Don C. Schneider
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Pastor Don C. Schneider, 57, of Berrien Springs, Michigan, was elected president of the 900,000-member Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America today at the 57th Adventist World Session in Toronto, Ontario.
For the last six years, Schneider has served as president of the Lake Union Conference of the church, composed of 480 churches and 70,000 members in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. He has 36 years of experience as a pastor and church administrator for the 150-year-old Protestant denomination.
Schneider was born in Merrill, Wisconsin, and, after completing an undergraduate degree at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, and a Master’s degree at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, was ordained in 1968. He began his ministry as a pastor in Louisiana and Minnesota and then served as an administrator in nine U.S. states, including Oklahoma, Oregon, Nebraska, Wyoming, New Jersey, Louisiana, Colorado, California, and Michigan, before being elected president of the Lake Union Conference six years ago.
Schneider is married to Marti Connell Schneider. They have two grown children.
In this new role, Schneider, elected to serve a five-year term, will lead operations from the Silver Spring, Maryland, headquarters of the church in North America, serve on more than 100 hospital, school, and organization boards operated by the church, and lend leadership to mission, evangelism, educational, and humanitarian strategies.
Schneider replaces Alfred C. McClure, who has retired after 10 years as president of the church in North America. During McClure's tenure, the North American church launched ambitious evangelistic initiatives using satellite communication and church planting. In the past five years, 750 evangelism series were held, 400 new churches were organized, and more than 185,000 new members joined the church.
There are more than 11 million Seventh-day Adventists worldwide, worshiping in more than 45,000 churches. The North American Division is one of 12 world divisions, and it has 5,000 churches. It is known for its strong emphasis on community service, education, and healthcare.
This Adventist World Session is the 57th since the first held in Michigan in 1863. The body of 2,000 delegates representing 205 countries elects its administrative leadership every five years. The next Session is slated for 2005 in St. Louis, Missouri. |
