Seventh-day Adventist Church President Urges Leaders to Prioritize Mission and Biblical Commitment

Erton Köhler, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s General Conference, delivered an impassioned message to more than 300 members of the General Conference Executive Committee (GC EXCOM) on October 10. Addressing leaders from around the world gathered at the church’s headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, Köhler emphasized the importance of unity and mission as the church prepares for the upcoming Annual Council.

Köhler began his annual pastoral message by acknowledging the gathering as a celebration of the global Seventh-day Adventist Church. He called on leaders to renew their commitment to the church’s biblically mandated mission, framing it as a divine calling. His message was rooted in Revelation 10, which he described as “the birth certificate of the Seventh-day Adventist Church” and the moment the movement was called to mission.

He connected Revelation 10 with Revelation 14, where, according to Köhler, God “delivers the message to be preached” by the Adventist movement. The angel with an open book, he noted, symbolizes the call to mission. “Our church was born opening the Book and studying prophecy,” he said, “and sharing this message with the world.”

Köhler stressed that the message of Revelation must be proclaimed “with a loud voice,” implying a call for boldness in mission. This, he argued, means going “beyond the ordinary for Jesus.” He also linked the Adventist movement’s origins to a commitment to creationism, stating that the “creationist message is an Adventist message.”

In his message, Köhler urged leaders to embrace a sense of urgency in their work. “We may feel discouraged or complain about the apparent delay [of Jesus’ second coming], but our calling is to make the most of the time we still have and prepare more people for Jesus’ return.” He emphasized that the decisions made during the Annual Council are not merely administrative but must reflect a response to the reality that “our window of time is closing.”

Köhler reminded leaders that the mission of the church is central to its identity and purpose. “Mission plans, policies, reports, budget allocations, and structural choices must be our response to the reality that our window of time is closing,” he said. His message served as a call to action, urging Adventist leaders to prioritize mission and unity in the face of challenges.

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