The Tribune

Bahamian Dr Leonard Johnson has been appointed the new executive secretary of the InterAmerican Division of Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

He was installed in a ceremony held November 10 in Haiti, as the first pastor from an English-speaking territory to hold the position.

The Inter-American Division of Seventh-day Adventists is a sub-entity of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, which oversees the church's work in the nations of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States Virgin Islands, and Venezuela.

Its headquarters are located outside its territory in Miami, Florida.

When he was voted into the position in March of this year, Dr Johnson said: "I feel humbled, this is an awesome task and responsibility but I believe with your prayers and your support I can fulfil the will of God.

"I come as one willing to learn, so that I can grow and fulfil what is God's purpose for me is now."

Dr Johnson obtained a Master's degree in Religion from the Northern Caribbean University, and a doctorate in Ministry from the Reformed Theological Seminary.

Born in New Providence, Dr Johnson has served the church in Inter-America for more than 35 years. He started his ministry as a pastor, then department director, conference secretary, conference president, and union president.

Dr Johnson and his wife Denise have two adult children and one grandson.