Erton Köhler, a Brazil-born known for his innovative approach to evangelism, is the newly elected president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church General Conference — and the first to hail from South America.
Köhler will serve as the spiritual and administrative leader for the global movement, which claims 23 million members in more than 200 countries. He was voted into the position during a recent gathering of the General Conference, the denomination’s top governing body, in St. Louis.
The church’s sprawling geographic reach poses just one of the hurdles ahead in his duties as president, especially with today’s political polarization and national allegiances, Köhler said in an interview with The Associated Press.
“If I can choose one word that represents the challenge of this moment, the word is ‘unity,’†he said. “It’s not easy to keep that unity because our members, they’re citizens, they’re living in the local society, they’re influenced by that.â€
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant denomination that views the Bible as the literal word of God and the primary authority for Adventists. They are known for their beliefs that Christ’s second coming is near, and that the Bible requires observing the Sabbath on Saturday, the seventh day of the week.
Just days into his new role, Köhler shared his hopes for the future, including his plans to use technology and social media to reach young people. He also reflected on how the faith’s spiritual focus on healthy living resonates with many today and other issues facing the church.
What is the role of the president?
Köhler explained his job like holding a puzzle together and compared it to that of another recently elected church leader with South American ties, , the Catholic Church’s first U.S.-born pontiff who has dual Peruvian citizenship.
“I’m not the pope of the church. I’m a pastor. We don’t have a leadership that’s vertical, that we can decide something and impose that for everyone,†Köhler said, noting the denomination’s various levels of authority.
“We respect those voices. We receive suggestions from other levels, we discuss it; we discuss how to implement it together. My role is to try to keep all this puzzle together in a positive way.â€
What are his priorities as the new leader?
Köhler wants to see more young people involved in the church, more women involved in leadership and more investment in communication and technology to advance its mission.
He also wants to focus on continuing to spread the reach of the church, which is especially growing in parts of Africa and Latin America.
“No. 1, I’d like to see more young people involved in the church activities, sometimes in leadership, sometimes sharing their opinions, their ideas, sometimes in the local community,†said Köhler.
In addition to the church’s emphasis on the Sabbath, Köhler also thinks Adventists’ long-standing focus on can appeal to younger generations.
Many church members are vegetarians and abstain from alcohol and tobacco as part of their spiritual discipline. Adventists also run a large network of hospitals and health clinics worldwide, and many church members go into the medical field.
“The new generation is looking for health, beauty. They’re taking care of their bodies,†Köhler said. “We have a message to show to them that we’re not only an institutionalized religion, we’re a body of believers that trust in the Bible with a message that can make our lives better.â€
For women in leadership, Köhler said he’s not opening discussion of women’s ordination, an issue that in 2015 then-Republican presidential candidate and said he supported.
“It’s not the moment to do that,†Köhler said. But he acknowledged that Adventist women “deserve more presence in leadership,†and “their voice needs to be heard.â€
The faith was influenced by the visions of Ellen White, who is considered a prophet. Her extensive religious writings, while deeply influential in shaping the church, are not given the same weight as Scripture. Today, the denomination says women's leadership is present at high levels of the church — in health care, education and administration — and also includes community service and the leadership of women’s ministries.
On technology and communication, Köhler said he is a strong defender of both because he sees them as ways to reach people wherever they are.
“If our call is to ministry to the people, we need to be where they are, especially the new generations. And the new generation now are in social media,†he said.
What are some of the religious freedom concerns facing the church?
Formed in 1863 in Battle Creek, Michigan, the Seventh-day Adventist Church prioritizes protecting religious freedom for all.
“The biggest challenge for us now is freedom of expression. … We’d like to be protected in our right to express what we believe,†Köhler said.
“The society today, and sometimes the media, is supporting too much one side of some topics, and the religious leaders, the religious organizations, they have no voice to express what they think in a kind way, in a respectful way.â€
Köhler attributes this partly to some Christian denominations that are “being very strong and aggressive in some matters.†Adventists, he said, must continue to fight to protect the right to express their opinions and beliefs in a positive way.
What is his message to those unfamiliar with the Seventh-day Adventist Church?
“Sometimes people present our denomination based on some elements that are strange for others, and they think that we’re people from another planet,†Köhler said. “We’re human beings. We’re here to serve, we’re here to love, we’re here to make a difference."
He invites people to come meet members and experience the church themselves.
“Come to talk with us, come to visit us, interact with us,†he said. "They’ll know who we are, and they can see how we can make a difference in a positive way for their present life and for their future life.â€
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
