Delegates of the Southwestern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists elected Elton DeMoraes, D.Min., as president during the 32nd constituency session held Sunday, April 26, 2026, at the Keene Seventh-day Adventist Church. The session also elected incumbents Stephen Brooks as executive secretary and John Page as treasurer.
DeMoraes, who most recently served as president of the Texas Conference, succeeds Carlos Craig, who has led the Southwestern Union since 2021. In his first remarks from the platform, DeMoraes thanked Craig for his leadership and the example he set for officers, staff, and pastors across the union.
Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, DeMoraes earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theology at Centro Universitário Adventista de São Paulo (UNASP) and holds a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry from Andrews University. He is fluent in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. DeMoraes joined the Texas Conference in 1998 and pastored at Houston Central Spanish, Houston Central English, Tyler English, and Houston Northwest Seventh-day Adventist churches before serving eight years at the Texas Conference office, eventually as executive secretary. In 2018, he was elected vice president at the Southwestern Union, and three years later returned to the Texas Conference as president. He and his wife, Alessandra, a nurse practitioner, have one daughter, Isabella.
Delegates also elected Tony Anobile, Ismael Castillo, and Kisha Norris as vice presidents. Incumbents Bo Just was elected undertreasurer and Joel Wallace was elected human resources director. Remaining department director positions were referred to the Southwestern Union Executive Committee, which will appoint those leaders in the weeks ahead.
During the session, delegates voted to adopt updates to the union constitution and bylaws and recognized the retirement of Osvaldo Rigacci, vice president for multicultural ministries, after nearly 44 years of denominational service.
The Southwestern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists serves Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Headquartered in Burleson, Texas, the union oversees five local conferences and Southwestern Adventist University. The constituency session is held every five years to elect officers and department directors, vote on the constitution and bylaws, and review the work of the union.
