The Seventh-day Adventist Church in West Indies Union will hold a special Service of Commendation and Consecration for Governor General Designate Dr. Patrick Allen and Mrs. Patricia Allen.
Members of the approximately 700 congregations of the church in Jamaica are called to attend this service, which will be held on Sunday February 22, 2009 at the Northern Caribbean University (NCU) Main Chapel commencing at 1:00 pm.
"We are having this special service to pray for our former president and his wife and commend them to the Lord as they take up their new duties," said Pastor Derek Bignall who was recently elected as the new president of the Adventist Church in West Indies Union. "Based upon his new role and responsibilities as the next head of state of this troubled nation, we are sending him with our blessings and more importantly, the blessings of God. We are proud of the work he has done for the Adventist Church and we know by God's grace he will do the nation proud as governor general."
Guest speaker for the service will be Pastor Nigel Lewis, Youth Director of the Northeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in New York. The service will be interspersed with the traditional rich Adventist singing from the NCU Concert Choir and other groups and individuals.
Dr Allen has served the Adventist church for over twenty-seven years in various capacities ranging from district pastor to President of West Indies Union Conference for the past eight years.
Honoray Degree from NCU
On Tuesday February 17, 2009, NCU will confer its highest honourary degree, the Doctor of Public Service on Dr. Allen at a special Convocation to be held at the University’s main auditorium. Dr Allen will be honoured for his unwavering commitment to national development and loyalty to public service. He served as chairman of NCU Board of Governors for eight years.
Dr. Allen, who celebrated his 58th birthday on February 7, is the second Seventh-day Adventist to serve as Governor General in the Caribbean region. Sir James Carlisle served as Governor General of Antigua and Barmuda from 1993 to 2007.
The inauguration ceremony for Dr. Allen, Jamaica’s sixth Governor General, will be on Thursday February 26.
