Ted N. C. Wilson

{{Short description|President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Ted N. C. Wilson

| image = Ted N.C. Wilson.jpg

| office = 20th President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

| term_start = June 23, 2010

| term_end =

| predecessor = Jan Paulsen

| successor =

| office2 = Vice President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

| term_start2 = August 2000

| term_end2 = June 23, 2010

| office3 = President of the Euro-Asia Division of Seventh-day Adventists

| term_start3 = 1992

| term_end3 = 1996

| spouse = Nancy Wilson

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|05|10}}

| birth_place = Takoma Park, Maryland

| nationality = American

| alma_mater = New York University,
Loma Linda University School of Public Health,
Andrews University,
Washington Adventist University

| profession = Pastor

| parents = Neal C. Wilson and Elinor E. Wilson

| caption = Wilson in 2012

}}

Theodore Norman Clair Wilson (born May 10, 1950) is an ordained minister of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and currently serves as the President of the General Conference, the governing organization of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church. He was first elected for the period 2010-2015,{{Cite web |date=2010-06-29 |title=19CN: Ted N. C. Wilson Elected General Conference President {{!}} Adventist Review |url=https://adventistreview.org/2010-1519/2010-1519-90/ |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=adventistreview.org |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Kellner |first=Ansel Oliver and Mark |date=2010-06-25 |title=Wilson elected president of Seventh-day Adventist world church |url=https://adventist.news/news/wilson-elected-president-of-seventh-day-adventist-world-church |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=Adventist News Network |language=en}} and was reelected for the period 2015-2020.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-06 |title=Ted N. C. Wilson Reelected as General Conference President {{!}} Adventist Review |url=https://adventistreview.org/gc-news/ted-n-c-wilson-re-elected-as-general-conference-president/ |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=adventistreview.org |language=en-US}} During the 61st General Conference Session, on June 6, 2022, he was once again elected as president a term that would extend until the year 2025 (up to the next General Conference Session).{{Cite web |last=Sangronis |first=Maria |date=2022-06-07 |title=Ted N.C. Wilson Re-Elected as President of the General Conference |url=https://echo.sid.adventist.org/ted-n-c-wilson-re-elected-as-president-of-the-general-conference/ |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=Echo Magazine |language=en-US}}

He was chosen as one of the General Vice Presidents of the Adventist Church in 2000 during the General Conference Session in Toronto.{{Cite news |title=TED N. C. WILSON WAS ELECTED AS PRESIDENT OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST WORLD CHURCH IN JULY 2010 DURING THE GENERAL CONFERENCE SESSION IN ATLANTA |work=pastortedwilson.org |url=https://www.pastortedwilson.org/about/}} His 36 years of denominational service include administrative and executive roles in the Mid-Atlantic United States, Africa, and Russia. Wilson is the son of former General Conference President Neal C. Wilson, who served in the position from 1979 to 1990.

Family and Education

Wilson was born in Takoma Park, Maryland, on May 10, 1950, to Neal C. Wilson (GC president: 1979–1990) and Elinor E. Wilson. He and his wife, Nancy Louise Vollmer Wilson, have three daughters (Emile Louise, Elizabeth Esther, and Catherine Anne) and eleven grandchildren.{{Cite web |title=Ted N. C. Wilson Was Elected As President of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church in July 2010 During the General Conference Session in Atlanta |url=https://www.pastortedwilson.org/about/#:~:text=He%20married%20Nancy%20Louise%20Vollmer,Wilsons%20have%2011%20wonderful%20grandchildren. |access-date=25 Nov 2022 |website=Seventh-day Adventist Church - About}}

Wilson's education includes his receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree (religion and business administration) from Columbia Union College (now Washington Adventist University); a Master of Science degree (public health) from Loma Linda University; a Master of Divinity degree from Andrews University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree (religious education) from New York University.

Career

An ordained minister, Wilson began his church career in 1974 as a pastor in the Greater New York Conference and later as assistant director and director of Metropolitan Ministries there (1976–1981). He then worked in the Africa-Indian Ocean Division of the SDA Church (Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire) until 1990, serving as a departmental director and later as executive secretary.

After a two-year term as an associate secretary of the General Conference in Silver Spring, Maryland, Wilson became president of the Euro-Asia Division (Moscow, Russia), 1992–1996. After serving as president of the church's Review and Herald Publishing Association in Hagerstown, Maryland, he was elected a GC vice president in 2000.{{Cite journal |last1=Oliver |first1=Ansel |last2=Kellner |first2=Mark A. |title=Ted N. C. Wilson Elected General Conference President |url=http://www.adventistreview.org/article.php?id=3501 |url-status=dead |journal=Adventist Review, Online Edition |accessdate=February 12, 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018042707/http://www.adventistreview.org/article.php?id=3501 |archivedate=October 18, 2011}}

At the 59th General Conference Session (2010) in Atlanta, Georgia, Wilson was elected to replace Jan Paulsen as president of the General Conference and was reelected at the 60th General Conference Session (July 3, 2015) in San Antonio, Texas.{{Cite journal |last=McChesney |first=Andrew |date=5 Jul 2015 |title=Ted N. C. Wilson Reelected GC President in Resounding Vote |journal=Adventist Review |volume=192 |pages=3–4}} Due to Covid-restrictions, the 61st General Conference Session (scheduled for 2020) was postponed until 6–11 June 2022 and held in St. Louis, Missouri, where Wilson was again reelected for another five-year term ending in 2025.{{Cite journal |last=Paseggi |first=Marcos |date=Jun 2022 |title=Ted N. C. Wilson Reelected As General Conference President |journal=Adventist Review |volume=199 |issue=GC Bulletin 3 |pages=3–4}}

During his presidency of the General Conference, Wilson has been engaged in various denominational controversies over biblical, theological, political, and life-style issues, including the writings of Ellen White,{{Cite web |date=May 2017 |title=Sermon Transcript of Elder Ted Wilson "No Turning Back" |url=https://stewardship.adventist.org/%E2%80%8Bsermon-transcript-of-elder-ted-wilson-%E2%80%9Cno-turning-back%E2%80%9D |access-date=25 Nov 2022 |website=Stewardship Ministries}} creation-evolution, spiritual formation,{{Cite web|title=Ted Wilson: No room for evolution in Adventist schools|url=http://advindicate.com/articles/2014/8/20/ted-wilson-no-room-for-evolution-in-adventist-schools|access-date=2021-10-25|website=ADvindicate|date=20 August 2014 |language=en-US}} last generation theology,{{Cite web |title=What Do You Think of "Last Generation Theology"? |url=https://www.pastortedwilson.org/what-do-you-think-of-last-generation-theology/ |access-date=25 Nov 2022 |website=Seventh-day Adventist Church - PastorTedWilson.org}} the ordination of women in pastoral ministry,{{Cite news |last=Quartey |first=Matthew |date=18 Oct 2017 |title=Ted Wilson's Overreach |url=https://spectrummagazine.org/article/2017/10/19/ted-wilsons-overreach |access-date=25 Nov 2022 |website=Spectrum}} and human sexuality.{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Alisa |date=18 Dec 2017 |title=President Ted Wilson Issues Statement on "Homosexuality and the Church" |url=https://spectrummagazine.org/article/2017/12/18/president-ted-wilson-issues-statement-%25E2%2580%259Chomosexuality-and-church%25E2%2580%259D |access-date=25 Nov 2022 |website=Spectrum}}File:Ted N.C. Wilson in 2023.jpg

Personal life

Wilson is married to Nancy Louise (Vollmer) Wilson, a physiotherapist, and they have three daughters.{{Cite web |title=About Ted N. C. Wilson |url=https://adventistbookcenter.com/authors/ted-nc-wilson |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=adventistbookcenter.com}}