Pastor Elie Henry (left) president of the Inter-American Division leads the IAD Executive Committee online meeting on Mar. 6, 2024, next to Pastor Leonard Johnson, executive secretary  and Janelle Scantlebury (right), assistant secretary. [Photo: Keila Trejo/IAD]
Church leaders voted in administrative position in the Panama Union Mission

March 8, 2024 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

Top Seventh-day Adventist Church administrators from throughout the Inter-American Division were summoned for a brief executive committee meeting this week to vote to fill in an administrative position and adjust authorized meetings for the year.

IAD Executive Committee members voted for Jose Smith to serve as the executive secretary of the Panama Union Mission. Smith has been serving as the treasurer of the Panama Union and will function in both positions, said Pastor Elie Henry, president of the IAD, as he led the Mar. 6 online meeting.

“I can assure you that we prefer to have three administrators in each union because it provides more balance in administration, more voices in the decision making,” said Pastor Henry. The position became vacant recently because of the retirement of Carlos Saldaña.

Pastor Jose Smith was recently appointed to serve as secretary of the Panama Union. He has been serving as treasurer of the union. [Photo: Inter-American Division Secretariat]
“As we have discussed with you in our previous committee meeting, the plan is to hold off union mission administrative appointments so close to next year’s General Conference session, but because of the retirement decision that came up, we are meeting today,” explained Pastor Henry.

The secretary-treasurer position for Pastor Smith means more responsibilities, but church leaders are more than confident with the decision, Pastor Henry said. “Jose Smith is not only willing but very able to do so.”

Pastor José De Gracia, president of the Panama Union, praised the committed service of Smith throughout his vast church service and assured committee members that there is a hard working team in both treasury and secretariat overseeing the church work in the country.

Executive committee members are shown on the screen during the online meeting of Mar. 6, 2024. [Photo: Keila Trejo/IAD]
“Pastor Smith knows very well the work in secretariat because he has served in that position on several occasions in local fields before,” said De Gracia. “We are thankful that the Panama Union can continue advancing and contributing to the Division as required and how we like to do so in a punctual and efficient way.”

The Panama Union Mission oversees 602 churches and congregations organized in four conferences and two missions with 106,176 church members.

Executive committee members voted the appointment of Smith with an effective date of Mar. 1, 2024.

The online meeting saw specific votes for church workers and church property sale in a region as well as new dates and change of dates for authorized meetings this year.

Pastor Leonard Johnson, executive secretary of the IAD announces the adjustment changes to the authorized meetings in 2024, with fellow administrators and leaders next to him. [Photo: Keila rejo/IAD]
Authorized meetings adjusted for 2024 included among others:

  • Alive in Jesus Sabbath School Lesson curriculum training – March 11-13, (Miami, Florida)
  • Literature Evangelist Congress for Mexico – April 15-18, (Cancun, Mexico)
  • IAD Mid-year Executive Committee Meetings (without change) – May 6-7 – (Miami, Florida)
  • GAiN Global Conference – July 10-14 (Chiang Mai, Thailand)
  • IAD Year-end Executive Committee Meetings – November 9-12 – (Montemorelos, Mexico)