Church President visits

By Diedre Fanene 19 April 2016, 12:00AM

The President of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist (S.D.A) Church, Ted N. C. Wilson, is visiting Samoa this week.

As part of the visit, he is scheduled to meet with a host of local officials, including a courtesy call to the Head of State, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi tomorrow. 

The visit was confirmed by the President of Samoa and Tokelau Mission, Kenneth Fuliese, who said this is the first time after thirty years that a leader of the General Conference is visiting Samoa.

“The purpose of his visit is to come see the churches and to see if the congregation has grown. He also wants to look at the development of the church,” he said.

“The President’s visit will boost the morale of the church members in sense of ownership and the sense of belonging somewhere and for this case it’s the sense that we belong to a worldwide church, not only in Samoa but other parts of the world.”

The President is scheduled to front a press conference this afternoon at Lalovaea.

This is Mr. Wilson’s second term as President. Prior to this appointment, he served as General Vice President of the church since July 2000. 

Mr. Wilson was nominated by the church's 246-member Nominating Committee and elected by the General Conference Session delegation, the highest governing body in the church consisting of an international body of 2,410 appointed members.

 He succeeded Jan Paulsen, who had served as president since 1999. 

On July 3rd, 2015 at the 60th session of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in San Antonio, Wilson was re-elected for a second five-year term. 

He holds a Doctorate 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.

 His nomination and subsequent election had been expected. In the 2010 General Conference session, President Wilson emphasized the need to turn to the scriptures and affirmed the church's strong belief in the writings of Ellen White.

By Diedre Fanene 19 April 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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