The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Middle East has a new leadership team that includes what is believed to be the youngest person ever to be appointed to an administrative post in that region. At 33-years-old, Conrad Vine has been elected the secretary-treasurer for the church in that region. The announcement was made at the start of the Adventist church's year-end meeting in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Vine, who is trained both in business and in theology, currently pastors two sizeable Adventist congregations in London and comes from a long line of pastors. His father, uncle and twin brother are all ministers.

Vine has a decade of experience working for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in nine countries and on three continents. The day after the Tsunami struck in parts of Asia, ADRA asked Vine to join the agency's relief effort in Sri Lanka. In October this year he helped to coordinate ADRA's relief efforts in Pakistan in the aftermath of the massive earthquake.

The region also has a new president. Pastor Kjell Aune, currently serving as president of the Adventist Church in Egypt, will hold both positions until a new leader can be appointed there. He previously served as president for the Norwegian Adventist Church before moving to Egypt 18 months ago.

The Adventist Church in the Middle East has around 15,000 adult baptised members living in the 14 countries. Church officials say that because of the instability within the region it has been a constant challenge to recruit willing persons to staff some of the church's employment vacancies. [Editors: Alex Elmadjian and Christian B. Schaeffler for ANN/APD]