Adlyn White (1929 – 24 January 2017) was a

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

n educator and Christian minister who was the first woman to be ordained by the

United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands The United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands is a united church formed on 1 December 1965 as the "United Church of Jamaica and Grand Cayman" by bringing the Protestant denominations "Presbyterian Church in Jamaica" and "Congregational Union ...

. She was also the first woman to head the church, serving as its moderator of synod from 1991 to 1993.

Biography

White held degrees from the

University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 17 English-speaking countries and territories in th ...

and St. John's University, New York, including a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

in educational administration.REV. DR. ADLYN WHITE PASSES.
United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, 25 January 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017. She originally worked as a schoolteacher, teaching English, Latin, and religious education at the Morris Knibb Preparatory School in

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

. She later taught at Public School 118 in

Queens, New York Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long I ...

, for a brief period. White received her theological training at the

United Theological College of the West Indies The United Theological College of the West Indies (UTCWI) is an ecumenical seminary training male and female clergy in Kingston, Jamaica, for Anglican and Protestant denominations throughout the Caribbean. History The college was founded in 1966. ...

, and in 1959 became a deaconess in the Presbyterian Church in Jamaica; her denomination merged into the new United Church in 1965. In 1969, she became a lecturer at the Church Teachers' College in Mandeville. White was ordained as a minister in June 1973, the first woman to fill that role in the United Church.A Woman Of Distinction - Former Head Of United Church Dr Adlyn White Dies
''

Jamaica Gleaner ''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica. Originally called the ''Daily Gleaner'', the name was changed on 7 December 1992 to ' ...

'', 29 January 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017. She served as the church's Director of Women's Work, and was eventually made vice-principal of the teachers' college. She was acting principal on two occasions (1987–1988 and 1990–1991), and retired in 1995. White was elected moderator of the synod in 1991 and served until 1993, the first woman to head the church. She was simultaneously president of the Institute for Theological and Leadership Development, the predecessor of the

International University of the Caribbean The International University of the Caribbean (IUC) was founded by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands The United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands is a united church formed on 1 December 1965 as the "United Church of Jam ...

. White also served on the board of Knox College, as a member of the University Council of Jamaica, and as an adviser to the Ministry of Education.

Death

White died from complications of a brain tumour in January 2017, aged 87.Former United Church Head Rev Dr Adlyn White Dies
''Jamaica Gleaner'', 24 January 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Adlyn 1929 births 2017 deaths Jamaican women Jamaican Protestants Jamaican clergy Women Christian clergy University of the West Indies alumni St. John's University (New York City) alumni Alumni of the United Theological College, Jamaica