New president for the Australian Union Conference

Dr Brendan Pratt has been appointed as president of the Australian Union Conference (AUC) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The AUC officers for the 2025-2030 quinquennium were confirmed during the morning session on the second day of the AUC constituency meeting. A new CFO was also voted in, with Graeme Drinkall taking over from Peter Cameron, who is retiring. Mr Drinkall has most recently served as the CFO of the Western Australian Conference. AUC general secretary Pastor Jeffrey Masengi was reappointed.

Dr Pratt replaces Pastor Terry Johnson, who has served as AUC president since 2020. Pastor Johnson will transition to the South Pacific Division as French, youth and ministry strategy team director, a position finalised at last month’s Division Executive Committee meetings.  

Dr Pratt brings a wide range of experience to the role. He began his ministry as a local church pastor in New Zealand before moving into leadership positions, including director of personal ministries, Sabbath school and stewardship followed by director of children’s ministry and discipleship at the Greater Sydney Conference. He then served as ministerial association director at the AUC until 2024 when he became director of the Global Mission Centre for Secular and Post-Christian Mission and AUC associate ministerial secretary.  

 “The role of president is not something I expected or anticipated but it is something that I can see potential in, that as we bring our conferences together, as we focus on mission, as we resource, train, lead our conferences for mission, I think together we’ve got some huge opportunities in Australia,” Dr Pratt said.

“I think the best years for the Adventist Church are just ahead of us as we reach post-Christian secular Australia, our Church Next strategy, our Australia for Christ missionary focus. . . Together we will refocus our mission on what it is to be God’s people in Australia and I think as a Church we have some wonderful opportunities and I’m looking forward to being a part of that.” 

Dr Pratt is married to Amanda Bews, and they have three adult sons.