President's Profile
It was Mahatma Gandhi who said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”. This statement coupled with Mahalia Jackson’s song, “If I can help somebody as I pass along…If I can do my duty as a Christian ought, If I can spread love’s message as the Master taught, then my living shall not be in vain” The above lines encapsulate the philosophy, aspirations, and actions of this eminent, yet humble selfless character, Glen Octavius Samuels; born to a teenage mother (Miss Icy) in Burnt Savannah, St Elizabeth, Jamaica. He attended the Burnt Savannah Primary school and graduated from the Lacovia High school. In 1984 he earned a Bachelor of Arts Religion and Theology degree with a minor in Business Administration. At his graduation he was awarded the outstanding Ministerial Association trophy by the then Chairperson of the Department, Dr. Pedrito Maynard-Reid. In 1995, he graduated from Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan with the Master of Arts in Religion and Theology. This was to be the beginning of a journey of excellence.
Armed with a solid Christian education and bathed in the power of the Holy Spirit, Pastor Samuels has held several leadership positions and has achieved outstanding exploits for his Lord and Saviour. Between his internship and ordination in 1990 he has already through the influence of the Holy Spirit lead over eight hundred souls to Christ. In 2000, he was the first in Jamaica’s evangelism history, to baptize over eleven hundred persons in
a single evangelist campaign.
He was appointed the first Speaker/ Director of “Behold He Cometh” Television Ministry, a programme conceptualized and birthed by brothers Classford Woolery and Patrick Corrodus- the first locally produced Seventh-day Adventists Church service to be aired on National Television in Jamaica. He was the first speaker for the telecast series The Word of Hope, sponsored by the
Jamaican Union Conference and heard every Sunday Morning on Television Jamaica (TVJ).
Pastor Samuels has conducted numerous seminars, revivals, lectures, and evangelistic series throughout the Americas, Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean. He was one of the guest speakers at the General Conference World Ministerial Council in Toronto Canada in 2000, and devotional speaker at the General Conference Session in St Louis, Missouri in 2005. In the recently hosted Footprints of Hope series, viewer per episode was 946,049, and a total viewership of 42,572,207. 110 YouTube channels, 75 Facebook pages, 8 Television stations, and 20 Radio stations aired the series. Thousands of individuals surrendered and recommitted their lives to Christ.
In 2005, he was elected president of West Jamaica Conference. In January 2009, He was elected Executive Secretary of the West Indies Union (covering the Bahamas Islands, Cayman Islands,Turks and Caicos, and Jamaica), and 2010, Ministerial Secretary and Personal Ministries Director of the newly formed Jamaica Union Conference. He serves on numerous boards and committees: Member of the Police Civilian Oversight Authority of Jamaica, Member of the St. James Peace Management Board, Member of Northern Caribbean University Board, and Chair for Harrison Memorial and Savannah -Lar-Mar High Schools’ Boards.
This Servant of God, Justice of the Peace, Community Builder not only serves the Adventist community but has extended his arms of help to the troubled communities in St James and across Jamaica. In 2006/2007 he organized a meeting at Mt. Salem between community leaders and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice that gave birth to the Granville Restorative Justice Training and Community Development Center. Seeking to eclipse the ravages of violence in inner-city communities in the sections of Montego Bay, he and others organized day and night football matches at the conference office playfield. This effort helped to ease the tension between fractions. The initiative resulted in many at risk youths being redirected into skills training programmes offered by the HEART-NSTA Trust.
On October 19, 2017, Pastor Glen O. Samuels was recognized by the Government of Jamaica and conferred with the Order of Distinction (Officer Class) for outstanding contribution to
Religion and Community Service.
President of West Jamaica Conference since 2014, his passion is to see the Church transformed by the Spirit of the Living God, into a vital, vigilant, visible, visionary, vocal instrument for Christ, touching lives, serving as a victorious agent of social, moral and spiritual transformation. Amidst his heavy administrative responsibilities, he finds time to mentor at risk youths, counsel, seek educational sponsorship, builds and restores homes for the poor, the most vulnerable in the community, and provides a safe haven for the abused.
He is married to the beautiful Durcella Allie-Samuels, Grade Supervisor and senior Mathematics teacher at Manchester High School, Mandeville, Jamaica. They are blessed with three gorgeous daughters: Gleneika (Faith), Glenadene (Hope), and Glenella (Charity).
It is his commitment to spend his life helping others.
