Patrick Allen

Sir Patrick Linton Allen (born 7 February 1951) is a Jamaican statesman and former Seventh-day Adventist pastor, who is serving as the sixth and current governor-general of Jamaica since 26 February 2009.

The fourth of five children in a family of subsistence farmers, Allen spent over a decade as a teacher and principal, before leaving education to be trained as an Adventist minister at Andrews University in the United States. After becoming a pastor, Allen went on to serve in a number of leadership roles within the Seventh-day Adventist Church, eventually becoming the leader of the West Indies Union of Seventh-day Adventists, which had jurisdiction over Jamaica, The Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Allen became Jamaica's sixth appointed governor-general (eighth overall, including two acting governors-general). He replaced Kenneth O. Hall, who resigned for health reasons. Allen's appointment was controversial due to his strong ties to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and because of concerns that he would be unable to attend functions on Saturdays due to his faith's strict observation of the Sabbath. Allen resigned from his leadership of the West Indies Union prior to becoming Governor-General, however.

Early life Patrick Linton Allen was born in Fruitful Vale, Portland, on 7 February 1951. He was the fourth of five children to Ferdinand Allen, a farmer, and Christiana Allen (née Grant), a housewife. His parents were subsistence farmers in a region that had been devastated by Hurricane Charlie around the time of his birth. Allen attended the Fruitful Vale All-Age School as a child. Beginning at grade one, Allen was a year ahead in school.

Allen had initially intended to study to become a minister, but after his father became too ill to work, he instead went into teaching.

Adventist leader Allen first requested to be baptised when he was nine, but his family was initially resistant to the idea. On 15 September 1962, at age eleven, Allen was baptised by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Allen returned to Jamaica to serve as a pastor, and was given increasing leadership responsibilities within the broader Seventh-day Adventist Church. Allen was appointed as the Director of Education and Communications within the Central Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, one of five regional conferences within Jamaica. He later served as the Director of Education and Family Life for the West Indies Union of Seventh-day Adventists, which at the time had jurisdiction over Jamaica, The Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. In his acceptance speech, Allen opined that church outreach should address the problems facing the community, including the HIV/AIDS epidemic, domestic abuse, teenage pregnancy, unemployment, and violent crime. On 28 January 2009, Allen resigned from his presidency of the West Indies Union. He also resigned as chairman of the board of Northern Caribbean University, and other religious organisations, in 2009. Although Seventh-day Adventism is Jamaica's largest religion, Allen was the first Adventist governor-general in Jamaica and the second in the region, after James Carlisle, a former governor-general of Antigua and Barbuda. On 2 September 2013, Allen became a Knight of Grace of the Venerable Order of Saint John (KStJ).

Awards

Allen has received an Honorary Doctor of Public Service from Northern Caribbean University and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Andrews University as well Oakwood University.