Government of Jamaica Grants National Honor to Adventist Pastor

Pastor Glen Samuels (right), president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Western Jamaica accepts his National Honor from Governor General of Jamaica, His Excellency, The Most Honorable, Sir Patrick Allen (left) during the Ceremony of Investiture and Presentation of National Honors and Awards held at King’s House on Monday October 16, 2017. Image courtesy of the Jamaica Observer

October 19, 2017 | Kingston, Jamaica | Nigel Coke/IAD

Prolific preacher and president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in West Jamaica was the recipient of a National Award. Pastor Glen Samuels was recognized by the Government of Jamaica for his outstanding contribution to religion with the Order of Distinction, Officer Class earlier this week.

Pastor Samuels is congratulated by Pastor Meric Walker, Executive Secretary of the Jamaica Union. Image by Nigel Coke

Samuels accepted his National Honor from Governor General of Jamaica, His Excellency, The Most Honorable, Sir Patrick Allen during the Ceremony of Investiture and Presentation of National Honors and Awards held at King’s House on Oct. 16, 2017. Samuels was among 171 persons who were conferred with national honors this year.

Pastor Samuels, whose western region covers St. James, Westmoreland, Hanover and St. Elizabeth, is also the church’s main televangelist for the Word of Hope program aired on Jamaica’s TVJ.

Samuels, who lives by the mantra of the words from Mahatma Gandhi who said “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service to others,” described the feeling of being recognized as a great one and praised his church for the work to humanity.

“I accept it [the honor] on behalf of all the people I have had the honor to serve,” said Samuels. “I believe that the Adventist Church in Jamaica is to be commended for its service to people of all classes, of all walks of life and I am just another member of the church doing what my church is asked to do.”

Over the past 34 years of pastoral ministry, Samuels has served the Adventist Church as district pastor, departmental director and administrator both at the conference and union level.

Known for his preaching prowess, Samuels is very often requested for speaking appointments across North, South and Central America, Europe and the Caribbean, but is well known in Jamaica for his large tent evangelism and social intervention series which has transformed the lives of thousands young and old from all walks of life. His evangelistic exploits have resulted in the planting of eight churches in the parishes of Trelawny St. Ann, Westmoreland, Hanover and New York.

Amidst violence in the Granville Community in 2006/2007, Samuels organized a meeting in his office at Mt. Salem between community leaders and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice that gave birth to the Granville Restoration Justice Training and Community Development Center.

“Pastor Samuels is a very gifted preacher who has served the church and his God very well over the years, said Pastor Everett Brown, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica. “In addition to his preaching, he has shown a deep sense of love for service and the uplifting of humanity regardless of their background. We are very proud of him and share in the joy of his achievement.”

In addition to his busy schedule, Samuels serve his country as a Justice of the Peace, a Member of the Police Civilian Oversight Authority of Jamaica and a Member of the St James Peace Management Board.

He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, member of the Northern Caribbean University (NCU) Board of Governors. He chairs the board of the Adventist-owned Harrison Memorial and Savana-la-mar High Schools in western Jamaica.