Based on the recommendation of the Senate, the Board of Trustees of Friedensau Adventist University unanimously elected Prof. Gerald A. Klingbeil as future rector. He will succeed Prof. Dr. Roland E. Fischer in October 2026, whose second regular term will end on September 30. Gerald Klingbeil, born in Germany, studied theology at Schloss Bogenhofen Seminary (Austria), Helderberg College (South Africa), Andrews University (USA), and earned a doctorate (Earned Degree) from the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa).
From 1995, he was Professor of Old Testament at the Universidad Peruana Union in Peru and the Universidad Adventista del Plata in Argentina, and from 2005, Dean of the Theological Seminary at the International Institute of Advanced Studies in the Philippines. From 2009, he worked as associate editor-in-chief of the multilingual magazines Adventist Review and Adventist World, published worldwide by the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. At the same time, Gerald Klingbeil was Research Professor of Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the Theological Seminary of Andrews University (USA).
In 2023, Gerald Klingbeil returned to Germany with his family and worked as Chief Financial Officer of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Hanseatic Conference, which comprises the congregations in the federal states of Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Bremen, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Numerous memberships in academic editorial boards, working groups, and review boards of academic publishers in South and North America demonstrate his international network in theological scholarship.
The handover of office will take place at the beginning of the 2026/2027 academic year. Dr. Barna Magyarosi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, says: "I am delighted with the election of Gerald Klingbeil, who, after a thorough selection process, is a very suitable person to take on the office of Rector for the next five years. With his experience and connections across five continents, he will be able to significantly support Friedensau on its path to international networking.“ As a representative of the university's sponsoring organization, he wishes him ”much joy in his new role during the preparatory phase and God's rich blessings."
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