List of presidents of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

The president of the General Conference is the head of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the governing body of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The president's office is within the offices of the General Conference, located in Silver Spring, Maryland.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As of July 2025, the current president is Erton Köhler.

Traditionally, the post has been held by an American. Of the 18 presidents, 13 were born in the United States, 1 born in Puerto Rico to North American missionaries, 1 born in Brazil, 1 born in Australia and 2 born in Norway, of whom one emigrated to the U.S. at age 5. In all, 18 individuals have served 21 presidencies spanning 162 years.

Presidents of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Template:Abbr	Portrait	President	Took office	Left office	Length
1		John Byington (1798 – 1887)	20 March 1863	17 May 1865	Template:Age in years and days
2		James Springer White (4 August 1821 – 6 August 1881)	17 May 1865	14 May 1867	Template:Age in years and days
3		John Nevins Andrews (22 July 1829 – 21 October 1883)	14 May 1867	18 May 1869	Template:Age in years and days
4		James Springer White (4 August 1821 – 6 August 1881)	18 May 1869	October 1871	Template:Age in years and days
5		George Ide Butler (1834 – 1918)	October 1871	August 1874	Template:Age in years and days
6		James Springer White (4 August 1821 – 6 August 1881)	August 1874	October 1880	Template:Age in years and days
7		George Ide Butler (1834 – 1918)	October 1880	October 1888	Template:Age in years and days
8		Ole Andres Olsen (28 July 1845 – 29 January 1915)	October 1888	March 1897	Template:Age in years and days
9		George A. Irwin (17 November 1844 – 23 May 1913)	March 1897	1901	Template:Age in years and days
10		Arthur Grosvenor Daniells (28 September 1858 – 18 April 1935)	1901	1922	Template:Age in years and days
11		William Ambrose Spicer (1865 – 1952)	1922	1930	Template:Age in years and days
12		Charles H. Watson (8 October 1877 – 24 December 1962)	1930	1936	Template:Age in years and days
13		James Lamar McElhany (3 January 1880 – 25 June 1959)	1936	1950	Template:Age in years and days
14		William Henry Branson (1887 – 1961)	1950	1954	Template:Age in years and days
15		Reuben Richard Figuhr (20 October 1896 – 28 October 1983)	1954	16 June 1966	Template:Age in years and days
16		Robert H. Pierson (1911 – 1989)	16 June 1966	3 January 1979	Template:Age in years and days
17		Neal C. Wilson (5 July 1920 – 14 December 2010)	3 January 1979	6 July 1990	Template:Age in years and days
18		Robert S. Folkenberg (1 January 1941 – 24 December 2015)	6 July 1990	8 February 1999	Template:Age in years and days
19		Jan Paulsen (5 January 1935 – )	1 March 1999	23 June 2010	Template:Age in years and days
20		Ted N. C. Wilson (10 May 1950 – )	23 June 2010	4 July 2025	Template:Age in years and days
21		Erton Köhler (1969– )	4 July 2025	Present	Template:Age in years and days

See also

• General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
• Seventh-day Adventist Church

References

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