Prof. Klingbeil Officially Inaugurated as New Rector on October 25, 2026

The official inauguration of the newly elected Rector of Friedensau Adventist University, Prof. Gerald A. Klingbeil, D.Litt., took place on Sunday, October 25, 2026, in the Friedensau Chapel.

The University Senate had elected Prof. Klingbeil already in February, and the Board of Trustees, representing the university’s sponsoring body, subsequently confirmed him as the new Rector. On October 1, 2026, at the beginning of the 2026/27 academic year, Prof. Dr. Roland E. Fischer, the outgoing Rector, formally handed over the office and its responsibilities to Prof. Klingbeil. Prof. Fischer had served as Rector since 2016 and thus completed ten years in office. His second regular term ended on September 30, 2026. The official handover ceremony was livestreamed and can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/live/aMLbNfknOU8?si=xotE70Db_swXpKCa

The keynote address for the inauguration was delivered by Prof. Bernhard Oestreich, Ph.D., former principal of the Friedensau Theological Seminary and a member of the faculty since 1978. Greetings and congratulatory messages were also presented by Barna Magyarosi, ThD., DLead., President of the Inter-European Division (EUD) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church; Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann, Minister for Science, Energy, Climate Protection and the Environment and Deputy Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt; Prof. Dr. Claudia Becker, Rector of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and President of the Conference of Rectors of Saxony-Anhalt; and Johannes Naether, President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Germany.

On behalf of Friedensau Adventist University, Dr. Friedegard Föltz, Vice Rector, conveyed the institution’s good wishes. Brief addresses by former Rector Prof. Dr. Roland E. Fischer and new Rector Prof. Gerald A. Klingbeil, who offered an outlook on the university’s future, completed the official program.

Musical contributions were provided by the Dresdner Bach-Solisten, performing works by Georg Philipp Telemann, Johann Sebastian Bach, and an adaptation of music by Antonio Vivaldi. The Friedensau International Choir sang Ndikhokhele Bawo (“Lead Me, O Father”). The event was attended by representatives of local government, church leadership, Adventist institutions, university staff and faculty, as well as former and current students.

About the New Rector

Born in Berlin in 1964, Prof. Gerald A. Klingbeil studied theology at Seminar Schloss Bogenhofen (Austria), Helderberg College (South Africa), and Andrews University (USA). He earned a Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) degree from the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa).

Beginning in 1995, he served as Professor of Old Testament at the Universidad Peruana Unión in Peru and the Universidad Adventista del Plata in Argentina. In 2005, he became Dean of the Theological Seminary at the International Institute of Advanced Studies in the Philippines.

From 2009 onward, he worked as Associate Editor of the globally distributed, multilingual Seventh-day Adventist magazines Adventist Review and Adventist World. At the same time, he served as Professor of Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the Andrews University Theological Seminary.

In 2023, Gerald Klingbeil returned to Germany with his family and assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer of the Hanseatic Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, which oversees Adventist congregations in the federal states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Bremen, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

His list of honors is extensive, as is his scholarly output. Numerous publications, many co-edited with his wife Chantal Klingbeil, as well as memberships in research institutes, academic associations, and advisory boards throughout North and South America, reflect his strong international academic network. Further information: https://www.thh-friedensau.de/mitarbeiter/gerald-klingbeil-d-litt/

Friedensau as Prof. Klingbeil’s New Place of Service

The village of Friedensau was founded in 1899 together with a missionary and industrial school. Today, Friedensau Adventist University, a state-recognized institution since 1990 and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, continues this tradition of Adventist higher education.

The university’s founding Rector in 1990 was Prof. Dr. phil. Baldur Pfeiffer, followed by Prof. Dr. Udo Worschech, Prof. Johann Gerhardt, Ph.D., Prof. Friedbert Ninow, Ph.D., and Prof. Dr. Roland E. Fischer. Upon reaching retirement age, Prof. Fischer will retire in spring 2027.

Friedensau Adventist University offers ten bachelor's and master's degree programs through its Faculty of Social Sciences and Faculty of Theology, with study options that include part-time, online, and blended-learning formats. Prospective students are invited to attend campus preview days and experience academic and campus life firsthand. Further information: https://www.thh-friedensau.de/ (Text: Andrea Cramer | Translation: KI).