Early in August, Sharon Adventist Church and Your Bible Speaks Community Adventist Church in Portland, Oregon, came together to celebrate the installation of Rodney Valentine, their new lead pastor. Valentine brings a wealth of ministry and professional experience, having served in pastoral ministry in the South Atlantic, Allegheny West and Central States Conferences.
Most recently, Valentine served as Shiloh Adventist Church and Highland Crest Adventist Church senior pastor in Kansas. He has also led numerous evangelistic series dating back to the late 1980s and early 1990s, and he is a graduate of Oakwood College — now Oakwood University. He is also a veteran, having served in the U.S. Air Force.
Present for his installation as an Oregon Conference pastor were representatives from North Pacific Union, Oregon Conference and other organizations, including Terry Johnsson, Adventist Health vice president for mission integration; Alphonso McCarthy, former Sharon Church pastor and retired NPUC regional ministries director; and Gemedi Geleto, Oromo Adventist Church pastor.
“There are people in this city who used to be here,” remonstrated Valentine during his opening sermon. "Let's find them! We need more than anything to remember that everything that we do is for the glory of God and God alone!”
Along with his pastoral role, Valentine will also serve as Oregon Conference director of regional ministries. “I don’t pastor churches; I pastor communities,” he announced later in his sermon as he shared his goals for spreading the gospel beyond the Portland area and across Oregon Conference territory. “I’m ready to shake up Portland. I believe that God wants every person in Portland to know Him. And I believe He wants us to do the introduction.”
Rodney Valentine, Sharon Church and Your Bible Speaks Community Church lead pastor
