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NJM President Lauds Governor General Designate
The President of West Indies Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and Governor General Designate, Dr Patrick Allen was lauded as a visionary, committed and faithful leader by Pastor Michael H. Harvey, President of the North Jamaica Mission of Seventh-day Adventists (NJM).
His comments were made at the NJM Convention held at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Falmouth on Sunday, January 18, 2009.
“He is a visionary, committed, and faithful leader,” said Pastor Harvey. “He is a powerful leader. We have seen tremendous growth under his leadership in West Indies Union. He has carefully articulated the positions, principles and values of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. We laud him as a man with high integrity and he will always have a place in our church.”
Pastor Michael H. Harvey
Dr. Enell Hall, Ministerial Secretary of West Indies Union Conference and devotional speaker at the Convention also congratulated the Union President on his new appointment and implored the congregation, “Let us pray for Pastor Patrick Allen and his family. He needs our prayers as he embarks on this awesome responsibility of being the next Governor General.”
Prime Minister Bruce Golding, during the sitting of Parliament on Tuesday, January 13, 2009, confirmed that Dr. Allen will replace His Excellency Sir Kenneth Hall, as Jamaica’s sixth Governor General. Sir Hall is resigning from the position of Governor General due to ill health.
The fifty-eight year old Patrick Allen has served the Seventh-day Adventist Church for 27 years which has taken him through the ranks as an educator, pastor, director and president. As head of the West Indies Union, he presides over the Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands and Jamaica which has the largest denominational group of over 250,000 Adventist members.
Dr. Allen also overseas a network of Adventist institutions which comprises: Andrews Memorial Hospital; the Investment Management Limited (IML); The Northern Caribbean University; 10 high schools; 22 primary schools, and numerous basic schools.
His astute leadership style takes him into many civic duties and responsibilities. He was conferred with the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander (CD) for services to religion, education and social welfare in October 2006 by the Government of Jamaica.
He has been married to Patricia Allen (nee Beckford) for 33 years. They have three adult children – Kurt, Candice and David.
Dr. Allen will resign from the position of West Indies Union Conference President and a new President will be elected on January 28, 2009 during a meeting of the Union Executive Committee.
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