Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders in the South Pacific nominated Barry Oliver to serve as president of the church’s South Pacific Division, filling a vacancy left by current president Laurie Evans, who announced his retirement on November 13.

The nomination will be recommended to the world church’s Executive Committee, which elects division presidents.

Oliver, who currently serves as the region’s general secretary, would assume his new role in January if elected.

The South Pacific Division is one of the church’s 13 world administrative regions and includes Australia, New Zealand and surrounding island nations. The leadership change was announced at the division’s annual business meeting at division headquarters in Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia.

During his term as president since 1998, Evans oversaw a reorganization of resources, including reducing the number of administrative positions, and a legal restructuring that incorporated the Sanitarium Health Food Company and Sydney Adventist Hospital. Evans also advocated the use of modern technology by the church.

Oliver, 56, who holds a doctorate in Christian ministry and mission with a focus on Adventist organizational structure, has served the Adventist Church in the South Pacific as a minister, evangelist, lecturer and administrator. He is married to Julie, a teacher, and has three sons.

Since serving as the division’s general secretary, Oliver has helped restructure church entities including the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Avondale and Sydney Adventist Hospital.

Lawrence Tanabose was nominated November 14 to serve as general secretary. He is the first Pacific Islander church officer in the division. Since 2005, Tanabose has served as president of the church’s Trans Pacific region, a group of island nations north of New Zealand.

Nearly 400,000 Adventists worship in more than 1,800 churches in the South Pacific.