Selvin Uriah Hastings (26 September 1916 – 19 September 1991) was the first Jamaican national consecrated as a bishop of the Moravian Church and the first Jamaican to be elected head of the Moravian Church Unity Board.

Early life, education and ministry

Bishop Hastings was born in Darliston

Darliston

Darliston is a settlement in Jamaica.Darliston is a town in Westmoreland Parish in western Jamaica. It is located east-northeast of Savanna-la-Mar. In 1991 the population was 1,435...

, Westmoreland

Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica

Westmoreland is the westernmost parish in Jamaica, located on the south side of the island. It is situated to the south of Hanover, the southwest of Saint James, and the northwest of Saint Elizabeth, in the county of Cornwall. The chief town and capital is Savanna-la-Mar...

, Jamaica. After attending local schools, he trained at St. Colme's Theological College, Kingston and in the United Kingdom before serving the Jamaica Province of the Moravian Church

Jamaica Province of the Moravian Church

The Jamaica Province of the Moravian Church is part of the world wide Moravian Church Unity.-1754–1809 The beginning:...

 at Springfield in St. Elizabeth

Saint Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica

St. Elizabeth, one of Jamaica's largest parishes, is located in the southwest of the island, in the county of Cornwall. Its capital, Black River, is located at the mouth of the Black River, the longest on the island.-History:...

, Mizpah in Manchester

Manchester Parish, Jamaica

The parish of Manchester is located in west-central Jamaica, in the county of Middlesex. Its capital, Mandeville, is a major business centre, and the only parish capital not located on the coast or on a major river. The Right Excellent Norman Washington Manley The parish of Manchester is located in...

 and Church of the Redeemer and Trinity

Trinity Moravian Church, Jamaica

Trinity Moravian church houses a congregation of the Jamaican province of the Moravian Church. It was established in 1954 as part of the bicentenary celebrations of the Moravian Church in Jamaica.-Church building:...

 in Kingston

Kingston Parish, Jamaica

Kingston is one of the 14 Parishes of Jamaica. Together with neighboring St. Andrew Parish, it makes up the consolidated administrative unit of Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation, or, informally the City of Kingston....

.

He undertook further training in the United States, gaining a Bachelor's degree from Butler University

Butler University

Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...

 and a Masters degree from the Union Theological Seminary

Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York

Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets. The seminary was founded in 1836 under the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with nearby Columbia...

.

Leadership roles

He was elected to the Provincial Elders' Conference (PEC), the Executive Board of the Moravian Church in Jamaica, in 1951 where he served as president for many years.

He was consecrated as a Bishop in 1961.

He served on the board of the Moravian Church Foundation

Moravian Church Foundation

The Moravian Church Foundation is a non profit foundation connected with the Moravian Church. Its head office is in Amsterdam.-History:The foundation traces its roots to 1754 when two tailors were sent to Suriname as unsupported missionaries. To earn a living they practiced their craft, using their...

.

He was appointed as Jamaica's representative on the Executive Board of the Worldwide Moravian Church in 1967, where he served as chairman until 1974 and was General Director from 1972 to 1974.

He was twice president of the Jamaica Council of Churches, from 1960–1963 and again in 1971.

He was the first Chairman of the Board of Governors of the United Theological College of the West Indies

United Theological College of the West Indies

The United Theological College of the West Indies is an ecumenical seminary training male and female clergy for Protestant denominations throughout the Caribbean....

 (UTCWI) where he also lectured in Homiletics

Homiletics

Homiletics , in theology the application of the general principles of rhetoric to the specific department of public preaching. The one who practices or studies homiletics is called a homilist....

, Church History and Church Administration.

Honours

He was awarded the Doctor of Divinity degree by Moravian Theological Seminary

Moravian College

Moravian College a private liberal arts college, and the associated Moravian Theological Seminary are located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Lehigh Valley region.-History:...

 (1990) and made a Commander of the Order of Distinction

Jamaican honours system

The Jamaican honours system has developed as a unique entity since the passage of the National Honours and Awards Act by the Parliament of Jamaica in 1969 . The system is modelled largely on the British honours system...

(1989).

Legacy

The Moravian Church in Jamaica has established a Foundation in his honour.

As part of the church's 250th anniversary celebrations in 2004, the Postal Corporation of Jamaica issued a commemorative stamp featuring Bishop Hastings.