Newly elected officers, right to left, Richard McEdwards, Erton Kohler, Paul Douglas wave to the audience during the July 12 worship service, as outgoing president Ted Wilson and his wife Nancy look on. | credit Mark Froelich
On July 4, 2025, Erton C. Köhler was elected to the office of the president; on July 6, Richard E. McEdward was elected secretary and Paul Douglas was re-elected treasurer.
The nominations 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 their nomination during the business session at the Dome in America’s Center.
While serving as GC secretary, a post he was elected to in 2021, 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.
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.
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 from Andrews University.
Richard E. McEdward brings decades of mission experience, cross-cultural leadership, and theological expertise to his new role as secretary of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Prior to his election, McEdward served as president of the Middle East and North Africa Union Mission (MENAUM), where he led strategic outreach efforts in one of the most challenging regions in the world for gospel ministry.
McEdward’s commitment to mission is deeply rooted in his upbringing and personal journey. Born in Seattle, Washington, he spent his formative years in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where his family lived as expatriates. Those early experiences living among diverse communities helped cultivate in him a deep sense of empathy and purpose in sharing Christ’s love across cultural and religious lines.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Walla Walla University, a Master of Divinity from Andrews University, and a doctorate in missiology from Fuller Theological Seminary. His professional ministry includes service as a pastor, church planting coordinator in Sri Lanka and the Southern Asia-Pacific Division, and associate director of the Institute of World Mission at Andrews University.
McEdward later joined the General Conference, where he served as associate director of the Office of Adventist Mission and director of the Global Mission Centers for World Religions. In 2016, he was elected to lead MENAUM, based in Beirut, Lebanon, where he supported frontline workers and helped expand strategic mission presence in urban and unreached areas.
Paul Douglas brings a lifetime of denominational financial leadership to the role, including decades of service in the General Conference Auditing Service (GCAS), where he most recently served as executive director before being elected as GC treasurer in 2021.
Throughout his tenure, Douglas has championed integrity, simplicity and faithfulness in the church’s approach to finance. He is known for his ability to communicate complex financial realities in spiritually grounded terms, helping leaders and members alike understand the sacred responsibility of resource management.
Douglas works closely with treasury teams across the globe, providing training, accountability frameworks, and strategic planning to ensure the church is financially prepared to carry out its end-time calling.
Born in Jamaica to Cuban parents, Douglas discovered his love for numbers and purpose for ministry at a young age. He earned an MBA from California State University–San Bernardino, a certificate from Cornell University’s Strategic Leadership Program, and is completing his PhD in Accounting from Bayes Business School in London. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Chartered Accountant in Jamaica.
Compiled from Adventist News Network reports. More information available at www.advenist.news
