American Pastor Ted Wilson has has been re-elected President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (SDA); extending his tenure at the helm of the global church by a further three years.
He was elected late Monday [early Tuesday hours Malawi time] at an elective 61st General Conference Session of the SDA Church currently underway in St. Louis, Missouri, United States.
“Our goal is to maintain focus on what God has called the remnant church to do,” Wilson said. “But a single person cannot do it. We are a team of almost 22 million members.”
He has since urged members to keep praying for the Church and his fresh leadership mandate to help the former fulfil what he called its God-given mission.
Wilson’s re-election came after delegates at the session voted to accept his nomination to serve for another term as the Church’s world leader.
The Nominating Committee includes more than 260 members from among the delegates of every major church region and the General Conference.
Members, including from Malawi, nominated to the committee by their respective regional caucuses on or before June 5 met on the afternoon of June 6 to discuss the first item, which has been historically the nomination of the president. They presented their first report to the delegates at the end of the business session, nominating Wilson for the position.
The June 6 vote therefore confirms Wilson, who has been president of the denomination since 2010, for the 2022-2025 period; marking it his third term as president.
Malawi Union President Pastor Tony Yoramu Nyirenda, who is part of the delegation to the Conference, was all praise when asked for his reaction.
“We thank God for giving us a leader like him. What it [Wilson’s re-election] means is that God is not done yet with His manservant. It also means that the church has strong trust in its leader. Pastor Ted Wilson is loved by many people and it’s not surprising that he has been reelected as a world leader of the Seventh-day Adventist Church,” he said in a brief written response.
Nyirenda’s predecessor in leading the church in Malawi Pastor Frackson Kuyama also welcomed the news; arguing it was what the church needed.
“Especially now when the world seems to be sailing in various troubled water-skiing, the church -with a mission such delicate–can surely do with such a strong leader like Wilson.
“I have known him as a focused and yet a listening leader. He is action-oriented and also very prayerful; which is a powerful attribute for one leading the global church. I am obviously happy that the delegates have settled for him. I hope he contnues to steer the ship steady as Christ’s second advent nears,” said Kuyama.
Leading the church through extremely challenging times seems to have been the overarching theme for Wilson’s life and ministry.
He recently so succinctly stated in a brief life sketch: “You don’t need to know what the General Conference is or who the president is. All you need to do is know the Lord, attend your local church, be involved in mission, be in relationships, and love people—telling them about God’s love and Christ’s soon coming.”
Married to his wife Nancy, a dietitian he met at the University of Loma Linda, Wilson has served the Seventh-day Adventist Church in a variety of roles throughout his nearly 50 years of ministry.
The couple endeared itself to the local faithful in the country during their recent visit in February 2020 as part of their global tour aimed at promoting the church’s Total Member Involvement strategy.
The visit also saw the Wilsons grace Angola, South Africa, Rwanda, Uganda and Papua New Guinea.
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