A long-serving publisher leader and pastor retired at Signs Publishing on March 14.
Pastor Kevin Geelan began work on March 10, 1963, as an apprentice chef at Sydney Adventist Hospital (San). He then worked as a chef at Lilydale Adventist Academy and Auckland Adventist Hospital before returning to the San.
In 1977, Pastor Geelan felt called to “have a go at being a literature evangelist” and his success at this led to his service as a publishing director—a leader of literature evangelists—in Victoria, North New South Wales and the then-Central Pacific Union Mission, based in Fiji. He returned to Australia in 1992, where he served as a church pastor in Melbourne, before returning to the Pacific as president of the Cook Islands Mission.
In 1999, he was appointed associate director of publishing ministries for the South Pacific Division and, since 2010, continued his leadership of mission and ministry through literature as resource sales manager for Adventist Media Network, based at Signs Publishing in Warburton.
“It’s been an interesting journey,” said Pastor Geelan, reflecting on his varied roles and diverse ministry locations. “But the highlight has been seeing the leading of the Lord in all of it.”
In retirement, Pastor Geelan and his wife Del plan to continue supporting Adventist bookstores at camp-meetings and other church events.
“Kevin is a person who is Christianity-in-action,” commented Andrew Irvine, general manager of Signs Publishing. “He lives what he believes, always goes the extra mile, and will be greatly missed at Signs as someone who contributes to the mission of the church, as well as the wellbeing of his fellow employees.”
Pastor Geelan was also thanked and farewelled fondly at the recent marketing seminar for Adventist Book Centre managers, with a presentation from the Adventist Book Centres across the South Pacific.
