By Henry Moncur III, Communication Director
Under the theme “Let Him Lead the Way,” the Atlantic Caribbean Union (ATCU) held its second quinquennial session via Zoom on Wednesday, December 8, 2021. The sixty-nine delegates from the four fields of the union; the Inter-American Division; and the union’s university, Northern Caribbean University, came together to receive reports from the union officers and various departments; elect departmental directors and members of the executive committee to serve for the next five-year term; and transact such other business as may be properly placed before the delegates.
During the worship session, Dr. Leonard A. Johnson, executive secretary of the Inter-American Division of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, charged the delegates to allow the word of God to dwell in them.
As the business session got underway, delegates viewed video reports from the three officers (Pastor Peter Kerr, president; Dr. Cheryl Rolle, secretary, and Elder Roderick Sands, treasurer) and had the opportunity to discuss the directors’ written reports. Reaction to the reports was positive as delegates expressed gratitude to God for what transpired in the union during the past five years.
“It was a delight to see all of the elements in the report shared and it all augurs well for the growth of our union moving forward,” said Pastor Kenny Deveaux, president of the South Bahamas Conference.
John Wesley, chief financial officer, Cayman Islands Conference, stated, “I am sure the stakeholders here are pleased this morning to hear the good report coming out of the Atlantic Caribbean Union, and we give God the thanks for sustaining us through these past years.”
In his closing remarks, Dr. Ellie Henry, president of the Inter-American Division of the General Conference, lauded the delegates for the way in which the session was conducted and challenged them to take this same spirit and move the work forward in the ATCU.
The delegates elected the following persons to serve as departmental directors for the period 2021 to 2025:
Ms. Hazel Fletcher
Health Ministries Director
Mrs. Jennifer Kerr
Sabbath School Director
Dr. Henry R. Moncur III
Communication, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), and Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL) Director
Dr. Kent Price
Adventist Youth Ministries, Personal Ministries, and Public Campus Ministries Director
Dr. Cheryl Rolle
Children’s and Adolescent Ministries Director
Mrs. Arleen B. Sands
Women’s Ministries Director
Elder Roderick Sands
Planned Giving and Trust Services Director
Pastor Michael A. Smith
Ministerial, Stewardship Ministries, Family Ministries Director; and Spirit of Prophecy Coordinator
As required by a union mission’s operating policy, the three officers of the union were elected by the executive committee of the Inter-American Division of the General Conference at its mid-year meeting on April 28, 2021.
With a membership of 33,130, ATCU, which is headquartered in Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas, comprises four fields, namely, the Cayman Islands Conference, the North Bahamas Conference, the South Bahamas Conference, and the Turks and Caicos Islands Conference. In addition, Northern Caribbean University, which is located in Mandeville, Jamaica, is jointly owned and operated by ATCU and the Jamaica Union.