05/07/2025
Erton C. Köhler Elected as President of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church
Global delegates affirm Köhler’s mission-focused leadership during the 62nd General
Conference Session.
Author: ANN
Location: United States
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.
Quoting Isaiah 41:10, he added,
"We are moving forward, trusting in the Owner of this church.
"
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 locatio