Through the month of September 2021, three separate ordination services took place in Gulf States Conference churches. Murvin Camatchee, Jason Carlson, and Darry Semillano, pastors in Gulf States, each participated in an ordination service at a local church in their district. Brian Danese, Conference president, and Josh Murillo, ministerial director, participated in each service.
Camatchee’s ordination was September 4, 2021, at College Drive Church in Pearl, Miss. Camatchee is a native of the Republic of Mauritius. Corrine, his wife for more than 13 years, is also a native of Mauritius. After high school, Camatchee completed a bachelor of science in physics at the University of Mauritius, followed by a master of business administration at the University of East London, UK. After a brief passage in the tourism sector, he was called by the Mauritius Conference in August 2008 to be an administrator; he served over a period of seven years as treasurer, executive secretary, and youth director.
In 2014, being impressed by the Holy Spirit, the Camatchees decided to explore the possibility of pursuing pastoral studies. In April 2015, after being accepted by the Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University, they flew to Berrien Springs, Mich. Three years later, in May 2018, Camatchee graduated with a master of divinity, and was hired by Gulf States.
The Conference administrative team met again on September 18, 2021, at the Floral Crest Church in Bryant, Ala., for the ordination service of Jason Carlson. Carlson is supported by his wife, Krista, and their two daughters, Amber and Esther. Previous to joining Gulf States, he trained thousands of members in literature distribution, and discipled hundreds of young people over the 10 years he served as publishing director for the Arizona Conference.
Carlson began working for the church in 1995, when he joined Home Health Education Service in the Lake Union. During his 21 years as a literature evangelist, he has canvassed in 16 different states and even the Philippines. Carlson has also preached the Gospel in numerous countries, when he participated in mission trips to the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Panama.
An ordination service took place for Darry Semillano at the Blue Angel Parkway Church in Pensacola, Fla., on September 25, 2021. Semillano was born and raised in the Philippines. He is one of five siblings. He did not consider himself a religious person growing up, until he found Christ when he was of high school age. His parents have a huge influence in his spiritual journey. He is more than grateful that his father made a crucial decision to follow Christ and biblical truth alone. Because of that, it made a promising impact on the Semillano family.
In 2008, Semillano joined the One Thousand Missionary Movement, an Adventist institution that trains and sends young people to different parts of the world. He was sent to Rizal, Laguna, Philippines, and helped to plant a church. He was also sent to South Korea, serving as a missionary for three years. There he met his beautiful wife, Jennifer, who was serving as a missionary teacher from the United States. In 2015, he decided to continue his studies and went to Andrews University. He pursued a master of divinity degree and graduated in August 2018. Today they both serve Gulf States, Darry as a pastor, and Jennifer as a teacher.
Gulf States | November 2021
