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.
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.
No. | Portrait | President | Took office | Left office | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | John Byington (1798 – 1887) | 20 March 1863 | 17 May 1865 | 2 years, 58 days |
2 | ![]() | James Springer White (4 August 1821 – 6 August 1881) | 17 May 1865 | 14 May 1867 | 1 year, 362 days |
3 | ![]() | John Nevins Andrews (22 July 1829 – 21 October 1883) | 1867 | 1869 | 2 years, 0 days |
4 | ![]() | James Springer White (4 August 1821 – 6 August 1881) | 1869 | 1871 | 2 years, 0 days |
5 | ![]() | George Ide Butler (1834 – 1918) | 1871 | 1874 | 3 years, 0 days |
6 | ![]() | James Springer White (4 August 1821 – 6 August 1881) | 1874 | 1880 | 6 years, 0 days |
7 | ![]() | George Ide Butler (1834 – 1918) | 1880 | 1888 | 8 years, 0 days |
8 | ![]() | Ole Andres Olsen (28 July 1845 – 29 January 1915) | 1888 | 1897 | 9 years, 0 days |
9 | ![]() | George A. Irwin (17 November 1844 – 23 May 1913) | 1897 | 1901 | 4 years, 0 days |
10 | ![]() | Arthur Grosvenor Daniells (28 September 1858 – 18 April 1935) | 1901 | 1922 | 21 years, 0 days |
11 | ![]() | William Ambrose Spicer (1865 – 1952) | 1922 | 1930 | 8 years, 0 days |
12 | | Charles H. Watson (8 October 1877 – 24 December 1962) | 1930 | 1936 | 6 years, 0 days |
13 | | James Lamar McElhany (3 January 1880 – 25 June 1959) | 1936 | 1950 | 14 years, 0 days |
14 | ![]() | William Henry Branson (1887 – 1961) | 1950 | 1954 | 4 years, 0 days |
15 | ![]() | Reuben Richard Figuhr (20 October 1896 – 28 October 1983) | 1954 | 1966 | 12 years, 0 days |
16 | ![]() | Robert H. Pierson (1911 – 1989) | 1966 | 1979 | 13 years, 0 days |
17 | ![]() | Neal C. Wilson (5 July 1920 – 14 December 2010) | 3 January 1979 | 6 July 1990 | 11 years, 184 days |
18 | ![]() | Robert S. Folkenberg (1 January 1941 – 24 December 2015) | 6 July 1990 | 8 February 1999 | 8 years, 217 days |
19 | ![]() | Jan Paulsen (5 January 1935 – ) | 1 March 1999 | 23 June 2010 | 11 years, 114 days |
20 | ![]() | Ted N. C. Wilson (10 May 1950 – ) | 23 June 2010 | 4 July 2025 | 15 years, 11 days |
21 | ![]() | Erton Köhler (1969– ) | 4 July 2025 | Present | 25 days |