudez, treasurer for the North Colombia Union Conference, also thanked Herrera for her ongoing support. At the same time, she called for balance between what is saved and what is spent. “We don’t know what can happen. Let’s be careful in our management,” she said.
Members of the Executive Committee unanimously voted to receive the Treasury Report as presented. The committee also approved the financial report, the 2027 operating budget, and the General Conference Auditing Services Report.
The original article was published on the Inter-American Division news site.
