On July 8, during the 62nd General Conference Session held in St. Louis, Missouri, the Seventh-day Adventist Church elected new Executive Secretaries and Treasurers for each division, in collaboration with the newly appointed division presidents. These leaders will guide the church’s global mission over the next five years. With these elections, the leadership teams for both the General Conference and its 13 divisions are now fully established.
For the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD), Pastor Toshio Shibata was elected as the new Executive Secretary. He previously served as the Executive Secretary, Education Director, and Communication director of the Japan Union Conference. Elder Kim TaeSeung, who served as Treasurer during the previous term, was re-elected.
This round of election reflects the church’s commitment to strengthening its leadership structure for more efficient global mission strategies and financial operations. The three officers in each division are responsible for setting mission direction, overseeing administrative processes, and ensuring financial transparency.
Pastor Toshio Shibata holds a bachelor’s degree from Saniku Gakuin College in Japan, as well as a Master of Ministry degree from the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS) in the Philippines. He began pastoral ministry in 1993 and previously served as associate pastor of the Japanese Church in Loma Linda, USA. Within the Japan Union Conference, he has held various leadership roles, including Youth Ministries Director, Editor-in-Chief of the Publishing Department, Secretary, Communication Director and Education Director.
Ordained in 2000, Pastor Shibata has dedicated the past 25 years to serving in mission, administration, education, and youth ministries within the Japanese church. Notably, in 2010, he led the “Frontline Evangelist Empowerment Project” to revitalize evangelism in Japan, thereby strengthening lay leaders and expanding small group ministries.
As Executive Secretary, Pastor Shibata will oversee primary administrative responsibilities within the NSD, including documentation, personnel coordination, and implementation of mission strategy. He will also play a central role in fostering mission synergy with four newly added countries—Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
Photo By: [Tor Tjeransen] / AME (CC BY 4.0
Elder Kim TaeSeung, who continues his role as Treasurer, earned a degree in business administration from Sahmyook University. He began his financial ministry in 1985 at the Korean Publishing House. He later served as auditor for the Korean Union Conference and as the GCAS Auditor for the Northern Asia-Pacific region, dedicating 30 years and 10 months to financial oversight.
During his tenure, Elder Kim helped establish a solid foundation for financial auditing and implemented quality improvement programs that produced many certified accountants. He is recognized for his contributions to enhancing the professionalism and capacity of church auditors, as well as for establishing a robust internal audit system within the denomination.