LEFT: Pastor Desmond Robinson, new head of the Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA). - RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
RIGHT: In this September 22, 2005 photograph then Director of ADRA Jamaica, Pastor Claude Brown (left) inspects a bottle of anti-biotic along with Dr. Marion Bullock-Ducasse, Senior Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health. ADRA donoted the items to the Ministry of Health. - CONTRIBUTED
PASTOR DESMOND Robinson assumed the position of Director of the Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA) on January 1. The Executive Committee of the West Union Conference, chaired by Pastor Patrick Allen, voted the appointment of Pastor Robinson at its recently held Session.
Pastor Robinson succeeds Pastor Claude Brown, who had served ADRA since 2000. ADRA is the humanitarian and disaster relief agency of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica. However, the position as head of ARDA is not confined to Jamaica, as the agency's activities cover the four territories of West Indies Union of Seventh Day Adventists, which also include Turks and Caicos Island, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands.
AWARD
ADRA is one of four faith-based organisations, who were joint recipients of the prestigious Gleaner Honours Award 2005.
Pastor Robinson, who is the speaker of "Life Line" aired on LOVE 101 weekly, previously served as Pastor of the Spanish Town Seventh-day Adventist Church.
In his new role as head of ADRA, Pastor Robinson will be responsible for co-ordinating the social welfare and development initiatives, as it relates to awaking concern for the very poor, the deprived, the sick, the malnourished and victims of natural and man made disasters. He will also have responsibility for developing plans and policies, which not only meets emergency needs, but also seek to put in place programmes, which will provide long-term solutions.
In accepting his new role, Pastor Robinson thanked the West Indies Union executive committee for the confidence reposed in him, along with the persons and agencies involved in his development, up to this stage.
Noting that the church, historically, has been at the forefront of socio-political reforns slavery Pastor Robinson said, "I look forward over the next five years, to combine resources with other churches, agencies and persons, to build back the old waste place, as it is my belief, that the church is still a powerful agent for change in a land challenged by social decay, dons and various types of disasters."
