British Union Conference Session Elects Leadership Team

Delegates choose officers for the next quinquennium

News July 12, 2026

12 July 2026 | London, UK [Joe Philpott]

Delegates attending the Tenth Quinquennial Session of the British Union Conference (BUC), held at the Atrium Hotel, Heathrow, from 1 to 3 July 2026, elected the following officers to serve the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Kirk Thomas was elected President

Kirk Thomas addresses delegates moments after being elected president of the British Union Conference during the Session
Kirk Thomas addresses delegates moments after being elected President of the British Union Conference

Thomas previously served as President of the South England Conference and brings more than 30 years of pastoral and administrative experience to the role. Read more about Thomas’s election.

Emanuel Bran was elected Executive Secretary

Robert Csizmadia, Trans-European Division Executive Secretary, prays with Emanuel Bran after Bran was elected Executive Secretary of the British Union Conference
Robert Csizmadia (left), Trans-European Division Executive Secretary, prays with Emanuel Bran (right) after Bran was elected Executive Secretary of the British Union Conference

Bran previously served as Executive Secretary of the North England Conference and as President of the Welsh Mission. Read more about Bran’s election.

Wederly Aguiar was re-elected Treasurer

Wederly Aguiar (right) and his wife, Sally Aguiar (left), smile following Aguiar’s re-election as Treasurer of the British Union Conference
Wederly Aguiar (right) and his wife, Sally Aguiar (left), smile following Aguiar’s re-election as Treasurer of the British Union Conference

Aguiar has served as BUC Treasurer since 2021 and has more than two decades of experience in financial leadership within the Church. Read more about Aguiar’s re-election.

The newly elected leadership team will serve during the next quinquennium, supporting the mission of the Adventist Church across the British Union Conference territory.

To learn more about the Session and its key outcomes, read the full British Union Conference Session report.

 


[Photos: Courtesy of the BUC Communications team]

Latest News

See All

Women Pastors Gather in Montenegro

More than 150 women in ministry from across the Trans-European Division come together for fellowship, inspiration and mutual support

News

Pastor Lidija Runic Receives 2026 Junia Award

The TED recipient is recognised for pastoral leadership, teaching and mentoring

News
Herbert Blomstedt, one of the world's best-known Seventh-day Adventist conductors, died on 4 November at his home in Gothenburg

Herbert Blomstedt Dies at 99

A respected and much-loved figure among musicians and audiences

News