August 16, 2022 | Jefferson Paradello, South American Division News
The Executive Committee of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church appointed Alberto Timm as an associate director of the Biblical Research Institute (BRI) in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, on August 9, 2022.
Timm is currently an associate director of the Ellen G. White Estate, the entity responsible for the writing legacy of author and Adventist Church co-founder Ellen White, a position he has held for 10 years.
In his new role, among other assignments, Timm will be responsible for preparing documents based on biblical research on specific theological issues; answering doctrinal and biblical questions; and evaluating manuscripts of books and other materials about the Adventist Church that need to be reviewed.
An Experienced Scholar
Timm, originally from Brazil, holds a bachelor of theology, a master’s degree, and a PhD in religion. In 1995, he defended his dissertation entitled, “The Sanctuary and the Three Angels’ Messages,” which eventually became a book published in Portuguese by Editora Universitária Unaspress.
His service to the Adventist Church began in 1982. He has served as a district pastor, professor, and director of graduate studies in theology at Brazil Adventist University (UNASP), president of the Latin American Adventist Seminary in Theology (SALT), and coordinator of the Ellen G. White Estate office for the South American Division.
Married to Marly, a teacher, the couple have three children: Suellen, William, and Shelley.
Challenges and Opportunities
In an interview with South American Division News (ASN), Timms said his appointment is “an opportunity to serve in an extremely important area of the church.” The BRI, he said, “is the entity responsible for the biblical-theological identity of the denomination, helping to strengthen that identity and answer questions and concerns about Adventist thought.”
In a conversation with BRI director Elias Brasil de Souza, Timm discussed various editorial projects. They also referenced the regional Adventist Church’s Biblical Research Committees around the world, in which Timm is expected to be involved. “The plan is that I get more directly involved in areas related to my historical-systematic area of training, but I am also open to the other needs of the department,” Timm said.
About the BRI
Established in 1975, one of the goals of the BRI is to provide theological knowledge and resources for the administration and departments of the General Conference and the Adventist Church around the world. Its role is also to facilitate dialogue within the Adventist theological community to promote the doctrinal and theological unity of the denomination, leaders said.
The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Portuguese-language news site.