The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Southeast Mexico recently celebrated the completion of its largest certification training of 2,300 church elders during a special online program on February 20, 2021. The training, which began in 2020, will strengthen the work of church elders as they assist in ministering to the spiritual needs of the growing memberships alongside busy local pastors who oversee hundreds of congregations throughout the territory, church leaders said.

Pastor Elie Henry, president of the Inter-American Division, praised the work of the church elders and their families for their dedicated efforts in ministering to the membership. “Today, we are specially celebrating and recognizing the body of Christ that leads the church in Southeast Mexico, you who are working alongside pastors so that the mission of the church can continue advancing.”

Pastor Henry challenged local church leaders to be brave men and women in such a time of crisis the world is facing today—a time to disciple and prepare others for the second coming of Jesus. “God has called you to serve and continues to call on you to be an influencer for His cause, to understand the context of the times, to point others toward trusting more and more in the Lord, and to constantly share a clear message of hope, faith, and love, trusting in the Word of God, preparing a people to receive Him,” he said.

Ministry of the Church Elder

The work of church elders means significant support to the 190 local pastors who oversee 1,207 churches and congregations in Southeast Mexico, church leaders said.

“The leadership of the church elders is a vital part in the growth and building of the church,” said Pastor Isaias Espinoza, president of the Southeast Mexican Union. “You have served to provide permanent pastoral care. As pastors, we tend to move about from place to place, but those who stay in the local leadership are the church elders who know the members well and continue ministering to them. It is because of you that we are able to have a mature and loyal church.”

Espinoza praised the work of the church elders who commit to protecting the church from dissident movements and are missionaries in the proclamation of the gospel.

Themed “The Leader and His Family,” the extensive online certification program in Southeast Mexico represented ongoing certification training throughout the unions comprising the Inter-American Division territory on February 20 (The Day of the Elder), said Pastor Josney Rodríguez, ministerial secretary of the IAD.

“The church is strengthened by the commitment of church elders who are taking part in the certification training program, who are strengthening their own family members to be involved in the mission,” he said. The 2,300 church elders being certified in Southeast Mexico were part of 20,000 elders across the IAD who completed their certification training last month.

The number of elders certified was the most ever trained in a single year—a year hit by the coronavirus pandemic, said Pastor Israel Presuel, ministerial association secretary for the Southeast Mexican Union. By comparison, 1,800 elders were trained in 2019.

Important Ministry During the Pandemic

“Even in the midst of the [pandemic] crisis, church elders minister to small group leaders and the needs of the membership as well,” said Manuel López, pastor of the Las Mercédez District in the Villa Parrilla region of Tabasco. López, who pastors 25 churches, said that after the deaths of six members due to the coronavirus, church elders have spent hours calling and praying for the surviving family members and even assisting during the funeral services.

“Church elders are always making sure of our emotional and physical health,” said López. “They call to see how my family is doing, they pray for us and even bring us fruits and vegetables to help keep our immune system strong.”

In rural areas, the support of church elders has been extremely important, said Pastor Felipe Domínguez, president of the Campeche Mission. Areas like the Lazaro Cárdenas District, with 18 churches, need the support of church elders every week. “The pastor depends on the support of his elders to distribute materials, lead board meetings and assist in pastoral visits.”

Adapting to the “New Normal”

The pandemic forced many church elders to adopt new ways of ministering to the membership, local leaders said.

“Through telephone calls and Zoom meetings, we have connected with our church members to share with them words of comfort and hope,” said Victor Aguilar, an ordained elder with 26 years of service in the 1 de Mayo Adventist Church in Mérida, Yucatán. He said he had to adapt to working on Facebook and Zoom to connect with 104 members during the worship services.

As a church elder in the Central Adventist Church in Cancun, Judith Vega said that with the church all spread throughout the city, things are totally different now. “There are challenges that this new normal brings us, and we have had to relearn to connect better,” said Vega. One of those challenges was maintaining unity among the 560 church members.

Vega, who teaches at a church school in the city, said one of the things she learned during the certification training was that the family needs to be involved while elders serve in the church, and her family and every church elder’s family needs to be an example in the community. She, along with seven other elders in the church, have been busy delivering meals to hospitals, distributing food to needy families, and sharing books throughout the city during the pandemic She also leads a prayer initiative for those ailing from COVID-19 and has already witnessed God’s healing among fellow members and friends.

There are more than 82,000 Seventh-day Adventists in the Southeast Mexican Union, spread throughout 1,207 churches and congregations. The church operates a hospital, university, and dozens of primary and secondary schools.

To watch the Southeast Mexican Union’s church elder certification program from February 20, click HERE

This article was originally published on the Inter-America Division’s website