Not satisfied with just serving in the Seventh-day Adventist Church through preaching, teaching, and counseling, in his home country of Jamaica, Pastor Kemar Douglas completed a medical degree.
After four years of study, Douglas is a medical intern at the May Pen Hospital after graduating from the Caribbean School of Medical Sciences in Kingston, Jamaica, on Oct, 30, 2022, with honors and also as a recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for Academics and Leadership.
Douglas, 43, completed his medical degree while pastoring a district of five churches with 2,100 members.
Pastor Kemar Douglas is currently doing his medical internship at the May Pen Hospital in pursuit of a license, while he oversees a district of five churches in St. Catherine, Jamaica. He received a medical degree from the Caribbean School of Medical Sciences in Kingston, Jamaica, on Oct, 30, 2022. [Photo: Courtesy of Kemar Douglas]
“The balancing wasn’t easy,” said Douglas. “I had pledged my life to God and the gospel ministry, and to take care of my family, and I had to make sure none suffered, even if I couldn’t do everything.” It was all about relying on God, his wife, and church elders to help out the ministry, he added.
Respected and loved
Joyce Tennant Stewart, head elder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Linstead, has high praises for the work of Pastor Douglas.
“He is a hardworking and mission driven Pastor and extremely dedicated to equipping members and others to rightly divide the Word of God,” said Stewart. “He is highly respected, loved, humble, kind and appreciated and never hesitates to provide service to church and community.”
After graduating from the Calarbar High School in Kingston, Douglas pursued a theology degree at the Northern Caribbean University (NCU) in Mandeville, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in religion and theology in 2001, and then a Master of Arts degree (MA) in Religion in 2011. In addition, he obtained a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) in Leadership from the Inter-American Adventist Theological Seminary, in 2017.
Pastor Kemar Douglas stands surrounded by his wife Essence (left) son Kemar Jr., Christopher, and Jeremiah. [Photo: Courtesy of Kemar Douglas]
Desire to become a medical doctor
The desire to be a medical doctor has always been in the back of his mind but he has always felt a call to the ministry, said Douglas. But what finally led him to pursue medicine was a deep conviction from the Lord that it was time.
“At my graduation from the Doctor of Ministry degree, I felt that I had done all that the Lord had required of me academically to serve in His cause and church, but in greeting persons after the ceremony, one of my fellow ministerial graduates who knew my passion for health and wellness said it was now time to pursue medicine.” Others encouraged him to pursue a medical degree.
