The Adventist World Radio board yesterday selected the ministry's vice president for finance, Dowell Chow, to serve as its new president.

Chow replaces Benjamin Schoun, who last month was appointed a general vice president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church. In his new role, Schoun will still serve AWR as its board chair.

Chow, 66, has served as AWR's vice president for finance since 2005, and previously served in several roles as an Adventist Church finance officer and administrator.

AWR provides thousands of hours a day in broadcasting in 107 languages over AM, FM, shortwave, Internet and podcasting. Based at the church's world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, AWR employs 31 people, including staff in offices overseeing operations in Europe, Africa and Asia. Most of the hundreds of local studio and engineering staff worldwide are employed by local church entities.

"My aim is to build on what Ben has done in the field and keep moving ahead," Chow said. "We want to continue to strengthen our partnerships and partner with other media ministries. This ministry is about using technology to spread the gospel."

Before joining AWR, Chow served as treasurer of the church's Columbia Union Conference, the Maryland-based administration for the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region, and president of the church in the state of New Jersey. He also served as a pastor in Puerto Rico and an administrator of a publishing house in Venezuela.

Chow also currently serves on the boards of the Takoma Park, Maryland-based Washington Adventist University, Washington Adventist Hospital, and Rockville, Maryland-based Adventist Healthcare.

Chow said some of AWR's key operations include its extensive network of FM radio stations, training for local partners and the ministry's offerings of podcasting -- last month the organization launched a website with podcasts in more than 80 languages.

For more information, visit awr.org.