SDA youth delegate proves young people have voice in Church

The issue of whether young people have a say in selecting top leaders for the Seventh-day Adventist Church was put to rest during the Fourth (Third Quinquennial) Session of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

Twenty-two-year-old Gabrielle Morrison was one of the youngest delegates to participate in the session, which was held at the Mandeville Seventh-day Adventist Church in Manchester on February 17-18, under the theme ‘Living the Mission’.

Morrison’s journey as a member of the Adventist Church in Jamaica started at age six when she felt a tug at her heart to become more active for Jesus during an Evangelistic Campaign she attended. But where should she start? She asked her parents, Georgia and Elder Denzil Morrison, for advice.

“My parents said, ‘If you want to be more involved, commit your life to the Lord’. They explained what baptism is about, and I decided I wanted to do it. I found my white dress, and the next Sabbath, I was ready,” she shared.

Thereafter, she continued answering the call and, about 11 years old, she became a deaconess, the youngest in her church at the time. Now, at 22 years old, she serves as Church clerk, assistant Adventist Youth (AY) leader, and communication director at the Wild Cane Seventh-day Adventist Church in St Ann, part of the North Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (NJC).

This year, she has added ‘union session delegate’ to the scope of her participation in the church’s work. It is her first time as a delegate at any session, and she is the youngest among the lot.

Her father, who is the assistant publishing director at the NJC, was the first to inform her she had been selected.

“I asked him what it is all about because I’m used to seeing him being a delegate and going to these events. He explained it, and I also did a little research.”

While there, the younger Morrison immersed herself in observing and learning about the procedures of the session.

“The fact that they’re now introducing electronic voting surprised me because I was thinking about using pen and paper to cast my ballot. I’m just thankful for the opportunity as a young person to see first-hand the structure of our church, the work that goes into the strategic planning and execution of our events, and the election of leaders for our church.”

Said Doreen Grant, associate secretary of JAMU, “Young people have always participated in our election process. It’s very important that their voices are heard at every level of our church. They are important; they are leaders in their own right in our local churches and at the board/committee levels, and they are also heavily involved in the church’s worship experience. We take their participation very seriously because they are the ones who will soon be entrusted with the senior leadership responsibilities of our church.”

“Profound experience”

She describes the realisation that her vote counts as a “profound experience”.

“I’m happy that, at this age, I have a voice in this union-level Session. I appreciate those who decided that Gabrielle Morrison is capable of making a difference.”

It’s more than just her votes that have made an impact. She said she told a few of her friends that she would be a delegate. Some who knew of her leadership abilities thought it was expected, but others were surprised.

“They were shocked because they were thinking, ‘Isn’t this a session for pastors and seasoned members of the church?’ So the fact that I was a delegate helped to change their perspective and show that young people do have a voice in the church too.”

Gabrielle also confidently used her actual voice during the session, when she was asked to read scripture during the opening ceremony and later prayed to bless supper.

Outside of her church responsibilities, Gabrielle is a communication student with an emphasis in public relations at Northern Caribbean University. She credits being active in church for this interest.

“There was always this push not to be shy but to communicate, whether it’s reading a scripture, doing the storytelling, or some other task. That introduction to communication influenced me to study it on a broader level.”

She is encouraging her peers to show interest in the church’s operations and to be willing to participate when given the opportunity.

The Union Conference Session was called to: 1. Receive reports from the officers and various departments. 2. Elect administrators and departmental directors to serve for the Quinquennium ending December 2030. 3. Consider revisions and changes in the Union Conference’s constitution and by-laws. 4. Transact such other business as may be properly placed before the delegates.

Delegates are selected by the conferences and institutions of the Union, according to the terms of the constitution and by-laws of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.