The 61st General Conference Session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church just elected Elder Saw Samuel as one of the Associate Secretaries, and his wife, Dr. Orathai Chureson as the Adventist Children’s Ministries Director of the General Conference.
The General Conference Nominating Committee elected Elder Saw Samuel and Dr. Orathai Chureson on June 7, during the second day of the GC Session. Saw served in the division beginning in 2010. He initially served as the executive secretary and eventually became the president in 2015 during the General Conference Session in San Antonio, Texas. Chureson on the other hand is currently serving as the director for Adventist Children’s Ministries of the Division since 2010. Her passion for reaching out to children and equipping them to be young ministers is something that encourages her to mobilize both children and parents to work hand in hand for the Lord's work.
Saw grew up with Burmese roots. His hard work and dedication to the mission led him to various opportunities and offices where he was called to serve. Saw is known for his passion for mission. During the pandemic, Saw and his team grabbed the opportunity to reach families and minorities in far-flung areas and opened opportunities where they can share the gospel message to them. Chureson is dedicated to her work. Her ability to think outside of the box and look at ministry from different perspectives allows her to cater to the needs of families and encourge them to love the ministry.
The Nominating Committee on June 8, 2022, nominated Saw as one of the seven associate secretaries of the General Conference. Other officers elected are incumbent Undersecretary, Hensley Moorooven; Associate Secretary, Gerson Santos; Associate Secretary, Claude Richly; Associate Secretary for Adventist Mission, Gary Krause; Associate Secretary for Adventist Volunteer Services, Elbert Kuhn; and Associate Secretary for International Personnel Resources and Services, Karen Porter.
Prior to being elected as an executive secretary in 2010, Saw served in Southeast Asia Union Mission as the ministerial secretary in Singapore. The early years of his pastoral ministry began n 2002 where he served as a pastor and then eventually as an administrator in Thailand. He also served as the executive secretary of the Thailand Adventist Mission; director of the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) program of the Thailand Adventist Mission; youth director of the Thailand Adventist Mission; pastor of the Bangkok Adventist Hospital Church; and chaplaincy coordinator for Seventh-day Adventist English Language Schools in Thailand.
Pastor Saw Samuel began his denominational service as Chaplain at the Seventh-day Adventist English Language School in Bangkok, Thailand. For 11 years he served in Thailand Adventist Mission as a teacher, chaplain, pastor, youth director, and executive secretary. In 2008, he accepted the call to serve at the Southeast Asia Union Mission in Singapore, where he held responsibilities as Ministerial Association secretary as well as Adventist Mission coordinator.
Pastor Samuel graduated from Spicer Memorial College in India, with a bachelor’s degree in Religious Philosophy and History. He earned his MA in Biblical and Theological Studies from Andrews University. While serving in SSD, he pursued higher education and completed his Doctor in Ministry degree at the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies in the Philippines.
Dr. Orathai (Saw) Chureson is the current director of Children’s and Adventist Ministerial Spouses of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD). She is an educator who specializes in Curriculum and Instruction and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). She served in various capacities as an elementary teacher, tertiary instructor, clerk, librarian, and translator of children’s materials. As a pastor’s wife, she engaged in various leadership roles at the local church. She is from Thailand. Samuel and Chureson are blessed with two children, Amanda, and Paul.
Edward Rodriguez, SSD Communication Department