Heather Henry, Gleaner Writer
Pastor Welesly Gunter (second right), executive secretary, North Jamaica Mission of Seventh-day Adventists, prayed the Prayer of Consecration during the installation of Pastor Glen O. Samuels (centre) as the new president of the West Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The ceremony was held on Saturday at the West Jamaica Conference Centre in Montego Bay, St. James. Others in attendance were from left, Pastor C. Tidene Brevit, secretary, West Jamaica Conference of SDA; Pastor Herman Ming, Phd., J.P., treasurer, West Indies Union Conference; Pastor Patrick Allen, Phd., president, West Indies Union Conference and Pastor Wendell McMillan Phd. (right), executive secretary, West Indies Union Conference. - CONTRIBUTED
WESTERN BUREAU:
PASTOR GLEN Octavius Samuels was installed as the president of the West Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists at the West Jamaica Conference Centre, in Mount Salem, Montego Bay, St. James on Saturday.
In his address to the gathering, Pastor Samuels challenged them to become advocates of social change. "We cannot sleep until every gun is silent in Rose Heights ... " he said. He spoke on the ills of juvenile delinquency declaring that "the greatest youth programme for fashioning young lives exists in the Seventh-day Adventist Church's pathfinder and master guide programme."
He stated that Jamaica's youth could become decent and dignified. This can take place through his dream of creating, what he calls, 'a second chance institution'. This institution would be located in the capital of every parish and would provide educational training and 'a second chance' for youths who would otherwise not have had such an opportunity.
Pastor Samuels also tearfully thanked his mother for the struggles that she endured to raise him, and his wife and three daughters for their patience and dedication.
Pastor Samuels was born in Burnt Savannah, St. Elizabeth and was baptised in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1972. He attended the West Indies College (now Northern Caribbean University) where he majored in Theology. In 1995, he earned a Master of Arts in Theology and became Personal Ministries director of the West Jamaica Conference. In 2002, he became the ministerial secretary of the West Indies Union Office. Thereafter, the West Jamaica Conference Committee elected him president of the West Jamaica Conference.
The West Jamaica Conference consists of the Adventist Churches in the parishes of Hanover, St. James, Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth. Dr. Patrick Allen, president of the West Indies Union Conference, Dr. Wendell McMillan, executive secretary of the West Indies Union Conference and Dr. Herman Ming, treasurer of the West Indies Union Con-ference, were the officiating ministers at the ceremony.
Former speaker of the House of Representatives, Violet Nielson, Dr. Herbert Thompson, president of the Northern Caribbean University, the presidents of the Northern Jamaica Mission and Central Jamaica Conference as well as many district pastors were present at the ceremony.
