On June 6, the Atlantic Union Conference Executive Committee elected Abraham J. Jules as the next president of the Atlantic Union Conference, effective immediately. The vote was to fill the position previously held by Pierre E. Omeler, who was elected on April 10, to serve as a general vice president for the General Conference.
Prior to the vote, Jules served as president of the Northeastern Conference, a position to which he was elected during the 2021 conference constituency session. Jules previously pastored in the Northeastern Conference for more than 36 years, during which time his administrative skills helped many churches grow and expand.
Early years
Born in Trinidad, Jules is a fourth-generation Seventh-day Adventist. As young as four years old, he knew he wanted to serve Jesus. As a child, when people asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, Jules didn’t hesitate to give a reply. “I wanted to be a pastor. That answer has never changed over the years,” he said. “That was my genesis back then at four, and I still have a great passion for preaching, pastoring, and baptisms.”
Jules graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theology from Oakwood College (now Oakwood University). He later received his Master of Divinity degree from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University and a Doctor of Divinity degree from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
Pastoring was a critical component in shaping Jules into the leader he is today. “I spent 38 years of my life as a pastor, three years as a president. So, the rigors of daily ministry, I believe, have prepared me to be sensitive to people, to be compassionate, [and] to be caring. Ultimately, if you’re not compassionate and caring, you shouldn’t be leading,” Jules said. To this day, his greatest joy in serving the Lord is “baptizing people into the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”
Looking to the Future
As he contemplates his new role of leading the Atlantic Union Conference, Jules says, “I’m very much dependent on God. I feel I need God—God’s grace, His wisdom, His strength. I think I sense my need for support. I sense my need for the prayers of those I love and certainly the wisdom of those who have already served in this capacity. I will depend very closely on my two fellow officers and the vice presidents of this union to help me as I’m oriented to the goings on of our union.”
Jules and his wife, Dominique, are the parents of two young adult children. “I look forward to meeting you as I come into your churches, into your conferences, into your executive committee meetings, and your camp meetings, getting to know you better, sharing times of worship and service with you, [and] growing in Christ together,” Jules said. “More than anything else, I anticipate getting to connect with all six of our conferences that comprise the Atlantic Union.”
As the 22nd Atlantic Union Conference president, Jules joins the administrative team, directors, and staff to oversee the work of six conferences: Bermuda, Greater New York, New York, Northeastern, Northern New England, and Southern New England. The membership of the Atlantic Union currently stands at 134,701, and the territory includes 617 churches, 93 groups, 43 elementary and secondary schools, and numerous community-based ministries. (Atlantic Union Conference Second Quarter 2024 Secretary’s Statistical Report)
