Melvin Santos has accepted the invitation to be vice president for administration for the Kansas-Nebraska Conference. An experienced, ordained pastor, Santos is currently the vp for administration for the Alaska Conference. He served in Michigan and Tennessee before moving to Alaska. He begins his ministry in our conference in July.
- Tell us a little about your experience in ministry.
I have been in pastoral ministry for 30 years. God called me at a very young age and I responded to the call. God gave me a fantastic discipleship ministry to develop Holy Spirit-filled leaders who are soul winners and church planters. God has given us front row seats when He revived stagnant, dying churches and transformed them into thriving ones with much growth!
- What do enjoy most about ministry?
I enjoy equipping people for ministry so they can experience their God given potential as Christian leaders. I am also thrilled when I see people grow in their relationship with Christ and become actively involved in expanding God’s kingdom. It is the reward of ministry – seeing people get excited about making a saving impact.
- What new challenges or opportunities do you think the role of vp for administration in KS-NE will bring?
The challenge will be helping our churches find effective ways to minister during this pandemic. Life and ministry may never be the same again. We may need to adjust how we use creative methods and technology to spread the gospel and train our teams. We may need to reinvent and transform some ministries to be more effective in reaching people for Jesus.
I would like to listen and hear what everyone is doing and learn how they would like to be supported so they can do their best in partnership with God. My goal is to develop a team that love Jesus supremely and love their ministry to the point where they are also developing others to have ministries like them.
I would embrace the opportunity to support our ministers, teachers and Bible workers and would love to train them to be disciple-makers so they can share in the joy of working for God.
- What are you looking forward to the most about joining our conference?
I am looking forward to meeting the amazing leaders and members in this conference and together exploring new opportunities to expand the kingdom of God.
- Tell us a little about your family.
I’m blessed to have a wonderful wife, Juliet, a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner, who has been in healthcare leadership for a very long time. We will be married 34 years in August. Together, we have three young adult children. Elizabeth, a practice manager who now works in healthcare IT, is a graduate of Andrews University and Loma Linda University. Her husband, Paul, is a graduate of Southern Adventist University and specializes in HR healthcare informatics. Both work for Adventist Health in Roseville, California. Lauren, a graduate of Southern Adventist University and a recent Loma Linda University School of Dentistry graduate, is now practicing in Roseville, California. Our youngest, Michael, a graduate of Southern Adventist University, is a CPA and finance manager for AdventHealth in Ocala, Florida.
