Maurice Valentine, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists’ vice president, has died. He was 63 years old.
According to a release by the Church, Maurice died of a heart attack at his home.
Valentine was elected as a vice president during the 2022 General Conference Session after serving briefly as the North American Division’s vice president for media ministry.
He was previously the head of the Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
Valentine told the Adventist Review in an interview at the time of his election at the General Conference that the Adventist church needs to revert to a “word-centric” goal, referring to the “word” in the Bible. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to refocus on who we are as a people.”
His roots within the Seventh-day Adventist Church ran deep.
As a young student, he sold religious books door-to-door in New York City and went on to build his life around the church’s mission and values.
During the 2022 General Conference Session, Valentine was elected as a General Vice President of the General Conference.
Valentine was present at a meeting of the Biblical Research Institute Committee in Berrien Springs, Michigan, according to many accounts.
He prayed in every building on the Andrews University campus while he was there.
He spoke passionately at the committee meeting, unaware that it would be his final sermon, capping a lifelong commitment to the Adventist church’s goal.
