In Germany, Friedensau Adventist University Inaugurates New President

Gerald Klingbeil, a Seventh-day Adventist professor, scholar, and former associate editor of Adventist Review, was installed as the sixth president of Friendensau Adventist University in Möckern, Germany, on October 25, 2026. The senate of the university had already elected Klingbeil for the position in February, which was subsequently confirmed by the Board of Trustees as the university sponsor. He will replace Roland E. Fischer, who finished his second period as the school president on September 30 after 10 years at the helm of the institution.

Speeches and Greetings

The ceremonial address at the handover of office was given by Bernhard Oestreich, former headmaster of the Friedensau Theological Seminary, where he has been working as a lecturer since 1978. This was followed by further speeches and greetings by Barna Magyarosi, president of the Inter-European Division of Seventh-day Adventists; Armin Willingmann, minister of science, energy, climate protection, and the environment and deputy prime minister of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. Also present were Claudia Becker, president of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and president of the State Rectors’ Conference, and Johannes Naether, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Germany.

Congratulations from Friedensau Theological University were conveyed by Friedegard Föltz, vice president of the university. This was followed by a short speech by Fischer and words by Klingbeil.

The event was musically framed by the Dresden Bach Soloists with music by Georg Philipp Telemann, Johann Sebastian Bach, and an adaptation by Antonio Vivaldi. The Friedensau International Choir presented “Ndikhokhele Bawo” (Lead Me, Oh Father). Representatives of local politics, the church, and other Adventist institutions, as well as employees, colleagues, and former and current students at the Theological College also participated in the ceremony.

An Experienced Educator, Scholar, and Editor

Klingbeil, born in Berlin in 1964, studied theology at the Seminary Schloss Bogenhofen (Austria), at Helderberg College (South Africa), and at Andrews University (United States). He received his Ph.D. from the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) with a Doctor of Letters or Doctor of Literature (D.Litt.), an Anglo-American doctorate.

From 1995 he was professor of Old Testament at the Peruvian Union University in Peru and later at River Plate Adventist University in Argentina. In 2005 he became dean of the Theological Seminary at the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, a higher education institution in the Philippines. From 2009 onward he worked as associate editor of Adventist Review, the flagship magazine of the Adventist Church. At the same time, Gerald Klingbeil held a research professorship in Old Testament and ancient Near Eastern studies at the Theological Seminary of Andrews University.

In 2023 Klingbeil returned to Germany with his family and has since worked as chief financial officer of the Hanseatic Conference of the Adventist Church, the administrative community of Adventist church congregations in the federal states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Bremen, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Numerous publications—many of which he edited together with his wife, Chantal—as well as memberships in research institutes, working groups, and advisory boards in South and North America testify to his international network.

About Friedensau Adventist University

Friedensau was founded in 1899 and celebrated its 125^th anniversary in 2024. Founded as a missionary and industrial school, today the school continues the tradition as an Adventist educational institution as a state-recognized university under the sponsorship of the Adventist Church. The founding rector of the university in 1990 was Baldur Pfeiffer. He was succeeded in the president’s office by Udo Worschech, Johann Gerhardt, Friedbert Ninow, and Roland Fischer. The latter announced his retirement for the spring 2027.

In the fields of Christian social work and theology, students can choose between 10 B.A. and M.A. programs. Prospective students can register for open days to visit the campus and the lecture halls.