At the 62nd General Conference Session held in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 4, 2025, Erton C. Köhler was prayerfully elected as President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, receiving a majority of 1,721 votes in his favor. A native of southern Brazil, Köhler becomes the church’s 21st president and the first South American to hold this role. He
succeeds Ted N. C. Wilson and will lead more than 23 million church members worldwide.
Inspired by his father’s ministry involvement, Köhler participated in church work from a young age, a calling that continued into adulthood. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Theology in 1989 and a master’s degree in Pastoral Theology in 2008. He later enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry program at Andrews University.
Köhler served as a district pastor in São Paulo, Brazil (1990–1994), then as Youth Ministries Director for the Rio Grande do Sul Conference and the Northeast Brazilian Union (1995–1998).
In 2002, he became Executive Secretary of the Rio Grande do Sul Conference. After leading Youth Ministries for the South American
Division (2003–2007), Köhler was elected President of the South American Division at age 38, the youngest person to hold the position.
In 2021, Köhler became Executive Secretary of the General Conference, helping launch the Mission Refocus initiative. Passionate about disciple-making, Köhler envisions “a church that can be committed to the Word of God and keep its identity… that’s very committed to the mission.”
Anna Foll,
Communcation Coordinator