General Conference Auditors Intervene in the Chiapas Union
12 December 2022 |
On December 6, Paul Johnson, an auditor of General Conference Auditing Service (GCAS), arrived in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, to audit and review the finances of the Mexican Union of Chiapas (UMCH). The University of Linda Vista and other institutions also are part of the audit. The audit is expected to run until December 23.
The auditors are responding to the investigation published by Adventist Today.
Mr. Paul Johnson, deputy director of GCAS, contacted individuals in Chiapas on November 15, 2022, with an email entitled “Allegations of financial irregularities in the Chiapas Union.” Johnson cited Adventist Today’s investigation in requesting the cooperation of those wishing to assist the auditors by providing data and information that would broaden the searches. Part of the email said:
We are auditors with the General Conference Auditing Service and we have been hired to investigate the allegations of financial misconduct noted in the article. We are going to examine the allegations in detail and obtain documents in pursuing an independent and impartial investigation. My colleague, Brenda Gregorio (from Guatemala), and I (from the United States) are very interested in learning as much as possible about the financial transactions involving property, vehicles, and other things which may have been inappropriate.
The Inter-American Division (IAD) sent a memo to all administrative and staff members in Chiapas, signed by Elie Henry, president; Leonard Johnson, executive secretary; and Filiberto Verduzco, recently retired treasurer:
It has come to our attention that allegations have been published on the internet about the leadership of the Mexican Union of Chiapas. We understand that, among other things, it is alleged that the leadership of the Union was involved in financial transactions related to properties that could have personally benefited them or their family members.
The IAD requests, in the memorandum to employees, pastors, and administrators in Chiapas, “cooperation, as it is essential to the success of this work.” The IAD communications didn’t mention Adventist Today, although this was the only news outlet that published the allegations. The GCAS auditors did cite Adventist Today’s investigation when they sought evidence.
The history of the problem
In the summer of 2022, Adventist Today was alerted that anonymous letters were being passed among members and pastors in Chiapas that alleged financial misconduct on the part of church administrators. The letters were widely circulated by late May and early June of 2021.
The result of these letters has been retaliation against about 20 pastors, including some high-ranking people in administration, by dismissal from their ministry.
The whistleblowers believe that the IAD already knew of the problems (some claimed to have directly alerted the office of IAD President Elie Henry in Miami) but that the IAD appeared to be ignoring the allegations. They reaffirmed the leadership of Union Mexicana de Chiapas (UMCH) leadership as late as June 28, 2021, at UMCH’s first five-year meeting as a Union Conference at Camp Orion. It was reported:
The event was attended by Pastor Elie Henry, president of the Adventist Church in Inter-America; Pastor Leonard Johnson, secretary; and Pastor Filiberto Verduzco, treasurer; [the IAD] recognizes the hard work of the administration during the 2015-2020 period, and congratulates church members in Chiapas for their work in preaching the gospel.
A slow response
The question remains: why didn’t the auditors detect and report the financial anomalies earlier? Chiapas is one of the poorest regions of Mexico, and the alleged corruption rests on the backs of faithful Adventist members who give their tithes and offerings.
Initially some church leaders attacked Adventist Today for “yellow journalism” and dismissed the allegations as being from “a dissident group.” Later the concern turned to wondering how Adventist Today found out.
If indeed the IAD had been alerted to concerns of financial anomalies in Chiapas in 2021, why was there no response until Adventist Today reported on the problem?
The necessary intervention by GCAS demonstrates the vulnerability of the IAD audits, as well as the lack of information available at the local conference. The question arises as to whether the silence of the Chiapas Union and IAD auditors was a conscious decision, or simply a lack of knowledge.
Fallout
Adventist Today has been receiving updates from Chiapas since the arrival of the GCAS auditors. We have been told that GCAS officials found Ignacio Navarro resistant and uncooperative. We are also told that there are pastors and administrators who wish to cooperate but are afraid of losing their jobs, given that there are few guarantees of identity protection.
To this point, UMCH, IAD and GCAS have yet to make a statement.
Adventist Today was able to talk to several pastors who were suspected of sharing their concerns about this problem, and who suffered retaliatory action. Some are doing manual labor; some are finding odd job on the street, after having served the Adventist church for 10 or 15 years. This seems a poor reward for being true to the church by insisting on principles of honesty and integrity.
We believe one of the problems is that there is little understanding of lay representation across Latin America. Chiapas members do not have access to financial records, nor do the pastors who were removed or otherwise affected, and there is little understanding of representation by lay members in democratic processes.
In the North American Division and most parts of Europe, laity and constituents would demand a response, some groups even calling special sessions of the union (per policy) to investigate such problems. As long as such a system of democratic representation doesn’t exist in Latin America, these problems will continue.
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