NN July 2025 Page 3

04 Jul

ERTON C. KÖHLER ELECTED AS PRESIDENT OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST WORLD CHURCH

In

ANN – St. Louis, Missouri … Erton C. Köhler was elected to the office of the president of the General Conference (GC) on July 4, 2025, during the 62nd GC Session in St. Louis, Missouri.

Köhler’s election marks the beginning of his first term as the spiritual and administrative leader of a worldwide movement that spans more than 200 countries and includes more than 23 million members.

“Before any other word, I’d like to tell you that I move forward renewed in my confidence in the Lord and in the church,” Köhler said.

The nomination came to the floor after prayerful deliberation by the Nominating Committee, composed of delegates from each of the church’s global divisions and attached fields. The committee’s recommendation was then presented to the delegates in attendance, who voted to confirm Köhler’s nomination during the business session at the Dome in America’s Center.

Mobilizing the Church for the Unreached

Since his election to the position of GC secretary during the 2021 Spring Meeting held at the church headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, Köhler has championed a bold and prophetic call for the global church to refocus its mission. Under his leadership, the church launched the Mission Refocus initiative.

“Mission Refocus is a project … an initiative, a movement,” Köhler said. “But more than everything, Mission Refocus is a call for integration.”

Through Mission Refocus, Köhler has led the Adventist Church in identifying and adopting 30 high-priority mission areas, including ten countries, ten major urban centers, and ten unreached people groups from the 10/40 Window, urban regions, and secular territories. In his vision, every church entity, regardless of size or location, is invited to participate in a global culture of collaboration, service, and mission accountability.

With his new role as GC president, Köhler is expected to continue advancing this mission-driven framework, mobilizing members to become disciple-makers, aligning church operations with frontline ministry, and strengthening the church’s prophetic voice in a rapidly changing world.

A Life Anchored in Ministry

Born in southern Brazil, Köhler grew up with a desire to follow in the footsteps of his father, who served as an Adventist pastor. He completed a bachelor’s degree in theology at the Adventist Teaching Institute (now Brazilian Adventist University) in 1989 and graduated from the same school in 2008 with a master’s degree in pastoral theology. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree from Andrews University.

From 1990 to 1994, Köhler served as a local church pastor in São Paulo. He was then elected Youth Ministries director of the Rio Grande do Sul Conference in 1995, and in 1998 became the Youth Ministries director of the Northeast Brazil Union. In July 2002, Köhler returned to the Rio Grande do Sul Conference to serve as conference secretary. The following year he was elected Youth Ministries director for the eight countries comprising the South American Division (SAD). After serving for four years as youth director, he became the SAD president in 2007.

In April 2021, Köhler was elected as GC secretary, one of the three executive officers of the church. In this role, he advised the Office of Adventist Mission, the Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research, and the Institute of World Mission. His office was responsible for preparing agenda items for major business meetings and committees, recording meeting minutes, and coordinating the development and review of church working policy and the Church Manual.

Köhler is married to Adriene Marques, a nurse, and the couple has two children. Together, they have been actively involved in ministry, supporting and serving alongside each other as they visit members around the world.

The Role of the GC President

As GC President, Köhler serves as the administrative leader of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, helping to shape strategic vision, provide doctrinal clarity, and unify diverse regions around shared mission. He chairs the GC Executive Committee, several boards, and collaborates closely with regional leadership, representing the church at major international events.

The president also plays a key role in encouraging global mission initiatives, ensuring the consistency of Adventist teaching, and strengthening the church’s education, health, and media institutions.

About the Seventh-day Adventist Church

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has been a global Protestant denomination since 1863, with over 23 million members worldwide. The church holds the Bible as its ultimate authority and seeks to help people find freedom, healing, and hope in Jesus.

For more coverage of the 2025 General Conference Session, including live updates, interviews, and delegate stories, visit adventist.news and follow ANN on social media.

—Adventist News Network (ANN). Republished with permission from ANN GC Session July 4, 2025, article. Photos by Tor Tjeransen.

04 Jul

GENERAL CONFERENCE PRESIDENT TED WILSON ISSUES CORRECTIVE STATEMENT ON IMMUNIZATION REMARKS

In

Lauren Davis – St. Louis, Missouri … General Conference president Ted Wilson issued a corrective statement on Thursday, July 4, 2025, clarifying remarks he made to delegates the day before, when he read from a 2015 General Conference Administrative Committee (ADCOM) statement about immunization.

Following Wilson’s speech on July 3, church officers were made aware that the immunization statement posted on the official Seventh-day Adventist Church website for the past 10 years was not the version actually voted in 2015.

In his speech on July 3, Wilson had read directly from the 2015 immunization statement voted by ADCOM, following a motion to add a review of the statement to the 2025 GC Session agenda.

Here is the wording of the correct, voted statement shown to delegates and updated on the church’s website:

“The Seventh-day Adventist Church places strong emphasis on health and well-being. The Adventist health emphasis is based on the Bible, the inspired writings of church co-founder Ellen G. White, and is informed by peer-reviewed scientific health literature. As such, we encourage responsible immunization/vaccination, and have no religious or faith-based reason not to encourage our adherents to responsibly participate in protective and preventive immunization programs. We value the health and safety of the population, which includes the maintenance of what is known as “herd immunity.”

“We are not the conscience of the individual church member, and we recognize individual choices. These choices are exercised by the individual. Refusal of immunization is not and should not be seen as a teaching nor a doctrine of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”

“I hope no one anywhere around this globe will bring up again that the Seventh-day Adventist Church does not place the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy as the highest level of authority,” Wilson said.

Watch the 2025 GC Session live on ANN’s YouTube channel and follow ANN on X for live updates. Join the ANN WhatsApp Channel for the latest Adventist news.

—Lauren Davis writes for Adventist News Network (ANN). Republished with permission from ANN GC Session July 4, 2025, article. Photo by Nikolay Stoykov.

03 Jul

DELEGATES VOTE AGAINST AMENDMENT TO DISCUSS 2015 STATEMENT ON IMMUNIZATION

In

Lauren Davis – St. Louis, Missouri … During the afternoon business session on July 3, 2025, at the 2025 General Conference (GC) Session in St. Louis, Missouri, a delegate made a motion to add to the agenda a review and discussion relating to the GC’s 2015 statement on immunization. The delegates voted against the motion.

The motion, brought by delegate Yuliyan Filipov from the North American Division’s Ohio Conference, read:

“To add to the agenda a review and discussion of the 2015 General Conference Administrative Committee statement on immunization, specifically its claim about peer-reviewed scientific literature in addition to the Bible and writings of Ellen G. White.”

Filipov shared his concern that the church was pivoting toward human tradition over biblical doctrine.

Business meeting chair and general vice president Artur Stele clarified that Filipov’s motion was suggesting an amendment to the original motion on the floor to adopt the session agenda as originally presented.

GC delegate-at-large Amireh Al-Haddad, the director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the North American Division’s Southern Union, drew from her years of experience working in the immunization field, noting that a vaccine accommodation has never been refused, regardless of the church’s statements on immunization.

“We have not turned our backs on any sincere religious objection. We continue to help people we disagree with because religious liberty gives you the right to hold a different personal belief,” Al-Haddad said.

Another delegate expressed a different concern that considering the amendment would require more research and preparation.

“I speak against accepting the amendment because the issue would need to be studied very thoroughly before placing it on the agenda,” said Niklas Rantanen from the Trans-European Division’s Finland Union of Churches Conference.

In April 2015, the GC Administrative Committee voted a statement affirming the responsible use of vaccines as a public health measure. This position was reinforced on October 25, 2021, amid the global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. While the statement encourages vaccination, it emphasizes that the final decision rests with the individual.

Before voting began, GC president Ted Wilson addressed delegates, cautioning against misinformation within the church.

“My brothers and sisters, I would urge you not to get involved in conspiracy approaches,” Wilson said. “Suggesting that the GC and the world church is receiving instructions and is under the thumb of the United Nations is a complete fallacy.”

This amendment was voted down 310 to 1,662.

The document, dated October 25, 2021, was written collaboratively by the GC administration, the Biblical Research Institute, Adventist Health Ministries, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department, GC Office of General Counsel, and Loma Linda University Health.

For more information about the 2025 General Conference session, visit http://www.gcsession.org. Join the ANN WhatsApp Channel for the latest Adventist news.

—Lauren Davis writes for Adventist News Network (ANN). Republished with permission from ANN GC Session July 3, 2025, article. Photo by Jim Botha.

01 Jul

HOW YOUR VOICE IS REPRESENTED AT THE GENERAL CONFERENCE SESSION

In

Hugh Davis – Lincoln, Nebraska … Every five years, Seventh-day Adventists from all over the world gather for a special event called the General Conference Session. It’s a time for worship, fellowship, and decision-making. The choices made at this meeting help shape the direction of the church for years to come. Naturally, many members want to know how they can be involved.

In the Mid-America Union, we often receive letters asking who the delegates are or how to add something to the agenda. These are good questions! This article will help you understand how delegates are chosen, how the agenda is set, and how church members can be part of the process in an effective way.

WHAT IS THE GC SESSION? 

The General Conference Session is the highest decision-making meeting in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Delegates from around the world gather to elect church leaders, vote on changes to the Church Manual and constitution, discuss fundamental beliefs, and hear reports on the work of the church.

Usually held every five years, the most recent GC Session was delayed due to COVID-19. It was scheduled for 2020 but took place in June 2022 instead. The next session will be in July 3-12, 2025, in St. Louis, Missouri.

WHO SERVES AS DELEGATES?

Each world division is given a certain number of delegates to send to the General Conference Session. That number is based on membership size, so larger divisions and unions are given more spots to fill. The goal is to ensure fair and balanced representation across the global church.

The Mid-America Union Conference receives its number of delegates based on how many church members are in our territory. For the 2025 Session, we have been assigned 16 delegate spots.

Delegates must include both church employees (like pastors and administrators) and laypeople (church members who are not employed by the church). The North American Division ensures diversity by providing each Union with specific criteria designed to obtain the desired diversity.

To fill these spots, the Mid-America Union does not select the delegates independently. Instead, we work closely with our local conferences, who supply names of individuals they recommend. From these names, a balanced group is formed and then submitted to the General Conference for final approval.

The delegates from the Mid-America Union who will be serving in 2025 will be:

  • 3 Union Officers
  • 6 Conference Presidents
  • 4 Lay Members
  • 1 Pastor
  • 1 Educator
  • 1 Departmental Director

The agenda for the GC Session was voted by the delegates to the fall council back in October of 2024.

HOW TO SHARE IDEAS FOR FUTURE GC SESSIONS 

If you have a suggestion or concern you believe should be considered by the global church, here’s how the process works:

  1. Start at the local level. Talk to your pastor or church board. If they agree with your proposal, they can pass it along to your local conference.
  2. The conference reviews the idea and can forward it to the union’s executive committee.
  3. The union may send it to the North American Division or the General Conference for consideration during Annual Council.

This step-by-step system ensures that every idea is fairly reviewed and supported before being added to a future GC Session agenda.

LET’S SUPPORT THE PROCESS TOGETHER

While it may be too late to influence the 2025 agenda, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has a representative system designed to include the voice of members at all levels. You can still make a difference by being active in your local church, staying informed, and using the correct channels to share your ideas.

BE ENCOURAGED—YOUR VOICE MATTERS

If you have questions about the GC Session or how to share ideas, feel free to contact the Mid-America Union Conference office. We’re here to help—and we want your voice to be heard through the established channels.

Please pray for our delegates from the Mid-America Union as they prepare to represent us in St. Louis. They carry a big responsibility, and your support makes a difference.

To learn more about the General Conference Session, please visit their website.

You can watch the GC Session live from their website or on YouTube through the Adventist News Network.

—Hugh Davis is the Mid-America Union Conference Communication director. Republished with permission from OUTLOOK Adventist News June 30, 2025, article. Photo by Pieter Damsteegt, North American Division.

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