Pastor Glen Octavius Samuels has been elected as President of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, which represents the denomination in the island.

The election took place earlier this week during the union’s third quinquennial session at the Mandeville Seventh-day Adventist Church in Manchester. After being recommended by the nominating committee, his election was ratified by a vote of 113 to 40 by delegates.

When called to the podium, Samuels, in a gesture of humility, stooped to wipe dust from the shoes of his predecessor, Pastor Everett Brown, who in turn laid his hands on Samuel’s head in blessing. He was congratulated by the president of the Inter-American Division (IAD), Pastor Abner De Los Santos, who committed to working directly with him as he adjusted to his role as union president.

Samuels comes to the role having served as president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in western Jamaica since 2014. During his decades-long pastoral ministry, he has also served as district pastor, Sabbath school and personal ministries director, executive secretary, ministerial secretary, and personal ministries director of the West Indies Union Conference, among many other notable roles and achievements.

Pastor Samuels is the evangelist for the long-running ‘Footprints of Hope’ series, which he has presented locally and internationally. Notably, the series was conducted as an evangelistic effort for the Inter-American Division from January 15 to February 25, 2022, resulting in the baptism of 4,213 persons.

In October 2017, he was recognised by the Government of Jamaica and conferred with the Order of Distinction (officer class) for outstanding contribution to religion and community service. Pastor Samuels holds a Bachelor of Theology from West Indies College (now Northern Caribbean University), and a Master’s in Theology from Andrews University, Michigan.