On Sabbath, April 27, 2019 family, friends, pastors, parishioners, and well-wishers converge at the Boynton Beach Seventh-day Adventist Church to say bon voyage to Michael J. Cabana for almost 40 years of pastoral ministry.
Who is Michael J. Cabana? He was born in the State of Rhode Island and as a youngster grew up as a member of the Roman Catholic until he was 18. However, at 18, the young Cabana accepted the three angels’ messages of Revelation and became a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In the 1970s, he attended Atlantic Union College and graduated from its Nursing School. Cabana’s first adventure in nursing carried him to Tanzania, Africa, where he worked tirelessly for one year as a missionary nurse.
Nevertheless, he later answered the call to the gospel ministry and graduated from Atlantic Union College with a bachelor’s degree in Theology. So, from 1981 through 1983, he worked as a district pastor in the Carolina Conference as the pastor of the Morganton and Tablerock churches. Afterward, he accepted the call to the British Union Conference of the Trans-European Division to Ireland where he served as a district pastor from 1984 – 1986.
Next, Pastor Cabana returned to the U. S. and joined the Georgia-Cumberland Conference where he was district pastor of the Cleveland and Gainesville churches from 1987 – 1989. Moreover, as a native of Rhode Island, he transferred to the Northern New England Conference to the Woodstock/Oxford SDA Churches in Maine where he pastored from1990 – 1996. But the northeastern winters sent him to warmer weather to the Florida Conference. So, he became the senior pastor of the Plantation Adventist Church from 1996 – 2010.
However, in 2010, he was transferred to the Boynton Beach Adventist Church and became the senior pastor until his retirement in April 2019. Otherwise, in the 1970s cupids arrow struck Cabana’s his heart as he fell love with the lovely Sharon Pergl they were united in marriage on June 8, 1975. This union produced two daughters, Dawn (Tombley) and Melissa; and, two granddaughters, Abigail and Emily. His pastimes include traveling, cruises, and enjoying time with his family and friends; and, most importantly, prayer and talking about Jesus to anyone within earshot.
The following pastors gave verbal tributes to Pastor Cabana on the occasion of his retirement: Charles Posenriede (Pompano Church), Jeffrey Thompson (Fort Lauderdale Church), Noel Rose (Eliatha Church), Andrew Nugent (Plantation Church), and Richard Mosely (Jupiter Church). Our photo shows Pastor & Mrs. Cabana (seated center, fourth from left) with family and well-wishers.
Michael J. Cabana Retires
