Administrators Reelected at Bermuda Conference Session

Bermuda Conference held its second quadrennial constituency session on Sunday, September 30, at the Hamilton church in Hamilton, Bermuda. The delegates voted overwhelmingly to reelect Kenneth Manders, president; W. DeJaun Tull, executive secretary; and W. Aaron Spencer, treasurer. “Bermuda Conference holds a special place in my heart. Nothing has been more precious in my life than knowing I am being led by the Lord. I am pleased to be a servant of the Most High in my ‘Bermudaful’ Conference. It’s been a joy to be in His service. Let’s press forward together doing His will in these times,” Kenneth Manders said following the vote to reelect him to serve as president.

Fredrick Russell, of the True North Leadership Group and former pastor of the Berean church in Atlanta, Georgia, presented a devotional titled “I Want More.” His message reminded the delegates that they should want God for who He is and not what He does. “The only thing that distinguishes people is that the presence of God is with them,” Russell said. “Adventism should be the most radical form of Christianity there is. . . . We should not want God for His acts, but we should want ‘God for God.’ ” Russell posed the question, “What would happen if we got really passionate about pursuing [God’s] presence in our life?” to which he responded, “It would turn this island [of Bermuda] upside down.” He challenged the delegates to get to know God for who He is because “everything changes in the presence of God.”

The entire agenda brought before the delegates at the session was completed, including receiving reports from the president, secretary, treasurer, and Bermuda Institute principal. In addition, delegates elected individuals to serve as departmental directors and associates, and members of the executive committee, constitution and bylaws committee, and trustees committee. The delegates also voted changes to the constitution and bylaws.

The departmental directors elected to serve the Bermuda Conference for the next four years are:
Adventist Youth Ministries: Dwayne S. Caines
     —Associate Director – Young Adults: Damon Hendrickson
     —Associate Director – Teens: Simona Mills-Pitcher
     —Associate Director – Pathfinders: Dwayne Hill
Children’s Ministries: Tammy Hendrickson
Communication: Joi Tyrrell
Disabilities Ministries: Pauline DeShield
Superintendent of Schools: Rosemary Tyrrell
Family Ministries: Ulric Hetsberger
Health Ministries: Leonard Gibbons
Hispanic Ministries: Hector Quiñones
Human Relations/Intercultural: W. DeJaun Tull
     —Human Relations Associate: Ernestine DeGraff
     —Intercultural Associate: Loida Ratteray
Men’s Ministries: Rollin Nathan
Ministerial: Carlyle C. Simmons
Personal Ministries: Eloise Symonds
Prayer Ministries: Michelle Hill
Prison Ministries: Kevin Santucci
Publishing: Norma Lynn Showers
Retention and Reclamation: David Steede
Religious Liberty (PARL): Carlyle C. Simmons
Sabbath School: Cyril Millett
     —Sabbath School Associate: Julie Richardson
     —Sabbath School Associate: Lynette Woods
Stewardship: David Steede
Trust Services: W. Aaron Spencer
Women’s Ministries: Michelle Hill

The departmental director positions for Adventist Community Services, Media Ministries, Music Ministries, and Media Ministries associate director and were to referred to the executive committee for handling.

Representatives from the Atlantic Union Conference were present and participated in various aspects of the meeting. These include G. Earl Knight, president; Pierre Omeler, executive secretary; Elias Zabala, Sr., treasurer; Jose Joseph, Haitian and African Ministries vice president; David McKenzie, youth ministries; Jerrell Gilkeson and Lileth Coke, education and education assistant and certification registrar, respectively; and Yvonne Knight, Women’s Ministries and Prayer Ministries. Present from the North American Division were Tom Evans, treasurer, and Kyoshin Ahn, undersecretary. Todd Mayer from the General Conference Auditing Service (GCAS) presented the auditing reports.

The Bermuda Conference administrators and directors elected to serve the next four years will provide leadership to the 4,027 members who worship in 11 churches and one company, in addition to Bermuda Institute, the ATV cable channel, the Adventist Book Center, several community service centers, and other ministries in the conference’s territory.

Ednor A. P. Davison, Gleaner editor