By Chisomo Phiri
The General Conference(GC) of Seventh Day Adventist (SDA ) church on Saturday elected Erton Carlos Köhler as its new president, succeeding Ted Wilson, who has led the global church for nearly a decade.
Köhler, a Brazilian of German heritage, was elected at the ongoing elective session in St Louis, United States of America(USA ).
Born in 1969, Köhler follows in his father’s footsteps in ministry and boasts over three decades of leadership experience within the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
He becomes the first South American to hold the presidency of the General Conference.
Köhler holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology and a Master’s Degree in Pastoral Theology from the Brazilian Adventist University and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree from Andrews University.
SDA is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, its emphasis on the imminent Second Coming (advent) of Jesus Christ, and its annihilationist soteriology.
The denomination grew out of the Millerite movement in USA during the mid-19th century, and it was formally established in 1863.
Among its co-founders was Ellen G. White, whose extensive writings are still held in high regard by the church.
