Prior to ASI, Allen served as a pastor in the Southeastern California Conference. There, he focused on evangelism, developing strategic plans for church growth and retention of new members, and training and equipping church members for ministry and outreach. He also has a deep interest in youth: he served as district leader for youth pastors in San Diego, California, and has held leadership roles with Generation of Youth for Christ (GYC). Allen is in the process of completing a doctoral degree in ministry through Andrews University, with an emphasis on evangelism and church growth. During his undergraduate studies at Washington Adventist University, he obtained internship positions at the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence and the U.S. House of Representatives.
Allen says, “I have a passion for empowering laypeople to be involved in evangelism and for engaging young adults in the mission of the church. This is an exciting time to be joining the global ministry of Adventist World Radio. The AWR360o focus on broadcast to baptism encompasses not only connecting listeners to their local churches, but also encouraging and equipping church members to help complete the circle of evangelism by personally nurturing newcomers. As well, the proliferation of new tools that AWR is using for communication and connection, particularly social media, are perfectly aligned with the skills and interests of young people.”