On May 16, 2026, at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Falmouth, Trelawny, a new chapter began for the North Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (NJC). During the inauguration ceremony for the organization’s newly elected officers, directors, and executive committee members, newly sworn-in president Pastor Jermaine Johnson delivered a bold, mission-driven address challenging the conference’s congregations to step beyond traditional religious boundaries and pursue widespread transformational change across Jamaican society.
Known affectionately to his peers and followers as Pastor JJ, Johnson brings a wealth of cross-sector leadership and public service experience to his new role. A native of Port Antonio, Johnson is an established motivational speaker, personal and professional development strategist, and justice of the peace for St Ann parish. He built his early foundation as a student at Titchfield High School, before going on to earn his degree from Northern Caribbean University. His long record of public engagement includes leading the National Youth Council of Jamaica, serving as an ambassador for the National Youth Service, and representing Jamaica at the Commonwealth Youth Parliament in Australia. A nationally celebrated communicator, Johnson is an award-winning toastmaster, recognized across the Caribbean for his dynamic oratory and leadership. He also composed the theme song for the Governor General’s I Believe initiative, and in 2023, he received the prestigious Governor General’s Gold Medal of Honour for his decades of work advancing social progress across the country. Johnson has also shared his leadership and faith frameworks through two published works: *The Seven Ps to Effective Church* and *Don’t Chicken Out*.
In his inauguration address, Johnson emphasized that the event marked more than just a change in organizational leadership: it was a collective recommitment to the conference’s core mission. “If we are to achieve maximum impact for the Kingdom of God we must become intentional about engaging people everywhere they are — not for prestige, not for political advantage, but for transformational influence,” Johnson told attendees.
He pushed back against the idea that the church’s role is only to maintain long-held traditions, arguing instead that the NJC has a duty to shape broader community life. “The NJC has not been called merely to preserve tradition, we have been called to transform communities, disciple nations, uplift families, engage institutions, and proclaim the everlasting gospel with urgency, fervency, and emergency,” Johnson said.
Johnson outlined a radical expansion of what counts as the church’s mission field, rejecting the idea that faith work is confined to church buildings. “The time has come for us to think bigger, pray deeper, work smarter, and move boldly. The mission field before us is no longer confined to the four walls of the church. Our mission field is Parliament, the hospital, boardrooms, police stations, universities, the media landscape, the digital space, and every sphere where people seek hope, integrity, purpose, and truth,” he explained.
Drawing inspiration from a quote by Seventh-day Adventist World Church President Pastor Erton Kohler, which states “A hopeless world is in desperate need of a hopeful church,” Johnson rooted his call for engagement in the example of Jesus Christ. “The church must not isolate itself from society while expecting to influence society, for we cannot impact that with which we are out of touch,” Johnson said. “Jesus did not merely preach in synagogues; He walked among the people; He entered cities; He engaged leaders; He transformed culture through compassion, truth, and service. We must let the world know that except God is placed in His rightful place, which is first place, things will always be displaced in this place.”
Johnson was first elected to the NJC presidency during the conference’s Fourth Quadrennial Session, held April 20–21, 2026. He will lead the 85-congregation conference alongside Executive Secretary Pastor Carlington Hylton and Treasurer Pastor Onyeka Nevins. Covering the parishes of St Ann and Trelawny, the NJC currently counts more than 22,936 registered members across its faith communities.