The Seventh-day Adventist Church in West Indies Union will hold a special service of commendation and consecration for Governor General-designate Dr Patrick Allen, and his wife, Patricia.

Members of the approximately 700 congregations of the Church in Jamaica have been called to attend the service, which will be held on Sunday, February 22 at the Northern Caribbean Univer-sity (NCU) main chapel commencing at 1 p.m.

"We are having this special service to pray for our former president and his wife and commend them to the Lord as they take up their new duties," said Pastor Derek Bignall who was recently elected as the new president of the Adventist Church in West Indies Union. "Based upon his new role and responsibilities as the next head of state of this troubled nation, we are sending him with our blessings and more importantly, the blessings of God. We are proud of the work he has done for the Adventist Church and we know by God's grace he will do the nation proud as governor general."

Traditional singing

Guest speaker for the service will be Pastor Nigel Lewis, youth director of the Northeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in New York. The service will be interspersed with the traditional rich Adventist singing from the NCU Concert Choir as well as other groups and individuals.

Allen has served the Adventist Church for more than 27 years in various capacities ranging from district pastor to president of West Indies Union Conference for the past eight years.

He will be sworn in as governor general on February 26, succeeding Sir Kenneth Hall who resigned from that office last month.