List of presidents of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

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The president of the General Conference is the head of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the governing body of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The president's office is within the offices of the General Conference, located in Silver Spring, Maryland. [1] As of July 2025, the current president is Erton Köhler.

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Traditionally, the post has been held by an American. Of the 18 presidents, 13 were born in the United States, 1 born in Puerto Rico to North American missionaries, 1 born in Brazil, 1 born in Australia and 2 born in Norway, of whom one emigrated to the U.S. at age 5. In all, 18 individuals have served 21 presidencies spanning 162 years.

Presidents of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

No.PortraitPresidentTook officeLeft officeLength
1 John Byington.jpg John Byington
(1798 – 1887)
20 March 186317 May 18652 years, 58 days
2 James S. White (1878)-1 (cropped).jpg James Springer White
(4 August 1821 – 6 August 1881)
17 May 186514 May 18671 year, 362 days
3 John Nevins Andrews.jpg John Nevins Andrews
(22 July 1829 – 21 October 1883)
186718692 years, 0 days
4 James S. White (1878)-1 (cropped).jpg James Springer White
(4 August 1821 – 6 August 1881)
186918712 years, 0 days
5 GeorgeIdeButler.jpg George Ide Butler
(1834 – 1918)
187118743 years, 0 days
6 James S. White (1878)-1 (cropped).jpg James Springer White
(4 August 1821 – 6 August 1881)
187418806 years, 0 days
7 GeorgeIdeButler.jpg George Ide Butler
(1834 – 1918)
188018888 years, 0 days
8 Ole A. Olsen.tif Ole Andres Olsen
(28 July 1845 – 29 January 1915)
188818979 years, 0 days
9 George A. Irwin.jpg George A. Irwin
(17 November 1844 – 23 May 1913)
189719014 years, 0 days
10 Arthur G. Daniells.jpg Arthur Grosvenor Daniells
(28 September 1858 – 18 April 1935)
1901192221 years, 0 days
11 William A. Spicer.jpg William Ambrose Spicer
(1865 – 1952)
192219308 years, 0 days
12 Charles H. Watson.JPG Charles H. Watson
(8 October 1877 – 24 December 1962)
193019366 years, 0 days
13 James Lamar McElhany.JPG James Lamar McElhany
(3 January 1880 – 25 June 1959)
1936195014 years, 0 days
14 William Branson.jpg William Henry Branson
(1887 – 1961)
195019544 years, 0 days
15 Reuben Richard Figuhr.jpg Reuben Richard Figuhr
(20 October 1896 – 28 October 1983)
1954196612 years, 0 days
16 Robert Pierson (2).jpg Robert H. Pierson
(1911 – 1989)
1966197913 years, 0 days
17 Neal Wilson.jpg Neal C. Wilson
(5 July 1920 – 14 December 2010)
3 January 19796 July 199011 years, 184 days
18 Robert Folkenberg.jpg Robert S. Folkenberg
(1 January 1941 – 24 December 2015)
6 July 19908 February 19998 years, 217 days
19 Jan Paulsen.jpg Jan Paulsen
(5 January 1935 – )
1 March 199923 June 201011 years, 114 days
20 Ted N.C. Wilson.jpg Ted N. C. Wilson
(10 May 1950 – )
23 June 20104 July 202515 years, 11 days
21 Ertonemacao2017 (cropped).jpeg Erton Köhler

(1969– )

4 July 2025Present25 days

See also

References

  1. "Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters". American Automobile Association . Retrieved 2022-09-23.