January 28, 2009 - Mandeville, Jamaica
[Nigel Coke/WIU]
Pastors Derek Bignall and Glen O. Samuels are the new president and secretary respectively of the Adventist Church in West Indies Union. They were elected at an extra ordinary meeting of the Executive Committee of the Union, (which is empowered to act between Union Sessions), on Wednesday January 28, 2009, at its headquarters in Mandeville, Jamaica.
In accepting his new role, Pastor Bignall thanked the Union Committee for the confidence placed in him and pledge to carry on the work of his predecessor, Dr. Patrick Allen.
Pastors Derek Bignall and Glen O. Samuels
“This is an awesome responsibility to lead the team at this stage with over 260,000 members in over 700 churches with diverse culture,” said Pastor Bignall. “The path that was planned for the church will be continued and increased. We want every member to catch the vision to share the gospel. We will increase our commitment to community work with the care of the needy and those who are depressed and oppressed. The church will be a lighthouse to Jamaica and the other Islands of our Union in this regard. By God’s grace we will achieve these goals.”
Pastor Bignall commended outgoing president Dr. Patrick Allen for his visionary and dedicated leadership over the past eight years, which has guided the Union from four Conferences and two Missions in 2000 to its present status of six Conferences, two Missions and one Experimental Field.
Prior to his election as president, Pastor Bignall served as Secretary of the Union; a position he occupied since 2005. As a pastor and church administrator, he has served the Seventh-day Adventist Church at various levels for over thirty-four (34) years.
Pastor Israel Lieto, President of the Inter-American Division of Seventh-day Adventists, chaired the meeting of the Executive Committee.
A graduate of West Indies College (now Northern Caribbean University), and of Andrews University, Michigan, USA, Pastor Bignall holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology and a Master’s Degree in Education. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Education at Northern Caribbean University.
He is married to Yvonne and they have one daughter, Shelli-Gaye Simone, who is currently a senior at Northern Caribbean University. His hobbies include reading, writing, music, playing various musical instruments, as well as gardening and watching boxing.
Due to the appointment of Pastor Bigall as president the post of secretary became vacant. This was filled by International Television Evangelist Pastor Glen O. Samuels, president of the West Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (Pastor Samuels will vacate the presidency of West Jamaica Conference as soon as his successor is chosen).
Pastor Israel Leito, President of the Inter-American Division of Seventh-day Adventists (IAD) presided over the meeting.
Governor General Designate Dr. Patrick Allen gives his final remarks and thanks the Excutive Committee for their support.
In his closing address to the Executive Committee, Dr. Allen thanked the Administrators, Directors, Field and Institution Leaders of WIU, the IAD and the General Conference.
“It is with a sense of anxiety and some burden that I take my leave from you,” said Dr. Allen. “It was so good working with this committee and I laud you for the level of discussion and decision that we made and your support for the vision that we cast in the Union.”
The position of president became vacant due to the appointment of the Dr. Allen as Governor General of Jamaica. Dr. Allen, who demits office after eight years at the helm of the largest single denomination in Jamaica, will be installed as Jamaica’s sixth Governor General on February 26, 2009.
The Adventist Church in West Indies Union has over 262,000 members worshiping in over 735 congregations. It comprises the territories of Jamaica, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands and the Cayman Islands.