FALMOUTH, Trelawny - The North Jamaica Conference (NJC) of Seventh-day Adventists hosted the inauguration of its newly elected administration, departmental directors, and executive committee members on Sabbath, May 16, 2026, at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Falmouth, Trelawny, marking the start of a new quadrennium for the Conference.
The service formally installed officers elected during the NJC's Fourth Quadrennial Session, held April 20-21, 2026, at the NJC Campsite in Duncans, Trelawny, and set the tone for the Conference's priorities across St. Ann and Trelawny over the next four years.
Part of the congregation at the inauguration of the newly elected officers, directors and
executive committee members at the Falmouth SDA Church, May 16, 2026. Photo: Nicholas Ellis
Church leaders, government representatives, corporate leaders, pastors, members, and online viewers gathered for an afternoon of worship, prayer, and commitment to mission, as the newly elected team signed their leadership pledges and accepted the call to serve the Conference's more than 22,936 members across its 85 congregations.
Governor-General His Excellency the Most Honourable Sir Patrick Allen (a former president of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists) gave remarks at the service, affirming the Church's longstanding role in the Jamaican society.
"The Seventh-day Adventist Church has distinguished itself as a moral and spiritual force in Jamaica," Allen said. He further noted that the values the Church champions are exactly what the nation is crying out for. "The values that you uphold - integrity, compassion, discipline, and service - are the very values that Jamaica needs at this time," he added.
Sir Patrick Allen's presence carried particular significance, given his own deep roots in the Adventist Church in Jamaica, having served the Church for 28 years before his appointment as Governor-General in 2009.
Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen brings greetings during the inauguration service,
held on May 16, 2026. Photo: Jon-Marc Myrie
Pastor Everett Brown, the outgoing president of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, brought greetings and affirmed the newly installed leadership. He reminded the officers and directors that the work ahead demands more than administration. It demands character. "We are called to serve with humility, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to the mission that God has entrusted to His church," Brown said.
He also placed Christ squarely at the centre of the new administration's mandate." When we keep Christ at the centre of our leadership, the church will continue to grow and fulfill its divine purpose," he added.
Jamaica Union Conference President Pastor Glen O. Samuels, who presided over the service, gave the main charge to the elected body. Rather than leaning on the weight of strategy or structure, Samuels pointed the new administration, and the congregation, to the One ultimately in charge. "God has His work in His hands. He is in charge of all of us," Samuels said.
It was a reminder, simply put, that the work of the Church is not carried by its officers alone, and that humility before God remains the foundation of any enduring ministry.
Jamaica Union Conference President Pastor Glen O. Samuels delivering the
charge to the newly elected officers and directors at the recently held inauguration
service. Photo: Nicholas Ellis
The highlight of the afternoon, however, was the new NJC president, Pastor Jermaine Johnson, delivered a riveting inaugural address that challenged the Church to go beyond its four walls and engage society directly. "Today is not merely the inauguration of a president and his fellow officers and team members; it is a recommitment to the mission," Johnson said.
"The NJC has not been called merely to preserve tradition; we have been called to transform communities, disciple nations, uplift families, engage institutions, and proclaim the everlasting gospel with urgency, fervency, and emergency." Johnson, affectionately known as Pastor JJ, made clear that the new administration's idea of the mission field is far broader than the pews on Sabbath mornings.
"The time has come for us to think bigger, pray deeper, work smarter, and move boldly," he said. "The mission field before us is no longer confined to the four walls of the church. Our mission field is Parliament, the hospital, boardrooms, police stations, universities, the media landscape, the digital space, and every sphere where people seek hope, integrity, purpose, and truth."
In quoting the Seventh-day Adventist World Church President Pastor Erton Kohler, "A hopeless world is in desperate need of a hopeful church" - Johnson anchored his vision in what the Church is actually called to do among people.
Pastor Jermaine Johnson, President of the North Jamaica Conference giving
his message at the inaugural service held on May 16, 2026. Photo: Nicholas Ellis
"The church must not isolate itself from society while expecting to influence society," he said, "for we cannot impact that with which we are out of touch. Jesus did not merely preach in synagogues. He walked among the people. He entered cities. He engaged leaders. He transformed culture through compassion, truth, and service."
Pastor Johnson is no stranger to public life. A Justice of the Peace in Jamaica, Johnson is also an award-winning toastmaster, a former president of the National Youth Council of Jamaica, and Jamaica's past representative to the Commonwealth Youth Parliament in Australia. He is the composer of the Governor-General's I Believe initiative (IBI) theme song, and in 2023 he received the Governor-General's Gold Medal of Honour for contributions to social transformation. He is also the author of two books: The Seven Ps to Effective Church Leadership and Don't Chicken Out.
The newly elected officers of the North Jamaica Conference, and their wives during
the inauguration service on May 16, 2026. Photo: Nicholas Ellis
The other administrators supporting Johnson in leading the Conference are Pastor Carlington Hylton, Executive Secretary, and Pastor Onyeka Nevins, Treasurer. Special prayers of dedication were offered for the newly installed leadership as church members pledged their support for the work ahead. Congratulatory messages and well wishes were also shared from representatives of other fields and institutions within the Jamaica Union.
The newly elected directors of the North Jamaica Conference. From left to right:
Wayne Woolery, Ricardo McCalla, Christine Shand, Amiel Summerbell, Daniel Miller,
and Dermar Watson.
The North Jamaica Conference comprises the parishes of St. Ann and Trelawny and exists as one of five regional conferences under the umbrella of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.