The Atlantic Union Conference Executive Committee, at its May 14, 2015 meeting, voted to ask Pastor Ryan Simpson to serve as the union’s new youth ministries director. His responsibilities include emphasis on youth and young adult ministries, including public campus ministries. Simpson succeeds José Cortés, Jr., who is now serving in the North American Division Ministerial Department as an associate director.
Simpson’s educational experience includes a bachelor’s degree in Religion from Northern Caribbean University, a master’s degree in Family Relations from Montemorelos University in Mexico, and this year, he is expects to complete a Doctor of Ministry with concentration in Youth and Young Adult Ministries at Andrews University Theological Seminary. Also, he is fluent in Spanish.
He previously served the Southern New England Conference as associate youth ministries and family ministries director; the Bermuda Conference as personal ministries and youth/Pathfinder ministries director; and the East Jamaica Conference as a district pastor, youth/Pathfinder ministries and communication director, and as a national television and radio presenter.
Simpson is endorsed as an Adventist Chaplain by the Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries (ACM) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and also currently serves as the Adventist chaplain at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with responsibilities to serve Adventist students and staff on campus.
Simpson and his wife, Jo-Ann, a medical doctor, are the parents of three children, Ryan, Lylah-Elizabeth, and Rachael-Ann.
Atlantic Union Conference Communication Department