The 30th constituency session of the Atlantic Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists convened at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 19, in Machlan Auditorium on the campus of Atlantic Union College in Lancaster, Massachusetts. The theme for the constituency session was “Faithful to the End.”
The delegates voted the following officers, vice president, directors, and associate directors to serve for the 2016-2020 quinquennial term:
Newly-elected
Gladstone Earl Knight – president
Pierre Omeler – executive secretary
Elias Zabala, Sr. – treasurer
Jose Joseph – Haitian/African Ministries vice president
Jerrell Gilkeson – education director
Marlene Alvarez – education associate director
Andres Peralta – youth ministries director
All other positions will be considered by the newly-elected Atlantic Union Conference Executive Committee.
All agenda items were completed by the delegates, including electing members to serve on the executive committee, constitution and bylaws committee, and the association board; and minor changes to the constitution and bylaws were voted.
The outgoing officers and the departmental directors shared final thoughts with the delegates. Donald G. King, Carlyle C. Simmons, Leon and Astrid Thomassian, and Ryan Simpson all individually thanked the delegates for allowing them to serve and for the support of the constituents over the years. The Thomassians are retiring effective September 1, after a combined 80 years of service in the Adventist Church.
Representatives from the North American Division who assisted with the proceedings were Daniel Jackson, president; G. Alexander Bryant, executive secretary; Tom Evans, treasurer; Michael Jamieson, undertreasurer; Alvin Kibble, vice president; and R. Ernest Castillo, vice president.The newly-elected and reelected administrators and departmental directors will face the challenge of moving forward with the work in the Atlantic Union made up of six conferences, with more than 118,000 members, 584 churches and 69 companies; 54 elementary schools, eight academies, one college; and many community service centers, summer camp programs geared to accommodate children, youth, adults, and the entire family; and a van ministry in the Greater New York area.The meeting adjourned sine die at about 8:30 p.m.
Atlantic Union Conference Communication Department