Mandeville, Jamaica…Toni Harvey/JAMU Communication
Pastor Abner De los Santos, President of the Inter-American Division (IAD), opened the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (JAMU) two-day 3rd Quinquennial Session on February 17, 2026, with a strong spiritual appeal to delegates to live the gospel before proclaiming it.
Speaking to the theme “Living the Mission,” at the Mandeville Seventh-day Adventist Church, De los Santos addressed a gathering of over 200 delegates and representatives and emphasised that the Church’s witness must be grounded in a personal experience with Christ.
“The gospel is a person before it is a proclamation,” De los Santos declared. “Before we can introduce Christ to others, we must experience Christ for ourselves.” He framed the gospel not primarily as doctrine, but as a relationship that transforms the believer. “Christianity doesn’t begin with philosophy or doctrine; it begins with a person. The gospel is not merely about Jesus; it is Jesus.”
“I Will Go” A Call and One Voice 27
In line with the Church’s mission emphasis, De los Santos reminded delegates that “I Will Go” involves every believer and that every member has something meaningful to contribute as the Church prepares for Christ’s return.
He also outlined forward-looking initiatives for the upcoming strategic period, including One Voice 27, aimed at engaging youth through media and digital platforms; Impact 28, which envisions establishing 100,000 worship centres; and Every Church, One Church, designed to stimulate congregational growth and revitalisation. However, he cautioned that strategy must never replace spirituality.
“If we only live and not announce, people will look on but not know the Source. We must embody and announce that Christ is the Source. To live is Christ, that’s the gospel in one word.”
Mission Focus
Pastor Pierre Caporal, Executive Secretary of the IAD, stressed that mission defines the Church’s identity.
“Mission is the very habit of the Church because it originates in the heart of God,” he said. “The Church does not have a mission; the Mission of God has the Church.”
Caporal urged delegates to ensure that organisational systems never eclipse spiritual purpose, noting that structure exists to serve the mission, policies exist to advance the mission, and leadership exists to empower the mission.
Governor General’s Call for Humility and Prayer
Among the special guests in attendance were Jamaica’s Head of State, His Excellency Sir Patrick Allen and Lady Allen, as well as Custos Rotulorum of Manchester Garfield Green. Their presence underscored the Church’s longstanding engagement in national development.
His Excellency brought greetings and charged the delegates, urging humility, prayer, and service as essential qualities for leadership. He acknowledged the presence of the Holy Spirit in the gathering, recognised former colleagues in ministry, and reminded delegates that leadership is not a prize to be won, but a responsibility to be carried.
“The church doesn’t need a seat at the table; it needs those who seek to kneel at the altar,” he said, encouraging unity and compassion in decision making and adding, “Serve one another with humility and charity.”
Delegates and the purpose of the JAMU Quinquennial Session
The session brought together delegates and representatives from the Inter-American Division, the Church’s five local Conferences, its two institutions, Northern Caribbean University and Andrews Memorial Hospital Limited, and regional and international leadership.
Convened every five years, the Quinquennial Session receives reports from officers and departments, elects administrators and departmental directors for the Quinquennium ending December 2030, considers revisions to the Union Conference Constitution and Bylaws, and transacts other business properly placed before the delegates.
An organisation that serves a mission
Pastor Kent Price, President of the Atlantic Caribbean Union Mission, echoed the call for spiritual dependence, encouraging leaders to allow divine guidance to shape every decision. “The success of this session, the unity of our fellowship, and the future of our mission do not rest on human wisdom alone but on divine leading. Let God go before us,” Price said.
