After 12 years at the helm of the Bermuda Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Pastor Kenneth Manders is preparing to step away from the presidency — but not from ministry.

On September 27, Pastor Manders will conclude his third and final four-year term as president, ending a tenure that has made him the longest-serving president in the history of the Bermuda Conference.

For Pastor Manders, the milestone is less about the title and more about the trust placed in him.

“I have a keen sense of gratitude to God that He would count me worthy to lead the almost 4,000 members of the Seventh-day Adventist church here in Bermuda,” he said.

“Secondly, that the people of God voted for me and entrusted me to serve as leader of the organisation for a maximum of three four-year terms has been an honour. This has made me the longest-serving president in the Bermuda conference history.”

His 12 years in the position have included growth and difficulty, financial challenges, the Covid-19 pandemic, and initiatives aimed at meeting needs beyond the walls of the church.

Among the highlights he identified was a significant financial turnaround.

“The organisation experienced a positive financial turnaround. I inherited this post in debt, but God gave the increase.”

He also pointed to medical and lifestyle clinics initiated through Leonard Gibbons, who brought together private and public medical professionals to provide free services to hundreds of Bermudians without health insurance.

Another source of satisfaction was the raising of thousands of dollars for Bermuda Institute, the Seventh-day Adventist school.

But perhaps the most personal measure of his ministry is found in the lives of the people whose lives have intersected with his pastoral work.

“Last, but certainly not least, are the lives of over 600 people I baptised in my 31 years of pastoral ministry and an additional 756 persons who joined the Adventist church in Bermuda during my presidency.”

The presidency was also marked by one of the most disruptive periods in modern history.

The Covid-19 pandemic presented an immediate challenge to churches and religious organisations across Bermuda. For the Bermuda Conference, the consequences extended beyond worship services. Reduced attendance threatened the organisation’s finances and the employment of approximately 66 workers at the time.

Pastor Manders described remaining functional through that period as one of the most challenging seasons of his ministry.

“People were not able to worship God through the return of their tithes and offerings and were not permitted to attend church, which affected the growth of the work, but the Lord provided the increase.”

The Conference moved its worship services online and developed a model for reopening churches with limited numbers. Pastor Manders said then-National Security Minister Wayne Caines later used that model to reopen churches during the pandemic.

Yet the response to the crisis was not confined to maintaining church operations.

“Most importantly, our church made a great impact serving meals to thousands of people through our Community Services department.”

For Pastor Manders, the experience also reinforced a fundamental principle of Christian leadership: ministry is relational.

“I don't know that this role has changed my understanding of leadership and pastoral ministry because I never stopped pastoring during my 12 years as president. Pastoral ministry and serving the organisation as a leader requires that we are servant leaders.”

He added: “Ministry is relational, and people in positions of authority must never lose their relational touch. Leaders are not here to be served, but to serve the people. Otherwise, they will become out of touch with people and will become ineffective in ministering to the people they lead.”

That emphasis on service is also central to one of the lessons he said he has learnt about leading people.

“I guess one of the lessons that I've learnt about leading people is that some things are caught, and some things are taught.”

For him, faith cannot remain merely intellectual.

“If someone only gains an intellectual knowledge of the gospel message and never receives an experiential knowledge, they will never really understand the life-giving power of the gospel. They will become nominal Christians.”

He believes genuine spiritual transformation should naturally produce a willingness to serve.

“Because when the gospel changes your heart, you begin to serve God, and others, but you can’t give what you don’t have.”

Looking back, Pastor Manders acknowledges that not every goal envisioned at the beginning of his presidency was realised. Financial limitations and staffing challenges prevented some plans from moving forward.

“If I could put myself back to my first day as president, I would ask myself what the end game is. What do I wish to accomplish before leaving office?”

Yet he also recognises that leadership unfolds amid circumstances you cannot always anticipate.

“But then, there are so many unknown variables that come from day-to-day that can change your best-laid plans.”

He cites Proverbs 19:21: “Many are the plans of man, but the Lord’s purposes will prevail.”

“I am satisfied that I had a pretty good run, and that we managed the work through difficult seasons. We are now poised for the next generation of leaders to advance the work.”

For Pastor Manders, stepping away from the presidency does not mean stepping away from his calling.

His immediate plans include writing a book documenting his personal faith journey, titled From Rasta to Pastor. He also expects to return to a greater measure of local ministry through preaching, teaching, and evangelism.

“I envision preaching, teaching, and leading people to Christ and populating the Kingdom of God.”

As for what comes next professionally, he does not yet have a definitive answer.

“My next assignment defines the next chapter. It’s not clear just yet, but the Lord will order my steps in His time. It is certainly not retirement. I still have gas in the tank.”

To the person who succeeds him, Pastor Manders offers a challenge centred on activating the gifts already present within the church.

“I would advise my successor to continue to challenge each believer to brighten the corner where they are by using their gifts and talents in ministry.”

He wants the next administration to equip members for active service, while challenging pastors to prioritise Bible studies, evangelism, visitation, and reclaiming members who have become disconnected from the church.

And to the wider Adventist community, his message is equally direct.

“I believe the Adventist community needs to model the love of God to everyone they encounter, even our enemies. We need to become the church that God intended.”

As he closes this particular chapter, Pastor Manders said he is grateful to those he has had the privilege of serving.

“I would like to thank those whom I have had the privilege of serving these 12 years.”

He encourages members not simply to attend church, but to become involved in ministry and service to others as they prepare for Christ’s return.

His hope for the October 25 farewell service is therefore not simply that people will celebrate a presidency coming to an end. He wants them to see the purpose that has defined his life and ministry.

“I would hope that the people at my farewell service will see that I have lived for one sole purpose. To know God, and to make Him known.”

He continued: “That I am someone who has a passion for people and reached hundreds for Christ because God changed my life completely and gave me a burning desire to win souls for Christ. That my life would encourage them to go and do likewise.”

After three terms, the presidency may be ending, but Pastor Manders sees his calling as continuing.

There is, as he puts it, still “gas in the tank”.