5:00 a.m. Ordination Service Inspires, Motivates Hundreds of Leaders

“Ordination ceremonies are special, unforgettable,” said General Conference (GC) president Erton Köhler at the beginning of the service in Bangkok, Thailand, March 7. “But they are also a time for celebration, as we are celebrating our call, God’s care, and the commitment of some colleagues to [give] their lives to Jesus, and the confirmation of our call to ministry.”

Because of a packed Sabbath full-day schedule, the ordination ceremony, which took place during the 2026 Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD) Leadership Summit, was planned at the unusual hour of 5:00 a.m. “Throughout the years some ordination ceremonies have stood out as deeply meaningful to me,” Köhler told hundreds of leaders from across the region who met at the event venue that early hour.

The first, Köhler said, was his own ordination in 1993, with the participation of his late father, also a Seventh-day Adventist pastor. The second one took place in late 2025 in Brasilia, Brazil, where Köhler led the ordination service of his son Matheus, a local church pastor in the area. “And the third,” Köhler quipped, “is this service, since it is the first time I participate in an ordination ceremony at 5:00 a.m.!”

Two Experienced Pastors

The March 7 ceremony saw two experienced leaders, missionaries, and pastors, both in their early 50s, receive the official recognition of the Adventist Church as part of its worldwide ministerial team.

The first was Anukul Ritchil, born in Bangladesh and raised in a pastoral family. For more than 31 years Ritchil has served in Bangladesh as an educator, accountant, business manager, chaplain, principal, and church leader. He also worked with ADRA Bangladesh and later served at AIIAS Academy in the Philippines. Since 2023 Ritchil has been serving at the SSD as junior Youth Ministries Pathfinder coordinator, mentoring young people across the division. He is married to Sweetie Ritchil, associate treasurer of the SSD, and blessed with two children, Alvin Ullash and Alvina Jothi. The couple were sponsored by SSD president Roger Caderma and his wife, Danita.

The second candidate was Muzzel Bonn Bernardino Abdulmajid, current SSD chaplain. Born in the Philippines, he is also the son of a pastor. Abdulmajid has dedicated his life to ministry through missionary service in Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and the United States, as well as through digital evangelism and chaplaincy work in the Philippines. As SSD chaplain he is now providing spiritual care, comfort, and guidance through visitations, worship leadership, Bible studies, and evangelistic initiatives. He is married to Nely Anne, and together they are the proud parents of Ylenna Lez and Zack Zel. They were sponsored by SSD Spirit of Prophecy coordinator Edgar Bryan Tolentino and his wife, Lalaine.

An Example From the Bible

In addressing the candidates, Köhler mentioned the names of the two pastors and their spouses deliberately. “I truly believe that the ministry is a shared [enterprise]; it belongs to both of you. It’s not the calling of one person but of a family, including your children.” In the next few minutes Köhler made his case for what he called “the essence of ministry.”

Based on the experience of God’s call to Ezekiel, someone “called in a time of crisis,” Köhler explained that some of the challenges the young prophet faced were similar to ours. “People were disoriented, and faith seemed to have lost its meaning,” he said. “We are also called to give a message of hope to people who are lost and to prepare this world for the second coming of Jesus.”

Ezekiel’s calling was special, Köhler emphasized, since he saw God’s glory and understood that it was not about him but God. “His ministry would be based, not on strategy, enthusiasm, charisma, or ability, but on faithfulness, dependence, focus, and consecration.”

The Essence of Ministry

Just as Ezekiel was called to “eat the book” (Eze. 3:1) and then talk to the house of Israel (verse 4), contemporary pastors are called to proclaim not what they read but what they eat and experience, Köhler stated. “It was a call, not to be a professional of the Word or an appointment to a leadership role, but a commitment to offer what he had received.”

It’s a simple but powerful combination, Köhler told Adventist leaders and the candidates. “Eat the book and talk to the people!” He added that translated to our current vocabulary, God was asking Ezekiel to be “a pastor grounded in the Bible and focused on the mission!”

Quoting Revelation 10, Köhler reminded leaders that it is the same call that God has for His church and its pastors in our day. “In order for you to truly be pastors who make a difference, the Bible needs to be part of your life,” he told them. “How is the Book doing in your life? Are you using it just to give the light to others, or are you eating it—studying and feeding yourself with the Bible message for your personal life? Remember that Satan is not afraid of a dusty Bible!”

As every ordained pastor in the hall raised their hands, GC secretary Rick McEdward led a special prayer of consecration, asking God for blessings on Ritchil and Abdulmajid’s ministries. “Blessed them, Lord, so they can be a blessing,” he prayed.