The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a family of 17 million believers worldwide. The General Conference Office of the President invites you to learn more about the leadership of this growing community of faith.

President
Ted N. C. Wilson
Presidential Blog

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 General Conference President Neal C. Wilson and Elinor E. Wilson spent part of his childhood in Egypt.

Pastor 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--Emilie Louise, married to Pastor Kameron DeVasher; Elizabeth Esther, married to Pastor David Wright; and Catherine Anne, married to Dr. Robert Renck--and five wonderful grandchildren.

Pastor 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, Côte 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 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 a General Conference vice president in 2000.

An ordained minister, Pastor Wilson holds a doctoral 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 Loma Linda University's School of Public Health. In addition to English, he speaks French and some Russian.

General Vice President
Delbert Baker

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, located in Huntsville, Alabama.

Baker's other church experience includes 10 years serving as a pastor in Ohio and Virginia, editor of Message magazine and 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.

General Vice President
Lowell Cooper

Canadian-born Lowell Cooper has served at the General Conference since 1994 and as a general vice president since 1998. His denominational service began when he served as a district pastor in Alberta, Canada.

This was followed by department leadership in the Alberta Conference. He and his wife, Rae Lee, served in the Southern Asia Division for more than 16 years.

Cooper was elected secretary for the Southern Asia Division before accepting a call to the General Conference as an associate secretary.

He holds a master of divinity degree from the Andrews University in Michigan and a master's degree from Loma Linda University School of Public Health.

Cooper's current responsibilities include chairperson for the boards of Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center (including Loma Linda University and Loma Linda University Medical Center), Pacific Press Publishing Association, Adventist Health International and the Council on Evangelism and Witness.

General Vice President
Geoffrey Mbwana

Geoffrey Gabriel Mbwana was elected as a general vice president for the Seventh-day Adventist world church in 2010.

Born October 20, 1955 in Tanzania, Africa, 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 his mother tongue Kipare.

General Vice President
Armando Miranda

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.

Mexican-born, he 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.

General Vice President
Pardon Mwansa

Prior to his election as a general vice president for the Seventh-day Adventist world church in July 2005, Pardon Mwansa served as president of the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division. Born in Zambia's Luapula province, his 25 years of church service include a variety of positions: president of the Eastern Africa Division, Zambia Union president, stewardship director for the Zambia Union and North Zambia Field, and associate stewardship director for the world church headquarters. Earlier in his career, Mwansa was also a television speaker for the Gospel Penetration Ministries in Zambia.

An ordained minister with a doctoral degree in missiology from Andrews University, located in Michigan, United States. Mwansa is married to Judith Mwansa. The couple has two sons, Paul and David, and one daughter, Maggie.

General Vice President
Michael Ryan

Michael Lee Ryan was born in Ridgecrest, California, United States. Prior to his election in October 2003 as a general vice president for the world church headquarters, he 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.

General Vice President
Benjamin Schoun

Benjamin Schoun was elected as a general vice president for the Seventh-day Adventist world church at the 2010 General Conference Session in Atlanta.

Prior to this appointment, Schoun served as the president of Adventist World Radio -- the mission radio arm of the world church -- for nearly nine years. During that time, AWR outreach to the world nearly doubled.

In addition, Schoun previously held the 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. His 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.

His publications include "Helping Pastors Cope," and numerous articles.

Schoun holds a doctor of ministry degree from Andrews University. He is married to Carol Freuchtel and they have one adult child.

General Vice President
Ella Simmons

Ella Simmons holds the distinction of becoming 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.

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 has also added administrative experience 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.

General Vice President
Artur Stele

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. He was born January 30, 1961 in Kaskelen, a city in southern Kazakhstan.

He graduated from Almaty Medical College in Kazakhstan in 1979 with a pharmacy degree, 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 his wife Galina, who is the first woman to graduate from Andrews University with doctorate 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 and doctorate degrees 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.