John Maxwell Howard, M.S.M., Oshawa, Ont.
Meritorious Service Medal (civil division)
In 1985, Pastor John Maxwell Howard founded the Canadian branch of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), an organization that offers humanitarian relief to disaster victims and disadvantaged communities in over 50 countries around the world. Through Pastor Howard’s dedicated service and expertise as its Executive Director, ADRA Canada met the needs of millions of people in the developing world, implementing initiatives such as dental clinics in the Dominican Republic, housing programs in Mongolia and China and water projects in Zimbabwe. Pastor Howard’s commitment to improving the quality of life of the poor, the starving and the destitute has left a lasting impact on communities worldwide and brought great honour to Canada.