Adventists Mourn Death of Minnesota Conference President

With profound sadness, Seventh-day Adventist leaders of the Minnesota Conference and the Mid-America Union Conference (MAUC) in the United States announced that conference president Daniel Honoré went to sleep in Jesus on January 13, 2023.

Honoré began his ministry as president in September 2022 with a consecration service dedicating the conference to the work of bringing souls to Jesus. During this service, he shared his love and passion for evangelism, education, and multi-generational ministry.

“Daniel firmly believed that God called him to Minnesota, and his plans for furthering God’s work in this territory emphasized his passion for evangelism and education,” Minnesota Conference vice president for administration Eric Mokua said.

Before accepting the call to Minnesota, Honoré served for nine years as president of the Northeastern Conference in New York. He oversaw the acquisition of nearly 40 church buildings, the liquidation of debts, the construction of a 158-unit senior housing facility, and an expansion in membership from 50,000 to 60,000 people. He brought this same energy and passion to every position he held throughout his career.

Honoré received the call to ministry at a young age and earned a bachelor’s degree in theology from Washington Adventist University and a bachelor’s degree in history from Southern Adventist University. He then obtained a Juris Doctor degree from Ohio Northern University. Most recently, he graduated from Montemorelos University with a PhD in business administration.

Honoré’s pastoral ministry began in 1995, when he was called to be pastor of the Brockton Temple and Ben Emmanuel Franco-Haitian churches in Massachusetts. During his pastorate, he baptized 150 people and founded the Brockton Area Seventh-day Adventist Academy, which today has more than 130 students.

In addition, Honoré conducted evangelistic meetings in New York, Peru, Brazil, Jamaica, Haiti, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic. He served on several boards and committees, including the NAD Executive Committee, the Oakwood University Board of Trustees, the Atlantic Union Conference President’s Council, and the Northeastern Academy Board.

As an ordained minister, Honoré was a second-generation conference worker. He was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to a Haitian father and a Dominican mother. Growing up in a pastoral family involved relocations and exposure to various cultures. As a result, he became fluent in English, French, Haitian Creole, and Spanish.

Before engaging in full-time ministry, Honoré operated a law practice specializing in immigration law with two offices in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition, Honoré’s professional work led him to help families in Boston through the Concilio Hispano De Cambridge, as an investigator with the Boston Fair Housing Commission, and as the executive director of the Mattapan-Dorchester Churches in Action, training local leaders to develop strategies for solving community problems.

Honoré’s passion for social justice led him to become a fierce advocate for civil and human rights. Whether marching with young people, preaching in the pulpit, or litigating in the courtroom, he ardently represented the disadvantaged and voiceless.

“Daniel Honoré was an amazing leader who gave his whole life to helping others,” MAUC president Gary Thurber said. “Not only was he an excellent leader for our church, but his compassion for others on his journey made him much respected and beloved by all. Daniel leaves behind him a legacy of service for God and his fellow man. He was gifted with a brilliant mind which he dedicated completely to the Lord. He will be greatly missed by all of us in Mid-America.”

Honoré planned to begin an educational endowment fund in Minnesota, modeled on the work he accomplished in Northeastern Conference. “He was passionate about not only bringing people to Jesus but creating a legacy that would bring future generations to Christ. His passion inspired and encouraged our team, and to honor his memory, we are establishing the Daniel Honoré Educational Endowment Fund here in Minnesota,” conference vice president for finance Gayln Bowers said. “We hope this endowment fund will allow Adventist education to thrive and grow in Minnesota for years to come.”

Regional Adventist leaders shared that Honoré’s unexpected death affected them greatly. “We grieve with all those who knew him. Our thoughts, prayers, and love are with his wife, Fritze; his children Gamaliel, Gabriel, Nathanael; and Danielle; his brother Joel; and his extended family,” they said.

The original version of this story was posted on the Minnesota Conference news site.