Pastor Jan Paulsen, 70, was re-elected July 1, 2005, as world president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church during the movement's 58th General Conference Session.
Pastor Jan Paulsen, 70, was re-elected July 1, 2005, as world president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church during the movement’s 58th General Conference Session. He was elected by a unanimous vote of delegates to the church’s 58th General Conference Session in St. Louis, Missouri, United States.
“It is a privilege to serve the Lord and the Church in the leadership role that you have asked me to fulfill. It is an honor, and I want to express appreciation for the trust you placed in me. And I will do my very best to serve the Lord and His church,” Paulsen said immediately after the vote.
“I need to know that the Holy Spirit will be a constant companion and support, and I believe He will. I want to express my appreciation to the many, many of you who have, since I came here, offered their support,” he added. “Thank you for continuing to remember us in your prayers.”
Pastor Jere Patzer, president of the church’s North-West Pacific region in the United States, is chairman of the nominating committee, with Dr. Delbert Baker, president of Oakwood College, as the vice chairman. The panel is composed of 196 delegates from around the world.
The Norwegian-born Paulsen, church president since 1999, has more than 40 years of service as a Seventh-day Adventist Church pastor, missionary, educator and church executive. He is an ordained minister and has served his church in many areas, beginning in the West Norwegian Adventist church area. He has been a pastor, a Bible teacher in Ghana, teacher and principal in Nigeria, teacher and principal of Newbold College in England, and general secretary and education director of the Trans-European region, headquartered in England. In 1983, Paulsen became president of that region, and was elected as general vice president of the General Conference in 1995, a position he held until he became world church president.
Following early education in Norway and Denmark, Paulsen earned a bachelor’s degree from Andrews University, a master’s degree from Washington Theological Seminary, and a bachelor of divinity degree from the Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews. He earned a doctor in theology degree from Tubingen University in Germany. In addition to numerous articles and papers, Dr. Paulsen is the author of several books, including “Let Your Life So Shine” and “When the Spirit Descends.”
Paulsen’s re-election comes on a day when he and his wife, the former Kari Trykkerud, are celebrating 50 years of marriage. The Paulsens have three adult children: Laila Paulsen Becejac, Jan-Rune, and Rein Andre.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a mainstream Protestant denomination that has 14.3 million baptized adult members in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. A total of 25 million people worldwide attend Adventist worship services each week.