Mandeville, Jamaica…[Nigel Coke/IAD Staff]
Pastor Israel Leito, president of the Seventh-day Adventist church in Inter-America, was conferred with the doctor of divinity degree (honoris causa) by the Northern Caribbean University (NCU) in Jamaica, during its Commencement Service on Aug. 13, 2006.
Pastor Leito, who was also the special guest speaker at the university's baccalaureate service on Saturday, Aug. 12, was conferred with the degree for his spiritual leadership and contribution to the growth and development of the church and its institutions in the region.
This is the second honorary doctorate Pastor Leito has received. In 2005, he received a Doctorate of Law degree (honoris causa) by the Anitllian Adventist University in Puerto Rico.
Pastor Leito, who entered the work of the church in 1967, had served in various capacities at the Inter-American Division (IAD) and the General Conference before accepting the position of president of the IAD in 1994.
The IAD has benefited by Pastor Leito's strong beliefs in church growth and development. Before taking office as president, there were 12 unions in the territory. Today there are 15. In 1994, there were approximately 1.5 million members worshipping in 5,094 churches. Today that number stands at over 2.7 million worshipping in 8,883 churches. Under his administration, a new IAD headquarters was also inagurated in Miami, Florida, in 2000.
Pastor Leito and his wife, Ludmilla, have two grown children.
NCU, which graduated a record 1,028 students last school year, making it the largest university in the West Indies Union Conference, is currently participating in the 100 years of growth celebration.
