In the June 8 afternoon business session at the 61st General Conference (GC) Session in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, delegates voted to accept the recommendation of the Nominating Committee for the president positions in the thirteen divisions, or major church regions, of the Seventh-day Adventist Church around the world. Delegates voted overwhelmingly to reelect the incumbents in eight regions and to elect new presidents for the other five divisions. Division presidents are also vice presidents of the GC.

The five new presidents with their respective regions are highlighted below.

YO HAN KIM, NORTHERN ASIA-PACIFIC DIVISION (NSD)

Kim was elected as NSD president after serving as NSD director of Adventist Mission and assistant to the NSD president. Previously, he had served as associate director and director of the 1000 Missionary Movement (1000MM) in the

Philippines for a total of 10 years. He also served as business manager of Sahmyook Health University in the Korean Union Conference from 2006 to 2012, and Mongolia Mission president from 2016 to 2021.

When Kim was director of the 1000MM, he managed the construction of most of the buildings needed for the ministry with donations. Then, as president of the Mongolia Mission, he helped coordinate the purchase of more than 8.32 square miles (21.55 square kilometers) of land for future use of the church in the territory.

HARRINGTON AKOMBWA,

SOUTHERN AFRICA-INDIAN OCEAN DIVISION (SID)

Delegates voted to accept the recommendation to elect Harrington Akombwa as the new SID president. Until his election, he was president of the Zambia Union Conference/ Southern Zambia Union Conference, a position he held from 2008 to 2020. Working in church administration since 1994, he also served as Zambia Union Conference secretary (2000-2008) and president of the West Zambia Field (1994-1998).

Akombwa completed undergraduate and graduate studies at Solusi College (later Solusi University) and, in 2010, a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership at Andrews University.

ROGER CADERMA, SOUTHERN ASIA-PACIFIC DIVISION (SSD)

Roger Caderma was elected as the new president of the SSD after delegates accepted the recommendation of the Nominating Committee. In the past few months, he had been serving as SSD vice president. From 2017 to 2021, Caderma had served as president of the South Philippine Union Conference, after being the region’s executive secretary from 2015 to 2017. Before that, he was president of the Southern Mindanao Mission from 2008 to 2015 and stewardship and planned giving director of the South Philippine Conference from 2005 to 2008. He also served in religious liberty positions, both in the South Philippine Conference and the Western Mindanao Conference.

As Southern Philippine Union Conference president, Caderma led a region that was consistently at the top in number of baptisms in the division. He also initiated the Mega Church Integrated Projects (MCIP), which helped to fund the construction of churches on a rotation basis.

DANIEL DUDA, TRANS-EUROPEAN DIVISION (TED)

Appointed TED education director in 2005, Daniel Duda has also served in the past few years as TED field secretary and TED Adventist Mission director. From 2005 to 2015, he also was the region’s ministerial secretary.

Duda has served as a pastor, evangelist, theology lecturer, and ministerial secretary in the Czecho- Slovakian Union. He also served in the Russian Federation as head of the Theology Department and academic dean at Zaoksky Theological Seminary (now Zaoksky Adventist University) before arriving at Newbold College in 1998, where he held several positions.

Duda is passionate about studying the Bible and sharing his findings with others, being a frequent speaker at camp meetings in Western, Central, and Eastern Europe.

ROBERT OSEI-BONSU, WEST- CENTRAL AFRICA DIVISION (WAD)

Robert Osei-Bonsu was voted as the new WAD president after serving as dean of the Theological Seminary at Adventist University of Africa (AUA) in Kenya. He had been an associate professor at AUA since 2020.

With extensive experience as an educational leader, Osei-Bonsu had served before 2020 not only as a church pastor in Ghana but also in various educational administration positions at Ghana’s Valley View University, including as rector (chief academic and administrative officer) and pro-vice chancellor of the school.

As a young pastor, Osei-Bonsu had served as youth, chaplaincy, and communication director of the South Central Ghana Conference.

INCUMBENT DIVISION PRESIDENTS

East-Central Africa Division

Blasious Ruguri

Euro-Asia Division

Mikhail Kaminskiy

Inter-American Division

Elie Henry

Inter-European Division

Mario Brito

North American Division

G. Alexander Bryant

South American Division

Stanley Arco

South Pacific Division

Glenn Townend

Southern Asia Division

Ezras Lakra