Theodore Norman Clair "Ted N. C." Wilson (born May 10, 1950) is an ordained minister of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and currently serves as the President of the General Conference, the governing organization of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church. He was first elected for the period 2010-2015,[1][2] and was reelected for the period 2015-2020.[3] During the 61st General Conference Session, on June 6, 2022, he was once again elected as president a term that would extend until the year 2025 (up to the next General Conference Session).[4]
He was chosen as one of the General Vice Presidents of the Adventist Church in 2000 during the General Conference Session in Toronto.[5] His 36 years of denominational service include administrative and executive roles in the Mid-Atlantic United States, Africa, and Russia. Wilson is the son of former General Conference President Neal C. Wilson, who served in the position from 1979 to 1990.[5]
Family and Education
Wilson was born in Takoma Park, Maryland, on May 10, 1950, to Neal C. Wilson (GC president: 1979–1990) and Elinor E. Wilson. He and his wife, Nancy Louise Vollmer Wilson, have three daughters (Emile Louise, Elizabeth Esther, and Catherine Anne) and eleven grandchildren.[6]
An ordained minister, Wilson began his church career in 1974 as a pastor in the Greater New York Conference and later as assistant director and director of Metropolitan Ministries there (1976–1981). He then worked in the Africa-Indian Ocean Division of the SDA Church (Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire) until 1990, serving as a departmental director and later as executive secretary.
After a two-year term as an associate secretary of the General Conference in Silver Spring, Maryland, Wilson became president of the Euro-Asia Division (Moscow, Russia), 1992–1996. After serving as president of the church's Review and Herald Publishing Association in Hagerstown, Maryland, he was elected a GC vice president in 2000.[7]
At the 59th General Conference Session (2010) in Atlanta, Georgia, Wilson was elected to replace Jan Paulsen as president of the General Conference[6][7] and was reelected at the 60th General Conference Session (July 3, 2015) in San Antonio, Texas.[8] Due to Covid-restrictions, the 61st General Conference Session (scheduled for 2020) was postponed until 6–11 June 2022 and held in St. Louis, Missouri, where Wilson was again reelected for another five-year term ending in 2025.[9]
During his presidency of the General Conference, Wilson has been engaged in various denominational controversies over biblical, theological, political, and life-style issues, including the writings of Ellen White,[10] creation-evolution,[11] spiritual formation,[11] last generation theology,[12] the ordination of women in pastoral ministry,[13] and human sexuality.[14]
Ted Wilson during the Big Sabbath in Lusaka, Zambia.
Ted Wilson's Tour of Zambia
In February 2023, President Ted Wilson embarked on a transformative nine-day tour of Zambia, leaving an indelible mark on the historical landscape of the region.[15] This tour held profound significance, aiming to forge stronger connections between the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Zambian government, all while paying tribute to pivotal historical moments.[16]
The pinnacle of the tour unfolded at the National Heroes Stadium on February 4, a grand gathering resonating with unity and shared values. President Hichilema graced the event as a distinguished guest of honor, epitomizing the harmonious partnership between the Adventist Church and the Zambian government.[17]
Personal life
Wilson is married to Nancy Louise Wilson Vollmer, a physiotherapist, and they have three daughters.[5][18]
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