Leadership
Ted N.C. Wilson
President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
President
Ted N. C. Wilson was elected as president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church in July 2010 during the General Conference Session in Atlanta. Born in Takoma Park, Maryland on May 10, 1950, the son of former Adventist world church President Neal C. Wilson and Elinor E. Wilson, Wilson spent part of his childhood in Egypt.
Wilson began his church career as a pastor in 1974 in the Greater New York Conference. He married Nancy Louise Vollmer Wilson, a physical therapist, in 1975. The couple has three daughters: Emille Louise, married to Pastor Kameron de Vasher; Elizabeth Esther, married to Pastor David Wright; and Catherine Anne, married to Dr. Robert Renck. The Wilsons have eight wonderful grandchildren.
Wilson served as an assistant director and then director of Metropolitan Ministries in New York from 1976 to 1981. He went on to serve in the church’s then Africa-Indian Ocean Division, based in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, until 1990. There he served as a departmental director and later as executive secretary.
Following his post in West Africa, he served for two years at the Adventist world church’s world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, as an associate secretary. He went on to accept the position of president of the church's Euro Asia-Division in Moscow, Russia, which he held from 1992 to 1996.
Pastor Wilson returned to the United States to serve as president of the Review and Herald Publishing Association in Hagerstown, Maryland, until his election as an Adventist world church vice president in 2000.
An ordained minister, Pastor Wilson holds a doctor of philosophy degree in religious education from New York University, a master of divinity degree from Andrews University, and a master of science degree in public health from the Loma Linda University School of Public Health. In addition to English, he speaks French and some Russian.
G. T. NG
Secretary, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Secretary
Longtime mission advocate G. T. Ng serves the Seventh-day Adventist world church as its executive secretary, a position he has held since the 2010 General Conference Session. Previously, Ng worked as an associate secretary for the world church, where he oversaw the Church’s Northern Asia-Pacific, Southern Asia, and Trans-European divisions.
Ng’s denominational service began in the 1970s in Cambodia, where ministry in the war-torn country first kindled his enthusiasm for mission. Shortly before Phnom Penh fell to Khmer Rouge forces, Ng and his wife, Ivy, were evacuated from Cambodia. Later, Ng served in Thailand, Malaysia, and his native Singapore, where he served as a pastor, health educator and regional department director.
For much of the 1990s, Ng served as professor and dean of the Theological Seminary at the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS) in the Philippines. In 2000, Ng accepted a call to serve as the executive secretary of the church’s Southern Asia-Pacific Division.
Ng moved to the Washington, D.C. area in 2004 to serve as associate secretary of the Adventist world church. Ng spurred numerous church membership audits, challenging church officials worldwide to reconcile membership tallies with actual church attendance. He also encouraged missionaries to serve in regions of acute need, including the 10/40 Window – a region spanning from West Africa across Asia and covering two-thirds of the world’s population where only 1 percent is Christian.
Ng holds a bachelor’s degree from Southeast Asia Union College in Singapore. His post-graduate work includes a master’s degree from the Adventist Theological Seminary in the Philippines and a Ph.D. from the Theological Seminary at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
Ng and his wife have two married children, Jocelyn and Mervyn.
Robert E Lemon
Treasurer, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Treasurer
Robert E. Lemon, elected as Treasurer of the Adventist world church in 2002, has served in various treasury functions over the years. Born in Kongolo, Zaire to missionary parents, mission has always been his passion. He was ordained in 1978.
Lemon began his work for the church in 1972 as an accountant for the Hackettstown Community Hospital in Hackettstown, New Jersey. He returned to the place of his birth in 1974 serving as an auditor for the Zaire Union and then treasurer of the union located in Lubumbashi, Zaire. In 1982 he relocated to the Africa-Indian Ocean Division (now the West-Central Africa Division), Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, as an assistant treasurer.
Following mission service in Africa, Lemon returned to the North American Division in 1985 where he served as chief accountant at Andrews University, where he also earned a master's degree in Business Administration. He then served as treasurer of the Alberta Conference and the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada. In 1995 he joined the treasury office of the Adventist world church as associate treasurer and undertreasurer before his election as Treasurer in 2002.
Lemon is married to Sherry. The couple has two grown children and three energetic grandsons.
Delbert Baker
General Vice President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
General Vice President
Delbert Baker was elected as a general vice president for the Seventh-day Adventist world church in 2010. Prior to his election, Baker served for 16 years as president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama.
Baker's other church experience includes 10 years serving as a pastor in Ohio and Virginia. He has also served as editor of Message magazine and as special assistant to the president at Loma Linda University.
Baker is married to Susan Lee Baker, and they have three adult sons: David, Benjamin and Jonathan.
Baker is a published author and avid reader. A regular marathoner, he has competed on all seven continents and in 35 of the 50 United States. Baker has served on the White House Advisory for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Lowell Cooper
General Vice President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
General Vice President
Canadian-born Lowell Cooper is a general vice president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church, a position he has held since 1998. Prior to his employment at Adventist world church headquarters, Cooper held pastoral and departmental leadership roles in Canada followed by more than 16 years of service in Pakistan and India. He holds a master of divinity degree from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary in the U.S. state of Michigan and a master's degree from Loma Linda University School of Public Health. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Loma Linda University in 2011. Lowell's current assignments include serving as chair for the boards at Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center, Adventist Health International and Pacific Press Publishing Association. He is vice-chair for the General Conference Auditing Service Board. Lowell's wife, Rae Lee, is a nurse and musician. The couple has two adult children.
Geoffrey Mbwana
General Vice President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
General Vice President
Geoffrey Gabriel Mbwana was elected as a general vice president for the Seventh-day Adventist world church in 2010.
Born on October 20, 1955 in Tanzania, Mbwana spent time in high school and college working as a literature evangelist in India and Sweden. Mbwana graduated from Spicer Memorial College in 1982 with bachelor's degrees in religion and psychology.
He earned a master's degree in education from Andrews University in 1984 and completed a master's in educational psychology at Poona University in 1986. He is married to Nakku Mbwana and they have two daughters: Orupa and Upendo.
Mwbana's previous church work includes serving as president for the North-East Tanzania Conference, the Tanzania Union Mission, and for the East-Central Africa Division. He speaks three languages - Kiswahili, English and Kipare.
Armando Miranda
General Vice President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
General Vice President
Mexican-born Armando Miranda was elected as a general vice president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church in July 2000 during the General Conference Session in Toronto, Canada.
Miranda is an ordained minister and holds a master's of religion degree from Andrews University. In more than 20 years of church service, he has worked as a pastor, evangelist and departmental director. From 1987 until 2000, he served as president of the North Mexican Union Conference.
Miranda is married to Rosa Alicia. The couple has three adult children: Liz Charnichart, Rosy Arizaga, and Armando, Jr.
Pardon Mwansa
General Vice President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
General Vice President
During more than three decades of church service, Pardon Mwansa has served as a literature evangelist, district pastor, departmental director at the conference, union and GC levels, president of Zambia Union, Eastern African Division and Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division and speaker-producer of the "Wait a Minute Pastor" program on Hope TV. Mwansa currently serves as a general vice president at the Adventist world church headquarters, a position he has held for close to a decade.
As vice president, Mwansa serves as chancellor and board chair of Adventist University of Africa, chairman of the Hope Channel Board, chairman of the GC Session Planning Committee, chairman of Family Ministries and Children's Ministries, and chairman of the Committee on the Seventh-day Adventist Response to Advocacy and/or Legislation Concerning Alternative Sexual Practices.
Mwansa has a passion for evangelism and Christian education. He conducts at least one evangelistic campaign every year, teaches at Rusangu University and Adventist University of Africa, and conducts leadership development seminars and workshops worldwide.
An ordained minister with a bachelor's degree in theology, master of divinity and doctoral degree in missiology from Andrews University, Mwansa's passion is that the church will experience spiritual revival and reformation when Christ is lifted up.
Mwansa was born in the Luapula Province of Zambia. He and his wife, Judith, have four children: Paul (married to Pearl), Maggie, Hellen and David. In his free time, he enjoys playing badminton, exercise and balancing his personal finances.
Michael Ryan
General Vice President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
General Vice President
Michael Lee Ryan was born in Ridgecrest, California, United States. Prior to his election in October 2003 as a general vice president for the Adventist world church headquarters, Ryan served as a general field secretary for Global Mission. He holds a doctorate degree in education from the University of Missouri and is an ordained minister. For the past 30 years, Ryan has served the church in various positions, including teacher and dean of Far Eastern Academy in Singapore, administrative consultant for Central Philippine Adventist College in the Philippines, education director/Global Mission coordinator for the Far Eastern Division, and Global Mission coordinator at the world church headquarters.
Ryan is married to Laura Jean Haas. The couple has two daughters: Gina Marie Wyatt and Heidi Jo.
Benjamin Schoun
General Vice President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
General Vice President
Benjamin Schoun was elected as a general vice president for the Seventh-day Adventist world church at the 2010 General Conference Session in Atlanta, Georgia.
Prior to this appointment, Schoun served as the president of Adventist World Radio -- the mission radio arm of the Adventist world church -- for nearly nine years. During that time, AWR outreach to the world nearly doubled.
Schoun previously served as president of the Atlantic Union Conference and the Northern New England Conference.
Schoun spent 13 years at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University as a professor, program director and associate dean. He specializes in church leadership, administration and conflict management.
Schoun also worked as a pastor in Illinois and British Columbia, youth director in Oregon and teacher at Canadian University College.
He is the author of the book "Helping Pastors Cope," along with numerous articles.
Schoun holds a doctor of ministry degree from Andrews University. He is married to Carol Freuchtel and they have one adult child.
Ella Simmons
General Vice President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
General Vice President
Ella Simmons holds the distinction of being the first woman to serve as a vice president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church. Simmons was elected at the 2005 General Conference Session, held in St. Louis, Missouri.
An educator throughout her career, Simmons has served as chair for departments of education (Kentucky State University), associate dean (University of Louisville), and professor (Oakwood University, La Sierra University).
She gained administrative experience while serving as academic vice president of Oakwood University and provost and academic vice president for La Sierra University.
Simmons has been a prominent member of accreditation and corporate boards within the church and in the community. She holds a master's degrees from Andrews University and a doctorate from the University of Louisville.
Simmons and her husband, Nord, a retired high school teacher, have two adult sons who are also educators: Darryl and Christopher.
Artur Stele
General Vice President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
General Vice President
Artur A. Stele was elected as a general vice president for the Seventh-day Adventist world church at the 2010 General Conference Session in Atlanta, Georgia. He was born on January 30, 1961 in Kaskelen, a city in southern Kazakhstan.
He graduated from Almaty Medical College in Kazakhstan in 1979 with a degree in pharmacy and served in the German military from 1979 to 1981.
In 1986, Stele received a bachelor's degree in theology from Fridensau University in Germany. That same year Stele married Galina, the first woman to graduate from Andrews University with a doctoral degree in ministry.
The couple has a son named Alexander, who currently works for Hope Channel and the treasury department in the Euro-Asia Division. Stele earned his master's degree and doctorate in theology from Andrews University in 1993 and 1996.
Stele's denominational service includes time spent as academic dean and president for Zaokski Theological Seminary, as well as president of the Euro-Asia Division. Stele is fluent in Russian, German and English.
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